How to remove Clutter from a Hard Drive?

1. 
   

   Open your document and applications folders.

2. 
   

   Drag the icons for unneeded documents to the Recycle Bin (Windows 95 or 98) or the Trash (Macintosh).

3. 
   

   Copy documents you want to keep but don't expect to use often to floppy disks or other backup media.

4. 
   

   Move these documents to the Recycle Bin or the Trash after you've copied them.

5. 
   

   Empty your Recycle Bin or the Trash after completing the above steps.

6. 
   

   Remove unwanted application programs by using an uninstaller program. In Windows, use the Add/Remove control panel. On the Mac, many program installers include a Remove option; you need to run the installer again and choose Remove.

Backup and Temporary Files

7. 
   

   Your programs should clean up their temporary files by themselves, but sometimes they don't. Check your folders for file names that begin with a tilde (~) or end with TMP. Drag them to the Recycle Bin or the Trash.

8. 
   

   Check your work and application folders for backup files whose names end with BAK. Remove these if you don't need them.

9. 
   

   Don't empty the Recycle Bin or the Trash after completing the above steps.

10. 
    

    Reboot your computer to make sure you haven't deleted a necessary system file.

11. 
    

    Open applications to make sure they boot properly if you deleted files from their folders.

12. 
    

    If you have no problems, empty the Recycle Bin or the Trash. Otherwise, return files to their original places.