Keeping your computer functioning properly, fast, and bug free can sometimes seem like a lot of work, but a few simple tasks can keep your PC running at its best. Though there are a lot of ways that you can accomplish this, such as having up-to-date antivirus software and making sure not to download suspicious files online, one of the easiest way to keep your PC running at its best is by keeping your hard drive clean. Here are the top 5 ways to keep your hard drive clean!

1. Delete Temporary Internet Files

This is probably the easiest and most common way that is used to immediately and safely free up space on your hard drive. Temporary Internet Files are files such as images, video and data that are stored on your PC from web pages that you have visited. They are stored so that when you revisit these pages they can load faster, but if not deleted this can quickly take up a lot of space on your hard drive. Deleting these files often can help keep your computer running quickly and efficiently. To clear your temporary internet files in Vista and 7

> Click Start

> Control Panel

> Network and Internet

> Internet Options.

From here you can delete the files, as well as other stored items such as cookies which should also be deleted from time to time to keep you personal information safe. You can also do this directly from Internet Explorer, and if you are using the latest version then you can do this by

> Clicking Tools

> Internet Options

> Delete (from Browsing History Options)

> Delete

2. Run a Disk Clean Up

Windows offers a Disk Clean Up application that can help you easily and safely indentify files and programs that may be slowing down your PC and that are no longer necessary. To do a Disk Clean Up simply

Click Start

> Control Panel

> System and Maintenance

> Administrative Tools

> Clean Up Disk Space.

This will pop-up a window that will prompt you to select which files and the drive that you want to clean-up. If you are the administrator of your PC selecting all files and the C drive will do the most for your hard drive. From here you can select the files that you want deleted.

3. Uninstall Unnecessary Programs

Another great way to clear up space on your hard drive is by deleting programs that you no longer use. To do this

> Click Start

> Control Panel

> Add or Remove Programs

> In Vista  or Win 7, click the Program Category > Uninstall Programs

From here you can select programs that you don’t use anymore by clicking them and selecting the uninstall button. Remember, however, if you are not sure what something is don’t uninstall it, and always look up a program before uninstalling it to make sure.

4. Consolidate Data

Consolidating data on your computer can be a more time consuming task in cleaning up your hard drive, but it can free up a lot of space if you have a lot of overlap, especially for media files such as music and movies that are being stored in a number of formats. If you use Window Media Player as your PC media player and have iTunes for your iPod then you may be storing all your media files twice which can take up a lot of space. Choosing one format and deleting the others could free up gigs of space on your hard drive.

5. Disk Defragment

The final step in cleaning up your hard drive is by performing a Disk Defragment. This will reorganize how files are stored on your computer to make sure that gaps in the hard drive space are filled and all the files, programs and documents left on your PC are running in a more organized fashion. To perform a disk defragment simply

> Click Start

> Control Panel

> System and Maintenance

> Administrative Tools

> Defragment your Hard Drive

From here a window will pop-up and to defragment click Defragment Now, or select a maintenance schedule to have Windows automatically defragment your hard drive on a regular schedule.

These 5 steps done regularly will keep your PC running smoothly and efficiently, and as most of them can be set to a maintenance schedule, keeping your hard drive clean couldn’t be easier!