We reveal how you keep Windows lean and minimize superfluous data. Only a part of the garbage on the PC has actually been left behind, because program producers – especially Microsoft – do not care to clean temporary files cleanly from the hard disk after the end of a program. For the larger proportion, the users themselves are responsible. There remain long installed downloads on the hard disk back or Zip archives, which have already been unpacked. In addition, there are the PUPs, potentially unwanted programs that have been installed with other software.
Windows: Remove existing garbage
First remove the existing garbage. Windows is already providing a useful tool with disk cleanup, which clears some of the directories that typically generate garbage. You can find it in the Properties dialog box of each drive on the General tab using the Clean up button. The freeware CCleaner finds much more garbage.
Avoid future garbage
It knows the typical temporary directories and cleans them. Use caution. CCleaner likes to delete cookies, history lists, and saved passwords that are hard to find but useful. Select exactly which data should be deleted and which data should not be deleted. An interesting addition is Revo Uninstaller Free.
Downloads clean up
The tool searches for file types and finds the numerous memory dumps and Thumbs.db image preview files. Especially before a data backup, it is recommended to clean up. The fuse is smaller and lasts shorter. WinDirStat gives you an overview of which directories occupy a lot of disk space. This does not mean that these files are superfluous. The tool provides useful tips on where to look for garbage. GetFolderSize provides a similar overview.
Avoid and eliminate unwanted software
It continues with the garbage of the e-mail programs. Thunderbird creates a file for each mail folder, in Outlook it is even a large file for all mail accounts. If new e-mails arrive, these files are correspondingly larger, but they do not shrink automatically when deleting e-mails since deleted e-mails are only marked as deleted. Only compressing with a right-click on the corresponding folder reduces the file size.
Lesetipp: Clever e-mail management
Especially before a data backup, one should not only empty the junk-folders of all e-mail accounts as well as the paper baskets, but the mail folders. With many e-mail accounts and lots of folders, this quickly becomes tedious, and you do not do it regularly. The Thunderbird addon Xpunge does this with one click. Time-controlled use prevents the new garbage.
Particularly in the browser cache accumulate hundreds of files fast. All browsers therefore offer functions to automatically empty the cache after exiting the browser. In Firefox, you can set the custom settings for the Chronicle in the Privacy Settings, then select Delete the Chronicle when Firefox is closed and switch the cache to the corresponding settings dialog. Then the useful chronicle is preserved, but the cache is emptied.
The Chrome Addon Click & Clean cleans the cache when the browser is closed, like other types of Internet data. Cookies can be set to keep important login cookies, cookies that are only used for advertising or espionage, but are removed. In Internet Explorer, on the Advanced tab in the Internet Options, scroll down to the Security area. Turn on the Empty the Temporary Internet Files folder when closing the browser.
The freeware tool CleanAfterMe offers even more possibilities. Here, in browsers, you delete the history lists, cookies, and forms such as Windows event logs, temporary files, and lists of recently opened files. The settings are stored in an ini file in the program directory. Use the command line mode "cleanafterme / clean" to perform a cleaning with the most recently used settings.
The Windows Task Scheduler allows you to run the program whenever you start the PC.
Many programs place temporary files in a freely selectable directory, which is defined in the program settings. Windows offers a temporary directory (Temp) for all programs. By default, this is located under C: \ Users \
In all programs in the respective settings, set the temporary directory to a different directory or subdirectory, such as D: \ TEMP. You automatically clear the task schedule every time you restart it. Create a task that performs the following two command lines each time you restart:
Remove browser addons
Downloads from the Internet are gladly forgotten and fill senselessly the hard disk. The Firefox Addon Download Sort solves problems and sorts the downloads into separate directories, which are determined according to the type of file.
Create rules for different data types or file names. In each rule, a directory is defined in which the downloads are stored. Below this directory, Download Sort can create subdirectories with the date or domain name of the source. The automatic file manager Belvedere goes a little different way, but the goal is the same.
Conclusion
This tool observes certain directories and moves the existing files into other folders according to predefined rules. For example, all downloads with a specific size that have not been opened for more than a week can be pushed into the recycle bin. Photos and music files move the tool to the directories, which are watched and cataloged by the Media Library of the Windows Media Player or the Windows Live Photo Gallery.
The automatic installation of Huckepack software (Crapware) together with the actually desired program is spreading more and more. Downloadportals often package Freeware in your own commercial software installer.
Doubtful download portals put a lot of energy into landing on Google. Always install software custom. The vendors use various tricks to make skipping more difficult. Sometimes buttons are grayed out and look inactive, but can still be clicked. In other cases, skipping is only possible by rejecting the license agreement of the additional software. The Unchecky tool provides help to avoid hackepack programs. For this, it covers hidden switches for unwanted software installs.
In Firefox, you can find all addons by clicking on the menu icon in the upper right corner. Here, most can be uninstalled. In Google Chrome, select Settings from the menu, and then click Extensions in the sidebar on the left. In Internet Explorer, click the gear icon and select Manage Addons. Not all extensions are displayed. Some appear in the Control Panel under Software. Especially the evil are hidden in both lists.
Even with the zero-trash strategy, a keen eye and TBC (think before you click) are essential in addition to our tool recommendations.
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