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Regular Windows system maintenance should include the removal of unnecessary temporary files that the system accumulates. This computer housekeeping task is discussed in general on another page but here I will detail how to use the tool called Disk Cleanup that is included with the Windows operating system. Although it has some limitations discussed in another section below, Disk Cleanup may be sufficient for many home PC users to help keep their system clean. The tool can be accessed in several ways .Disk cleanup toolIt is listed in the Start-All Programs.
Accessories-System Tools group. It can also be opened by right-clicking on a drive icon in My Computer, choosing "Properties" from the context menu, and clicking the button "Disk Cleanup" on the properties sheet. Perhaps the quickest way to open the accessory is to enter "cleanmgr.exe" into the Start-Run line. (Actually, just entering "cleanmgr' is normally sufficient.) If you have more than one disk volume or hard drive, you will be asked to select the volume that should be cleaned. The figure on the right shows the main interface. Various different folders which store temporary files are listed. Certain listings are standard for all systems while others may vary according to an individual setup. The standard list includes Downloaded Program Files,Temporary Internet Files, the Recycle Bin, and Temporary files. The item "Downloaded Program Files" has a name that confuses many PC users. It does not refer to downloaded software programs but is a folder that contains ActiveX and Java applets that are sometimes downloaded for temporary use by Internet sites.
Accessories-System Tools group. It can also be opened by right-clicking on a drive icon in My Computer, choosing "Properties" from the context menu, and clicking the button "Disk Cleanup" on the properties sheet. Perhaps the quickest way to open the accessory is to enter "cleanmgr.exe" into the Start-Run line. (Actually, just entering "cleanmgr' is normally sufficient.) If you have more than one disk volume or hard drive, you will be asked to select the volume that should be cleaned. The figure on the right shows the main interface. Various different folders which store temporary files are listed. Certain listings are standard for all systems while others may vary according to an individual setup. The standard list includes Downloaded Program Files,Temporary Internet Files, the Recycle Bin, and Temporary files. The item "Downloaded Program Files" has a name that confuses many PC users. It does not refer to downloaded software programs but is a folder that contains ActiveX and Java applets that are sometimes downloaded for temporary use by Internet sites.