I know that computers accumulate lots of stuff over time, stuff you don’t need. For an example, a lot of people don’t empty their ‘Recycling Bin’ leaving gigbytes worth of stuff! Also, there’s the catch, unused ‘universal’ files, language files ect.
Yes, it will be hard to get rid of them all by yourself which is why there are two amazing programs (one for mac, one or windows) that help you fix that issue.
Note: These are just 2 of my personal favorite programs that are easily acquired and where a lot of the time, older versions are found free. Also, clean up programs are not a substitute for virus protection.
Windows
Oh Windows, without you a lot of people probably wouldn’t even own a computer let alone be a lot more computer savvy due to the extra work we have to put into you to make you run. However, we still don’t look after you properly. The first time I used Cleanup, it removed 5 GB from my computer allowing me to finally open programs without the fear of crashing the whole system.
It’s not pretty, but it’s very good at its job.
Mac
With lots and lots of programs for cleaning up your mac (and nearly all as expensive as the rest), it helps to know a trustworthy one to save you all those hundred of dollars. That’s where Mackeeper steps in. With a pretty, easy to use interface, it’s hard not to believe that this program can also make the rest of your life perfect.
Not happy?
Here are some alternatives. Of course, the best thing to do if you don’t want to download another program is to follow the easy steps:
- Frequently empty your recycling bin.
- Check programs for ‘deleted’ files in applications (e.g. Iphoto’s bin).
- Reset the cache and history in your internet browser.
- Try to use programs such as Google Reader instead of bookmarking the page (exception made for Google Chrome, Safari and other ‘easy dial’ opening pages) as this saves you kbs that soon add into mbs.
- Do frequent cleanups of your music (use the star rating to help you) so you don’t keep unwanted songs that take up apx. 1.2MB per minute. You can always save them onto a hard disc to restore later if you want.
- Same for photos. Yeah, it was a great night but does anybody care that you were drunk out of your mind? Besides, fuzzy pictures that can’t be saved ought to all be binned- if you can’t see then what’s the point?
- Try not to keep movies on your computer unless you frequently watch them/ need them for work/ love them to bits.
- Old school documents can be uploaded onto Google Docs and forgotten about; don’t let them clutter your computer.
- If you have Outlook, Mail or any other email software on your computer be aware that the emails need to be cleaned out regularly. Otherwise, face the risk of 2GB worth of stuff pile up after just a month.
