'Help with my PC' is designed to give you free advice on using your PC
With years of experience in giving advice to both Novices and Experts you should find what you need in a language you can understand
Download Windows XP Service Pack 2, if you haven't already.
Run "Windows Update" regularly, or use the automatic "Critical Updates Notification".
Install anti-spyware software (Ad-aware, Spybot S&D & Spyware Doctor are all good ones) and keep it updated.
Run the anti-spyware program regularly to keep your PC clean.
Install & regularly update your anti-virus software.
Run the anti-virus program on a regular basis.
Enable "Microsoft Firewall".
Make sure there's nothing in the Startup list. (Start Menu> All Programs> startup) Unless there are programs in the list that you need to run when the computer starts up, it should be empty.
Uninstall unnecessary or rarely-used programs in "Add/Remove Programs".
Clean the Desktop icons you don't use. Put them in a folder (preferably not on the desktop) if you are nervous about deleting them.
Clear The Documents List.
Internet Explorer users:
In "Temporary Internet Files", delete cookies, and delete files.
In the "Advanced" tab, uncheck all "Install On Demand" items and disable Javascript and VB Script listed under "Microsoft VM".
In your "Windows" folder, manually delete files in the "Prefetch" and "Temp" folders.
Delete unused system tray programs.
Remove startup programs from the MSConfig application (Start>Run> "msconfig", OK).
Run error-checking; this checks your hard drive for errors. Do this at least once a month.
Run Windows Disk Cleanup. Do this at least twice a month.
Run MS Disk Defragmenter. Do this at least once a month.
Update your drivers for CPU, memory, video card and sound card, etc. Download the driver updates from the manufacturer's web site.
Tips
To change the mouse speed: move slider settings to two , three points faster - this can increase the appearance of the mouse's speed on your screen.
When you perform Disk Cleanup in the "More Options" tab, remove old system restore points; this can clear about 2GB of disk space!
Add the Netmeeting program to Windows XP if you can, it's very useful (Start>Run> "conf ", OK).
Your data will be easier to manage if it's organized and in one place. Your "My Documents" folder can be very helpful for this.
Try to develop the discipline of editing your video files soon after taking them, then immediately burn them to DVD backup and remove them from your PC to save space on the hard drive.
If you use MS Outlook email service, delete your biggest and oldest emails.
If you want faster internet performance, consider an alternative browser such as Firefox, Opera, or Avant.
Warnings
Clean at your own risk!
Just in case, make a backup of all of your documents you never want to lose, before you start cleaning.
For disk and registry cleanup, learn to clean your registry (to be safe, use Registry Mechanic and CCleaner).
