| Just like your car, your computer needs regular maintenance in order to run more efficiently and reliably. As you use your computer, unnecessary files, caches, logs and just plain junk get left behind. And by "behind" I mean "behind the scenes." You cannot see them because they are left by the system software in places no mere mortal can (or should) go. As they accumulate, they can seriously affect the speed and stability of your computer. Your computer must sort through all this clutter at every moment you are using it; the more clutter, the longer it takes your computer to accomplish its tasks. So how do you clean your computer?
There are dozens of software programs available which give you an easy interface to run tools which clean your system, but you must pay for most of them. However, since most of the cleaning tasks they perform are inherent (built-in) to the system, you should not have to pay for them. Here are the best free software tools (One for PC and one for Mac) that clean your computer.
 CCleaner
DESCRIPTION: CCleaner (formerly Crap Cleaner) is a freeware utility program used to optimize a user's computer performance and clean its registry. It was developed by Piriform and is designed for Microsoft Windows. CCleaner allows the user to remove unused temporary files from Internet browsers and other supported applications along with browsing history, cookies, recycle bin, and AutoComplete form history. It allows for the cleaning of the recycle bin, memory dumps, file fragments, log files, system caches, application data, and various other data. The program also includes a Registry Cleaner to locate and correct problems in the Windows Registry such as missing shared DLLs, unused file extensions and application paths.
Windows users may be surprised at how much CCleaner can speed up your computer. For users with older computers and/or slow computers running Windows Vista, you could see a speed boost of up to 300%!! CCleaner should be run at least once a week. If you have a slow computer, you may want to run it daily.
LINKS:
CCleaner Home
Download CCleaner
Some basic instructions on how to use it:
| 1. Download and install CCleaner |
| 2. Open CCleaner from the desktop shortcut |
| 3. Click on "Analyze" |
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4. After it analyzes, click "Run Cleaner." The first time it is run, it could take quite a while to sort through all the junk on your computer (your computer has to sort through all this junk while you're working normally also; proving the point here!). Also, uncheck the Cookies" button if you want to keep your cookies (or any other data you want to keep). |
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5. After it has finished cleaning, repeat steps 3 and 4; often it will find even more junk to clean. Repeat the process until it it tells you that there are no more items to be removed. |
6. After it tells you that there are no more items to be removed, click on the "Applications" tab, then click "Analyze." |
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7. Repeat steps 4 & 5 which are exactly the same for cleaning Application junk. Make sure you run it until there are no more items to be deleted. |
8. Next, click on the "Registry" button on the left, then click "Scan for issues" at the bottom. Again, it may take a while the first time it's run. |
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9. After it has analyzed the registry, click "Fix selected issues." |
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10. You will be asked to backup the registry. It is not necessary to back up the registry. Click "No" (if you are paranoid, then backup the registry, but it is really not necessary) |
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11. Then click "Fix all selected issues" |
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12. Click "OK" when asked if you want to fix all selected issues. |
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13. When it has finished cleaning the registry, click "Close" |
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14. It is very important at this time to continue steps 8 through 13 until you get a message that says "No issues found." You may have to repeat these steps up to 5 or 6 times when cleaning the registry. When finished, quit CCleaner and restart your computer. |
Macintosh Users:
 MainMenu
DESCRIPTION: MainMenu makes maintenance tasks quick and easy, right from your menu bar. Rebuilding your Spotlight library for faster searching, repairing permissions, cleaning caches to improve application performance, and even more advanced settings — such as enabling and disabling the Dashboard — are no more than two clicks away. MainMenu is full of powerful maintenance tools to keep your Mac running like new, within a slick, simple interface.
The cleaning tasks on a Mac are quite different than those on a PC. The main difference is that because the Macintosh OS does a good job automatically of keeping the system clean; Mac systems just don't get as clogged up as Windows systems. So don't expect a major speed boost after running MainMenu; sorry you can't speed up an old Mac beyond your wildest dreams with the click of a button. You can, however eliminate a lot of quirky behavior and make your browser faster. MainMenu also has a slew of tools to perform many other cool tasks, but these are beyond the scope of this article.
LINKS:
MainMenu Home
MainMenu Download
Some basic instructions on how to use it:
| NOTE: Items 1 - 7 apply ONLY the first time you use MainMenu. Skip to Number 8 for regular use |
| 1. Download MainMenu |
| 2. Copy the application to your "Applications" folder |
| 3. Double-Click the MainMenu Application |
| 4. Check "Start MainMenu automatically when I log in" and then click "Yes" |
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5. Click on the MainMenu icon which now shows in the menu bar at the top of your screen. Go down to "MainMenu" at the bottom and then go to "Preferences" |
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6. Check all the items shown below: |
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7. Close the preferences window |
8. Quit all open applications and click on the MainMenu icon in the menu bar and choose "Execute Batch Tasks" |
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9. Get some coffee. It should take 10 to 20 minutes to complete. After it finishes the batch tasks, your Mac will restart and you can continue using it as usual. |
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