Most computer users have never been trained to carry out basic housekeeping routines on their machines. Now is a good time to make a start!

These regular activities will recover hard disk space and can lead to significant improvements in system performance. It can be a little intimidating going through the exercise for the first time, so take your time and follow these instructions.  We suggest that you do not interfere with Program files - working on your data files alone will be sufficient to yield benefits.

Directory or Folder organisation

The hard disk on a PC has its own "filing system" that is intended to mimic a filing cabinet.  The divisions on the disk are called Folders if you are using Windows 95/98 or Windows NT.

The purpose of these divisions is to enable you to store system files, applications software and data files in logical groups, rather like a conventional paper filing system.  From our experience, many people do not store their data files efficiently and as a result spend a lot of time searching for their files.

It is worth re-organising your data files into logical groups; each contained within a folder.

File Housekeeping

Whilst organising your disk filing system, it is wise to delete unwanted, obsolete or duplicate (back-up) files to release disk space.

Many applications, particularly word processors, can be configured to automatically create a back-up copy of a file each time it is edited.  These files typically have a .BAK file extension, and can literally clog up your disk if you do not periodically delete them.

You can search for them in the folder for each application.  In Windows 95/98 or NT from EXPLORER select TOOLS, FIND, FILES or FOLDERS and type *.BAK

Another area where unwanted files can build up is the Windows TEMP directory.  This directory is where the Windows operating system places temporary copies of files.  They are used to "recover" data if the system crashes unexpectedly, and protects from loss of any "unsaved" data.

Usually, Windows automatically deletes these files. However, for a number of reasons, they can remain in the TEMP directory, and can build to large numbers. They should be periodically deleted.

Re-cycle Bin

In Windows 95/98 and NT, files that you delete from your hard disk are not actually deleted, but placed in the Recycled Bin, which is just another folder.  Should you delete files by mistake, they can be recovered from the Bin into their original locations.  However, it is all too easy to forget that the recycle bin can soon fill up with deleted files.  It is therefore necessary to periodically empty the bin – but be sure that you do wish to physically remove the files from the disk.

In EXPLORER, find and double-click on the RECYCLED folder on the hard disk drive(s) – this will display a listing of the deleted files showing the original directories they were in. Select FILE, then EMPTY RECYCLED BIN.

Disk Defragmentation

This sounds very technical, but it is not necessary to understand the technicalities - only that it relates to the storage of information on the computer’s disk.

Storage of data on a disk is not always consecutive, but often scattered in blocks across the surface of the disk.  The operating system keeps track of the location of the various parts of a data file, and is then able to retrieve the data file when required.  However, the more frequently that data is deleted, stored and retrieved, the more the data becomes fragmented, significantly reducing the retrieval performance of the disk.

In Windows 95/98 from the START menu, select PROGRAMS, then ACCESSORIES followed by SYSTEM TOOLS and DISK DEFRAGMENTER.

(Click on SHOW DETAILS and LEGEND and you can watch the process - it’s probably as close as you will get to see a computer working.)

Scandisk

This is another useful utility, which scans the surface of the disk and detects and repairs any defects found.  Like the previous utilities, Scandisk is available as a system tool in Windows 95/98.

From the START menu, select PROGRAMS, then ACCESSORIES, SYSTEM TOOLS, SCANDISK.