Sanitizing your Computer's Desktop, Registry and Hard disk for better speeds

What do you see when you look at your desktop? Do you see order or disorder? Can you easily locate the document you typed this morning, yesterday or last week? Or do you have to use the search tool more often than is acceptable-thanks to Google’s desktop search tool and their foresight.

A computer’s desktop acts as the digital front office to the machine. Many users tend to leave their desktops unattended to, thereby giving the impression of an unkempt and inefficient machine. One should make an effort to sanitize the machine in order to improve the computers start up times and also for general efficiency with regard to rate of locating files when working on the machine.

A computer serves as a digital filing cabinet where all programs and files are stored in folders. Just like we use drawers in a cabinet, the files in a computer are stored in folders which may also be stored in other folders. This enables us to efficiently locate our work in a well-organized filing system on the computer than we would in a normal paper filing system.

We may want to keep all our files on the desktop where we can see them but, just like with a real desk, it does not make life easier. It instead makes our desk appear less tidy thereby emphasizing the need to sanitize or tidy things away before the clutter get out of hand. We shouldn't worry much about forgetting where we stored our files because windows has an in-built system that makes it easier for us to locate any file we need to retrieve using the search facility.

Windows Explorer also eases how we locate and access the computer’s filing system. One should try to limit the number of icons on the desktop to a minimum.

Microsoft tries to emphasize the benefit of de-cluttering the desktop through the Aero Peek preview tool with a hope that users will follow suit, towards greater efficiency in desktop organization. There is even an option to lock the icons on the screen or hide them from view. This is a handy move that reveals the beauty of wallpapers that are often hidden behind icons.

A closer scrutiny of shortcuts on the desktops reveals broken shortcuts which need to be identified and swept from the desktop. The fewer the icons and shortcuts we have on the desktop, the faster the machine boots, and the more tidy the machine.

A registry is simply an official record of names, events and transactions. Just like in real life, the keeping of files and retrieving of the same while monitoring who takes the file and where to locate the file, the registry plays a very significant role. It must contain the right addresses of whatever we need in the machine. When unkempt or cluttered, all activities tend to slow down to a crawl. It ultimately takes longer to retrieve and even compute simple function.

Technical support staff used to service many machines that hard simple registry problems that needed uncluttering or simply defragmenting files that got fragmented as the machine performed computing functions. Free defragmenters and similar utility programs abound on the net, ready for download.

Optimized use of storage space ensures efficiency in computers. The creation of more and more files and folders utilizes more hard disk space, which with time gets filled up. This slows down the computer as it struggles to search for files, folders or perform simple computations. It finally becomes more and more difficult to even install new programs.

It becomes prudent to create more disk space by uninstalling old unused software, delete less significant files and folders in a sanitizing or cleanup exercise that finally speeds up the computer. Modern computers come with software that enables us to clean up our computers with ease. A fully optimized machine improves the system’s performance and top internet speed unleashing the built-in power of the machine. Old optimized systems perform like new systems.

Defragmenting the hard disk organizes drive data for maximum program performance and long-lasting data contiguity. Files are organized according to their date of creation and latest modification in groups to speed up access by the hard disk’s reader head.

Simple computing tasks and frequent logging in and browsing on the internet collect bits and pieces of junk files on the hard disk that eat up a lot of pace over time. Frequent removal of such junk and browsing history frees up a lot of space that could be put to better use, or better still, speed up the computer.

There is a long list of junk files that need to be removed to improve the machine’s general performance. We need to empty the Recycle Bin, Temporary Files, Internet Temporary Files, other Explorer MRUs, the Clipboard, Memory Dumps, Check Disk File Fragments, Windows Log Files, error reporting files, DNS Cache, Old Prefetch data, Menu Order Cache, Tray Notification Cache, Windows Size/Location Cache, User Assist History, IIS Log Files, Thumbnail Cache and Taskbar Jump List among others. We certainly need assistance to accomplish this task.

Advanced SystemCare from IObit can help ease digital housekeeping by cleaning and defragmenting our cluttered registry, sanitizing the hard disk and removing junk files to improve computing speed among many other functions. It comes with a collection of very useful utility programs that used to be sold separately. The program works everything at the touch of a button and can also be preset to clean up your computer at chosen times.

ZoneAlarm firewall from Check Point protects users of computers from snoops and malicious adware, spyware and unwelcome programs. It also enables browsers to surf anonymously on the internet without being detected by hackers.

WinPatrol from BillP Studios protects users of computers by monitoring every program that is being installed by requesting the administrator’s consent. It ensures the machine only contains programs you want to have on the machine while reporting all unwelcome intrusions.

Norton most recommended antivirus but AVG Antivirus from AVG Technologies and Avast Free Antivirus from AVAST Software are free antiviruses that come free of charge.

Users of personal computer users are usually prone to infection by viruses either from external physical sources or when surfing on the internet. The need to protect yourself from attack is mandatory.

A user must purpose to protect his/her work in order to remain safe. Frequent updating of virus definitions should be common practice among users of computers. Potential threats include various viruses, spyware, adware, Trojan horses, keyloggers, bots, worms and hijackers among many others.

Efficient digital housekeeping goes a long way towards ensuring you have a faster computer that computes with speeds that can only be attained by new machines. The market has lots of free software that ease digital housekeeping at the touch of a button. Some free downloadable programs have been recommended above to help accomplish the mentioned tasks.