Answer Line: To Delete or Not to Delete?
Identify files you can delete without regret, stamp out browser pop-ups.
Lincoln Spector
From the June 2001 issue of PC World magazine
I need to make room on my hard drive. What
files can I safely delete?
Name withheld by
request
I can't tell you exactly what files you can
safely delete--it's a matter of judgment. But I can give
you some general guidelines and advice.
When in doubt, move or compress the file
rather than delete it. If you move files you think you
don't need to a CD-RW disc or other removable media, or
compress them in a .zip file, you'll soon know whether you
were wrong about their expendability. If you haven't opened
them after two months, delete them.
The chart lists files that you can probably delete safely, along with
the folder you'll find them in. Note: In many cases, the files
named are safe to delete only if they reside in the specified
folders.
Start your search for deletable files in
Windows Explorer. Right-click one of the folders listed in
the chart's 'Location' column, and select Find (orSearch in Windows
Me/2000). In the Find (or Search Results) dialog box's
Named field, enter the text that the chart's 'File type'
column lists for that folder. If the 'Include subfolders'
column in the chart says 'Yes', confirm that the 'Include
subfolders' option is selected in the Find dialog box (in
Windows Me and 2000, check Advanced Options and
make sure Search Subfolders is
checked). Click Find Now ( Search Now in Windows
Me/2000).
Maximize the search window so it fills your
screen. When the search is done, click the Modified column
heading to sort the files found by date. You can delete
every file that's more than two days old.
You could also use Windows' own Disk Cleanup
accessory to delete unneeded files. (Select Start, Programs, Accessories, System
Tools, Disk Cleanup.) McAfee's QuickClean
(demo available in our Downloads library), the CleanSweep utility in Norton SystemWorks, and
similar programs do a more thorough job, but they require
more work (and more money).
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