Cleaning Out Your Data in XP
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In my last article, I went over how to clean out your old programs in XP, which is a very crucial step toward maximizing your computer's performance. This article will follow up with another important step in XP maintenance, namely deleting and organizing your data. It's a hefty task, but I think you can handle it. So join me and let's get started.
Data is a lot like bad news; you just can't seem to avoid it. The fact is, all programs come with data files when they are installed on your computer, and using the program creates more data. However, unlike bad news, it's easy to toss out the bad data and never have it bother you again. The key is figuring out what data is bad data. Okay, that may be a bit harsh – let's call it useless data (you hear that cat? you're not bad, you're just useless and it's time to throw you away). Whatever word you use, it's easy to see how an unkempt mass of data can slow down your computer.
For example, programs often create a lot of temporary files that for whatever reason remain on your system and thus, must be evaluated for termination. In order to do this, you must first search for temporary folders and then the specific file types within them. But before you do this, exit all applications so you know that they aren't creating temporary files while you're trying to delete them. For the same reason, if you're on a network, make sure no one is using any shared files. Once this is done, you can take the following steps to locate temporary folders:
Open the Start menu and click Search.
In the left window, click All Files and Folders.
In the box that says All or Part of the File Name, type temp. Keep in mind, this is just the first search. You can go back and use different variations, such as tmp.
Click on the down arrow next to More Advanced Options and in the drop-down list labeled Type of File, select Folder.
Make sure the first three boxes labeled Search System Folders, Search Hidden Files and Folders, and Search Subfolders are checked.
Click Search and examine the results. Note that folders like Templates or systemprofile are not what we're looking for. We are looking for folders like Temporary Internet Files, InstallTemp, or TempPE.
Delete all files you deem useless. Make sure you use caution and delete the files within the folder and not the folder itself until you know it is completely useless.
Well that's how you can find temporary folders. In the next section, I'll show you how to locate specific temporary file types, among other things. So stay tuned.
Next: Temporary File Types >>
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