How to Clean out Unwanted Files Hidden on Your Hard Drive

By Andy Walker

Question: I have been attempting to install my scanner and digital camera however, it keeps giving me a message that I don't have enough space on my hard drive. I have uninstalled some of the games that our kids have outgrown, and I delete temporary files on a weekly basis, but my computer still insists I do not have enough space on my hard drive for scanner and camera. I hope you can come up with a solution. I'll certainly appreciate any assistance you can give. --ELE

Answer: It turned out this reader had 146 MB of free space on her hard drive. It just goes to show you how much space gets eaten up by software that comes with new components these days.

To find out how much space you have on a Windows computer, here's the procedure:

1. Double-click on the My Computer icon on the Windows Desktop.
2. Right-click on the C: drive icon, and choose Properties.
3. A pie chart will appear showing you how much space is used and how much is available.

Neat trick, don't you think?

So, that said, here are some strategies for eliminating unwanted data and reclaiming some hard drive space when you need it in a pinch.

Tip 1: Try using a piece of software. I quite like using Disk Space Recovery Wizard.

Tip 2: Use Disk Cleanup, a utility that comes with Windows. Click Start, then go to Programs > Accessories > System Tools, and run Disk Cleanup utility on your C: drive. You'll be asked which drive you want to clean -- choose your C: drive. Under the DiskCleanup tab, select the files the utility finds, and click OK. It finds files in four categories: Temporary Files, Downloaded Programs, files in the Recycle Bin, and files related to Web surfing such as cached images and Web pages.

Tip 3: Also in Disk Cleanup, you can choose the More Options tab, where you'll find two Cleanup buttons. One will list programs installed on your computer that you can remove. The other will list Windows components you can delete.

These include Windows accessories you may not want, communications items, Desktop themes, and a variety of other Windows digital split ends and toenail clippings.

If the box next to each item listed is white with a check mark, that means you should keep all items in that category. If it's gray with a check mark, it means that only some of the items are installed. To remove what you don't need, click each item then click Details. This will list the components in each category. (See Picture) Uncheck the box next to any item you don't want. Once you're finished, click OK. The system will ask you to confirm that it's alright to remove the items you have unchecked. Once you're sure you have things set the way you want them, click Apply then OK, and the items you unchecked will be removed from your hard drive. If you ever need them back, you can go back into this area and re-check the boxes. You will be prompted for your Windows installation CD to restore them.

Tip 4: Another way to get rid of old data files is to use the Find or Search feature built into Windows (it's Find in Windows 9x and Search in Windows XP). On the Start menu, click Find (or Search, whichever one is there) and then (for)Files or Folders. A box will open up on your screen.

In Windows 95/98/Me:

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