Sometimes my PC is so slow it drives me up several walls. I want to write and it freezes up. Over the years I have picked up a few tips and tricks about freeing up space and improving performance. Last week a friend emailed me to ask for help with her PC and I fired off an email to her with the ideas below. it then occurred to me that it might help others too, so here's what I wrote:
1 Start with your web browser. (I use three browsers Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Firefox). Open the browser, then tools and then delete all temporary files and cached stuff, cookies etc.
2 Go to the desktop menu and go to 'Find' a file. Open the page and where it says 'insert name of file' cut and paste this exactly:
*.tmp,*.chk,~*.*
Look in hard disc C and then press advanced options and tick 'include hidden files', files of the system and temporary files. Then click "find".
It should come up with a very long list. Delete all the files you can. You can leave the ones you're not sure of.
3 Empty your trash file.
4 Delete all unwanted emails and empty the email trash file.
5 Delete all unwanted programmes by going to control panel : add/delete software and then go through and see what you don't use. Only delete what you are sure of.
6. Defrag your hard drive. Go to START – PROGRAMMES – ACCESSORIES _ SYSTEM UTILITIES – DISC FRAGMENTATION UTILITY
This can take a bit of time so best do it when you're not busy.
Of course you can also buy software that helps you with this, but I always think with a little effort you can do quite a few things yourself on the computer!