Get rid of trash on your hard drive

You can then inspect them and delete the ones you want by clicking on each entry and hitting your delete key.

In Windows 95/98/Me:

If you wanted to further filter the files the system finds you could also click on the "Date" tab and specify the age of the files for it to find.

In Windows XP:

Explore the other options on the left side of the search box. You can search by limiting the date, file size or other options.(See picture)

Again, for all versions of Windows … be very careful when you follow these instructions because if you delete critical files needed to run your programs or your system, you could find that some programs no longer work. (Here's a tip for Windows XP users: XP will let you delete critical system files, but will then replace them, saving your butt for you.) This search or find tip is a tad advanced, so if you're new to computers step carefully. However, once you're confident, it's a great way to route out old file clutter.

Another neat trick is to find all the large files on your computer. In Windows 9x, use the "Find" box as before, but ignore the "Name & Location" tab and go straight to the "Advanced" tab.

On the "Advanced" tab, leave the of "Type:" box as "All Files and Folders", but set the "Size is:" box to "At least" and then "1000" KB. (See picture)

1000 KB is about 1 MB. Of course, you could go higher … “start at say larger than 3 MB or 3000 KB”. Then, click "Find now" and the system will find all files that are bigger than 1000 KB. (Of course you could set this to a bigger or small value … It’s up to you).

(See above for this file search size tip in Windows XP)

This allows you to locate hidden files that are pretty darn big. I sometimes use this to find large music or movie files that are squirreled away on the hard drive. Once you are presented with a list, delete the ones you don't need. Again, be careful you do not remove a file that you need.

A final word on this: After you've done this exercise, be sure to empty your Recycle Bin.

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