Computers are meant to be more productive, not to have a strain on what you want to be working on. Computers are like cars; there are short term and long term maintenance that needs to be done to keep it running smoothly. Windows does come with maintenance tools that checks for consistency and they can help prolong the use and dependability of your computer.
On the windows side, there is Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter. Disk Cleanup looks in various places in your computer for files not used anymore. It erases your Temporary Internet Files folder, Recycle Bin, the Windows Temp folders and many more. This is a one stop shop that you can use to erase files, rather than going to your desktop to empty your Recycle Bin, or going to Internet Explorer Mozilla FireFox to delete the Temporary Internet Files Folder. I would run this every 3 to 4 weeks, depending on how many people use the computer and how the computer is used.
Disk Defragmenter is a very underrated tool to keep your hard drive clean. When you delete something off of your computer (this also applies to Mac), it is only erased off your directory lists of your operating system and not off of the computer completely. It is still possible to access these files by other means. In order to get around this problem, use the Disk Defragmenter, which is found on your PC in the Start Menu, in Programs, and in System Tools next to Disk Cleanup. This is a pretty lengthy process, depending on the last time you’ve run it, which is I recommend you run it every 2 weeks, no matter who uses the computer and how many.
