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Clean-up & Free-up your -
Computer Hard Drive
Steps!
Part 3 - web tech support
Clean-up and free-up your Computer
Hard Drive; part 3.
By Raymond Garcia
WebTechGeek.com
Managing the Windows XP Recycle Bin:
How to empty the Recycle your Bin;
* Right-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop. Choose
Empty Recycle Bin from the shortcut menu. A dialog box
asks you to confirm your choice. then Click Yes.
* To purge selected files or folders from the Recycle
Bin without completely emptying it, open the Recycle Bin
folder and delete the files in the usual way. Objects
deleted from an ordinary folder on a hard drive are sent
to the Recycle Bin, but objects deleted from the Recycle
Bin are really deleted.
How To purge only those objects that have been
in the Recycle Bin a long time:
* Open the Recycle Bin. If the window is not already
in Details view, choose View> Details.
* Click the Date Deleted header to put the objects in
order of date. Use the enclosing-rectangle method to select
all the objects deleted prior to a certain date.
* Click the Delete button on the toolbar, or press the
DELETE key on the keyboard.
When the dialog box appears, asking whether you really
want to delete these objects, click Yes.
How to Resizing the Recycle Bin: By default, the
maximum size of the Recycle Bin on your hard drive is
10 percent of the size of the hard drive. Example, a 10GB
hard drive has a maximum Recycle Bin size of 1GB - that's
a lot of space to use up for files you've decided to delete.
You may decide either to raise this limit or lower it,
either of which you can do by following this procedure:
* You need to right-click the Recycle Bin icon on the
desktop, and then choose Properties from the shortcut
menu. You will see the Properties dialog box of the Recycle
Bin.
* The Properties dialog box contains a Global tab, plus
a tab for each hard drive on your system. If you want
to change the maximum size setting for all the hard drives
at once, set the new maximum size of the Recycle Bin (as
a percentage of total drive space) by moving the slider
on the Global tab. Then click OK. Skip the remaining steps.
* You may want to reset the maximum Recycle Bin size
for only a single hard drive, and leaving the others the
same, you need to select the Configure Drives Independently
radio button on the Global tab.
* Click on the tab for the drive you want to change.
Set the slider on that tab. Then click OK.
Streamlining the Deletion Process - We've
all been thankful that Windows makes it a little hard
to eliminate a file on a hard drive. There are four different
actions usually necessary: deleting the file in the first
place, confirming the deletion in a dialog box, emptying
the Recycle Bin or deleting the file from the Recycle
Bin, and then confirming that decision in a dialog box.
But even though this process can occasionally be a lifesaver,
it can also be tedious particularly if you are trying
to get rid of sensitive files that you don't want hanging
around in the Recycle Bin. If you let the Recycle Bin
get full, however, the oldest recycled files will be lost
when new ones are recycled.
NOTE: Even deleting a file from the Recycle Bin doesn't
destroy the information right away. Windows makes the
file's disk space available for reassignment, but doesn't
immediately write over that disk space. People with the
proper tools could still read the file.
To prevent this, you need file-deletion software that
is not part of Windows. Evidence
Eliminator ~ This program offers
complete protection, eliminating tracks you accumulate
online. Speed-Up... your PC and Internet Browser, reclaim
lost Hard Disk space - All in one click of your mouse!
New members automatic discount.
Deleting Selected Files or Folders - If
you want certain files and folders gone right now, with
no shilly-shallying about confirmation dialog boxes, Recycle
Bins, or Undo buttons, hold down the SHIFT key
while you drag the files and folders onto the Recycle
Bin icon. And of course, you should be very sure you want
the files and folders gone, and that you haven't dragged
along any extra objects by accident.
Tips: Holding down the SHIFT key while
you click the Delete button (or press the DELETE key)
is almost as quick: you have to click Yes in a confirmation
dialog box, but the objects are deleted for real, not
just sent to the Recycle Bin.
How to turn The Recycle Bin off until you turn
it on again.
* You need to right-click the Recycle Bin icon on the
desktop, and choose Properties from the shortcut menu.
You will see the Properties dialog box of the Recycle
Bin.
* On the Global tab of the Properties dialog box (or
on the tab corresponding to the particular drive whose
Recycle Bin you are turning off, if the Configure Drives
Independently option is chosen on the Global tab), check
the box labeled Do Not Move Files To The Recycle Bin.
Remove Files Immediately When Deleted.
* Click OK.
* After you complete this procedure, files you delete
from your hard drive are gone, just as are files deleted
from floppy drives. Files that were already in the Recycle
Bin, however, remain there until you empty the Recycle
Bin, delete them, restore them, or move them to another
folder.
You can turn the Recycle Bin back on by following the
same procedure, but unchecking the check box.
The Recycle Bin remains off until you turn it on again.
A better choice might be to make your Recycle Bin smaller,
but to leave it on.
More software downloads
Part 1 - How
To - Clean-up your Computer Hard Drive! - Part 1
Part 2 - Cleaning-up
& Tuning Your Hard Disk's Performance In Windows XP
More How To's: Clean Computer Keyboard | How to Optimize Disk Drive Performance
Software to help with your Computer Clean-up: Click Here!
