TECH@WORK: Hard Disk Maintenance

Spring cleaning time
Tighten up your files
Get rid of clutter
Remove program
TRAINING OPTION

BY STEPHEN M. CANALE

Spring cleaning time

PC not up to snuff? Time to tidy it up.

You wouldn’t dream of driving clients in your car if it were spewing smoke. So why do you keep inputting valuable client and property data into a computer that’s clogged with superfluous files and disk errors? Like any other complex machine, a computer needs regular maintenance to perform at its best. Here are some ways to clean up yours.

Tighten up your files. If your computer’s been running more slowly than usual or crashing frequently, your first cleanup job should be to look for a disorganized hard drive. Repeatedly saving, modifying, and deleting data splits files up into many tiny pieces that are then scattered all over the hard disk. This fragmentation is the main reason for serious performance losses. You can consolidate these fragments and improve your hard disk’s speed by running the Disk Defragmenter program.

To execute it, go to the Start menu, choose Program, then Accessories, then System Tools. While you’re in the System Tools area, you should also run the ScanDisk utility, which automatically detects and corrects damaged data and other types of errors that have cropped up on your hard drive.

Get rid of clutter. A too-full hard drive is another cause of computer slowdowns and crashes. Because computers often store previously viewed Internet site files so Web pages can be accessed more rapidly, your hard drive may become overloaded without your even being aware of the problem. To eliminate these “shadow” files, first click the My Computer icon on your desktop. Then click the right mouse button on the hard disk of your choice, usually C. Next select Properties from the drop-down menu. Once you’ve done this, you’ll see a pie chart detailing your disk usage. You should also see a Disk Cleanup button that will open a window showing deleted and temporary files that can most likely be removed from your system.

It’s also a good idea to clear your computer’s Recycle Bin from time to time. This is where Windows saves deleted files, allowing you to retrieve those you’ve accidentally erased. After a time, this folder can take up quite a bit of space. If you right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop, you’ll see, a menu option to empty it. Although you can clean out the Recycle Bin using the Disk Cleanup utility, emptying the bin manually lets you sort its contents by file date, file type, or the date you deleted the file so you can review your deleted content and change your mind before dumping it for good.

Remove programs. If you’ve had your computer for any period of time, you’ll no doubt find programs cluttering up your hard drive that you’ve either forgotten about or never used. Windows users can effectively remove such software by opening the Control Panel (under the Settings option in the Start menu). Just click the Add/Remove button. Once your system has retrieved the list of software, Windows XP users can use the drop-down list on the top right side of the window to sort programs by either how frequently they’re used or the last date they were accessed as a clue on what to delete.

Keep in mind that automatic software removal processes often don’t delete all traces of a program. After uninstalling a program and rebooting your computer, use Windows Explorer under Programs in your Start menu to manually navigate to your Program Files directory. There you can look for folders (as subdirectories are called in Windows) that were used by the software you uninstalled but that weren’t properly removed. To be on the safe side, don’t empty your Recycle Bin at the same time you delete programs. That way, if you make a mistake, you can always restore files and folders that your system needs to operate.

If you’re uncomfortable or unsure about modifying your system, pay a consultant to do it. But implementing these few easy cleanup tips will go a long way to giving you a clean, fast-working computer this spring.

In addition to instructing GRI programs, Canale has spoken at hundreds of seminars in 45 states over the past several years, covering a variety of subjects relating to real estate sales and technology. For more information on his products, newsletter, and seminars, visit www.canale.com.

TRAINING OPTION

To get a discount on the “Survive and Thrive: Use and Care for Your PC” course and CD-ROM from REALTOR VIP® Alliance Program partner Gateway, call 800/207-7580.

FACTOID

Percentage of all e-mail sent in 2003 that was spam, up from 40 percent in 2002.
Source:Brightmail, makers of antispam technology