How to remove programs you dont need

If you installed a program and it wasn't as useful or as fun as you had hoped, it's a good idea to remove it. Every program installed on your computer takes up space, and some programs slow your computer down (even if you don't use them).

To remove a program

1.  Log on to your computer as an administrator. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

  

2.   Click Add or Remove Programs

 

3. In the Currently installed programs list, click the program that you want to remove. Then, click Remove or Change/Remove.

4. Follow the instructions that appear to remove your program. Each program has a different process. Restart your computer if prompted.

Note: There may be programs on your computer that you're not directly using but that are important. (Operating system updates are an example.) If you're not sure what a program does, it's wise not to remove it until you're sure it's something you do not need. Some programs cannot be removed from the Add or Remove Programs window. In this case, antispyware software such as Windows Defender may be able to remove the software.

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How can I free up even more disk space?

Running out of disk space on Windows XP? Is your Disk Defragmenter complaining that you have less than the required 15% free space? If your hard disk becomes too full, your computer will not have any room to work and will slow to a crawl.

Prevent this slowdown by doing a little cleaning up and clearing out.

Empty the Trash

The first and easiest thing that you can do to clean up your hard disk is to empty the Recycle Bin. The Recycle Bin is a temporary storage place for deleted files. You can often gain quite a bit of extra space simply by right clicking on it and choosing the Empty Recycle Bin option. Remember that once you empty the recycle bin, you will not be able to retrieve any of the files because they are now permanently deleted. It is a good habit to occasionally empty the Recycle Bin even when you don't do a full disk cleanup.

Remove temp files

Temporary files are created when you download and install software, open files in e-mail and instant messaging programs, or transfer files. In most cases, your computer only uses these files at the time they are created. Generally, they live in a folder on your hard drive called C:\Documents and Settings\[user account]\Local Settings\{Temporary Internet Files, Temp}. Usually the program that created the temporary files deletes them when it's finished, but sometimes the files are left behind. This can happen for a number of reasons - the program might have been interrupted before it finished installing, or it crashed during a restart. Delete all files under these folder. You might get error messages telling files are being used. Just ignore them.

Remove unnecessary system files

Delete unnecessary files: Go to Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools and run "Disk Cleanup", check all boxes but not "Compress Files". After a while you will get a report of the files you can remove and the amount of space that will be freed; click "OK".

 

Remove obsolete files

Obsolete programs and Windows components take up space and may slow down your computer.

Delete unnecessary programs: Go to Start -> Settings -> Control Panel and run "Add or Remove Programs". In the "Change or Remove Programs" panel, carefully remove any programs you don't need on your PC. Leave all Windows programs and patches alone.

Delete unnecessary Windows functions: Go to Start -> Settings -> Control Panel and run "Add or Remove Programs". In the "Add/Remove Windows Components" panel, carefully remove any programs you don't need.

Empty Prefetch folder

Windows XP's Prefetch folder helps programs to start faster. Unfortunately, it has a tendancy to get bloated - pre-loading for every program you ever start, not just the ones you use frequently. I empty the pre-fetch folder about once a month. You can simply delete the contents - it won't affect your programs or data.

 

Clear System Update Files

 

When you install security fixes, updates, patches etc in Windows XP, several folders with odd looking names are placed in the Windows directory (usually C:\Windows). The folder names will look something like this: $NtUninstall. These are backup folders containing the files needed to uninstall updates, should they cause problems. After a month or less of using XP with the new updates, I delete the folders and remove their entries from Control Panel / Add or Remove Programs.

Take back System Restore space

If you're using System Restore, you can get back disk space by going into disk cleanup and clearing all but the most recent restore points.

1. Start Menu / All Programs / Accessories / System Tools / Disk Cleanup

2. from the Select Drive dialog, click OK or press ENTER

3. click the More Options tab and click Clean up¡­ under System Restore click OK or press ENTER at the next dialog which asks if you want to clean up all but the most recent restore points