Published on March 17, 2008

1) Disk Clean up (Go To)

The Disk Clean up tool helps you free up space on your hard disk by searching your disk for files that you can safely delete. You can choose to delete some or all of the files.
Use Disk Cleanup to perform any of the following tasks to free up space on your hard disk:

Remove temporary Internet files.
Remove downloaded program files. For example, ActiveX controls and Java applets that are downloaded from the Internet.
Empty the Recycle Bin.
Remove Windows temporary files.
Remove optional Windows components that you are not using.
Remove installed programs that you no longer use

Resource: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312

2) Defragmentation (Go To)

In the context of administering computer systems, defragmentation is a process that reduces the amount of fragmentation in file systems. It does this by
physically reorganizing the contents of the disk to store the pieces of each file close together and contiguously. It also attempts to create larger
regions of free space using compaction to impede the return of fragmentation. Some defragmenters also try to keep smaller files within a single directory
together, as they are often accessed in sequence.
Fragmentation occurs when the operating system cannot or will not allocate enough contiguous space to store a complete file as a unit, but instead puts parts of it in gaps between other files (usually those gaps exist because they formerly held a file that the operating system has subsequently deleted or because the operating system allocated excess space for the file in the first place). Larger files and greater numbers of files also contribute to fragmentation and consequent performance loss. Defragmentation attempts to alleviate these problems.

Resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defragmentation

3) MSconfig (Go To)

The System Configuration Utility (MSconfig) allows you to selectively enable or disable Various settings that affect system startup.
The startup tab under System Configuration Utility have programs that startup when your computer starts up.
Some of these programs do not need to start when your computer starts up. Using google you can type in the startup item name and find out
what it is, and what it's used for.

Resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSConfig

The Windows XP Disk Clean Up Utility

Disk Clean Up is a utility that is native of Windows XP

Location:

Click "Start"
Click "All Programs"
Click "Accessories"
Click "System Tools"
Click "Disk Cleanup"
Depending on the speed of your system; Disk Clean Up may take several minutes to analyze your computer.

Below is a list of common locations for cache (Temporary Files). Check or Uncheck cached items. These items are not needed by your system to operate.

Click "OK" To delete Temp files.

Disk Defragmenter

Steps:

Click "Start"
Click "All Programs"
Click "Accessories"
Click "System Tools"
Click "Disk Defragmenter" (Click Example: 1)
Click "Defragment" (Click Example: 2)

Example:1

Example:2

Note: Depending on your systems speed this may take several minutes.

Optional: Check your drive for errors.

Double Click "My Computer"
Right Click on "C:\"
Click "Properties"
Click the "Tools" tab
Click "Check Now" under Error-checking (Click Example: 3)
Place a check mark on "Automatically fix file system errors" (Click Example: 4)
Click "Start"
Click "Yes" The next time you start your computer the Check disk will run.

Note: The Error Checking cannot be performed on C:\ right away.
Your computer will need to be restarted in order for the check disk to run.

Example: 3

Example: 4

Startup Programs "Msconfig"

The System Configuration Utility (Msconfig)

Click Start
Click Run
Type in msconfig
Click OK
Click the TAB Startup (Click Example: 1)

Using the http://www.Google.com or http://www.processlibrary.com
search engine you can search the Start up Item.Uncheck items that you no longer use or you don't really need to have startup.

Note: This process will not delete the programs. You can call up any program from the Start Menu.

Example: 1