Clean Sweep Your PC
reprinted with permission from the HP Small Business Center

Introduction
Is your desktop so cluttered you can’t even see your background picture? It’s time for a quick and easy PC deep cleaning. Enjoy a more organized filing system and hard drive that will help run programs faster. Now roll up your sleeves—let’s get your files, programs and photos under control.

Create a plan of action
Start off by thinking about what you’re going to do with the files and photos that are collecting dust on your PC’s hard drive. You basically have three choices when it comes to organizing: delete, file or store.

• Delete any files that you no longer need: old party invitations, bad digital photos, 2-year old PTA letters and programs you haven’t used in a few years.
• File any documents or photos you use regularly: your most recent photos, important documents you’ve scanned or projects you’re working on.
• Store items you will need in the future: all your digital photos, insurance and mortgage paperwork you’ve scanned, your journal or creative writing. You will also want to store important items that need a duplicate saved in a backup location.

Delete
Clear out the clutter! It’s as simple as it sounds and helps improve your PC’s performance. Once you decide to delete a file, there are two ways to go.

• Click on the file and hit the delete button on your keyboard.
• Drag and drop files and icons into the recycle bin.

Delete unused programs to clear up even more space

• Click the “Start” menu on the bottom menu bar.
• Select “Control Panel.”
• View programs and delete the rarely used ones.

File
It happens. You quickly save a file to the desktop and before you know it there are icons everywhere. Here’s a quick, easy way to organize your files so you can find them fast.

• Open the folder on your desktop called “My Documents” (think of it as your file cabinet).
• Click “Make a new folder” on left menu.
• Create folders named “Bills,” “Homework” or “April 08” to organize documents that don’t have a home.

Store
Whether your hard drive is full or you need an alternative spot for safekeeping files, additional storage makes it easy to take large chunks of data off your hard drive and just as easy to retrieve the information when you need it. 

A Fresh Start
The dirty work is done and without the fake pine scent lingering in the air. Your computer is organized, files are secure, and you’re on your way to a more enjoyable computing experience.