For general purposes, let's learn how to use Windows Explorer. RIGHT-click on the Start Button. Click on Explore. That will open WINDOWS Explorer which allows you to 'explore' your computer - not to be confused with INTERNET Explorer which is used to browse the Internet.
For practice, click on the '+' plus sign next to C: - your hard drive - or the letter which represents your hard drive. All of the files listed in C: will 'drop down' beneath the hard drive letter. Click directly on (C:) and all files on the C: drive will also appear on the screen to the right.
Scroll down and double-click on the folder named 'Windows'. The same thing will happen but now you can see all of the files contained in the C:\Windows folder, or 'sub-directory'. Double-click on 'Offline Web Pages', which may not be in alphabetical order but which may appear as the last 'folder', along with the History, Tasks and Favorites folders.
The Offline Web Pages may be empty or it may be packed, depending on how often you've asked Internet Explorer to 'view a page offline'. If these pages are not important to you, they're using up disk space and can be deleted.
Click anywhere on the white space on the white side of the screen. Hold down the control key and press the A key. That 'selects' all entries in this folder. Hit the Delete Key. All entries will be moved from this folder to the 'Recycle Bin'.
Any file that is deleted is not removed from your computer. It is sent to the Recycle Bin (on the Desktop). The Recycle Bin acts as a second change to retrieve a file that might have been unwantedly deleted. Deleted files may be restored from the Recycle Bin; however, the Recycle Bin should be dumped every now and then to free up space, so it's always good to have backups of your important files.
While you're here in C:\Windows, find the folder named 'Explorer'. RIGHT-click on it and select Send To, Desktop (create shortcut). Go back to the Desktop. The last icon should be your new shortcut link to Windows Explorer. You can do this for any file on your computer and for any Internet address (like http://www.domainname.com).
Right-click anywhere on a clear space on the Desktop. Select New, Shortcut, and copy/paste http://www.bestconsignmentshopsoftware.com as the Internet address. Click Next. Enter a name and click Finish. Clicking on the icon will open that URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in your default Internet browser.
Go to the Desktop > My Computer and right click on C:. A pie chart will appear showing used and available disk space along with disk capacity (the size of your hard drive).
For future reference, make note of the amount of available disk space so after you've implemented some or all of the suggestions in this guide, you'll be able to see how much disk space is freed up.
You should be making regular backup copies of all your data files. So that you may feel comfortable making the following changes (like deleting unnecessary files), make a backup of every file you value now, especially .dat or data files.
To find all of them quickly and easily: Click on Start, Find, Files or Folders. In the 'Named' field, enter *.dat. Change the 'Look in' field to (C:). Check the box 'Include subfolders'. Click on 'Find Now'.
Go to your Desktop. Right-click in the blank area and select New, Folder. Name the folder 'Backup'. Go back to the search results window. (Click on its icon at the bottom of your screen.) Press the control+A. Press control+C, coping all of the files to your clipboard - your computer's temporary memory.
Go back to the Desktop and double-click on the new folder named 'Backup'. RIGHT-click anywhere in the white area and chose 'Paste'. You have successfully copied all of your data (.dat) files into this folder as backups of the original files.
The above steps may be repeated using any file extension (like dat) to copy/paste other important files into the backup folder. For optimal protection, important files should also be saved on a floppy disk, CD, tape or other forms of backup media. If something happens to your computer, like fire, theft, hard drive failure, corrupted files - the possibilities are numerous - you'll have access to your valuable files by another means other than your PC.
Increasing PC and Internet Speed
Chances are your computer doesn't run as fast it she used to but has enough clock speed, disk space and RAM to satisfy your need for speed. Your going to love the added speed that will be unleashed. The steps in this book will take the choke chain off your PC and let it run!
Before we start, this is worth considering: If you haven't purchased a new computer lately it might be time to break down. If you're still running an old 133MHz/28MB Ram machine, Dell's stock price has dropped from $60 to the mid-twenties and Michael D. is having a fire sale. Call them at 800-915-3355. Their sales people are excellent at listening to your needs and matching you up with the best computer for you, meaning spending as little as necessary to get your jobs done. (We're not associated or affiliated with them. We recommend them because, as you'll find, their product is good and their customer support is excellent. From the point of your purchase on, (unlike Gateway Computers) you'll have someone at the other end of your phone call able and willing to answer your questions, no matter how simple or ridiculous you might think your questions are. Remember, this book is about helping you speed up your computer and Internet connections and in this case, you won't be winning any sprint races saddled to a five-year-old computer.)
Maybe your computer's processor is outdated. New technologies have been developed and processing speeds have increased dramatically in the last 5 years.
Maybe your PC doesn't have room to think in its RAM (Random Access Memory) - a virtual bubble where it runs programs and processes information (instead of interacting with the hard drive which is slower). Again, if you have 16MB of RAM memory compared to 256MB or more, it's harder for your PC to think.
Updating RAM isn't just about filling all the slots on your motherboard. Your computer's maximum amount of RAM capability also depends greatly on its operating system. For Windows NT 4.0 and earlier operating systems, the primary limiter of RAM was the processor. But WIN2K can handle just about any number of memory chips that your motherboard can hold (which is another limiter, although the newer boards can easily handle 2GB of RAM).
To cut to the chase, if you don't even want to know how to take the cover off your PC box but you do want to take this shackle off your computing speed, decide that late one Friday afternoon you will disconnect all the cables (remember how they were connected, even if you have to draw a diagram - some are color-coded) and drag the box down to CompUSA to meet your pre-set appointment to have them slap in some additional RAM. They will have it done over the weekend (or perhaps while you wait) and you'll be back in business come Monday morning. The next time you turn on your computer and watch it boot up in half the time, it is then that you'll fully appreciate making this simple change.
If you can handle the feat of adding RAM memory yourself (It's really only as difficult as locating the memory slot on the mother board and plugging the memory chip into the slot - intimidating as much as your first date no doubt, but doable), call CompUSA with the make and model of your PC and its current RAM. (That information is listed on your PC at Start Button > Settings > Control Panel > System > General > on the last line.) They will fix you up with the right memory chip for you to install and can provide guidance.
So, if you're happy with your present hardware (PC, modem, etc.), perhaps all it needs is a thorough cleaning of its hard drive, the elimination of viruses (if any), and optimal settings for memory, disk-space usage and modem and Internet connections. Even the largest mp3 music files will download faster, whether your on a dialup to the Internet, DSL or cable modem. Here we go!
While you're in System Properties, click on the Performance tab and note the value for System Resources and Virtual Memory. System Resources is the percent of RAM that is currently available to run programs on your PC. If that number is not at least 65%, we have a little work to do, but it will be fun work because you'll learn something new about your computer that you will use for as long as they make them this way. It's easy and it will add more milliseconds of speed. Take a minute now to reboot your computer, come back to System Properties and see just how much RAM is added from a reboot. Rebooting restores available RAM memory and reorganizes it for your computer's use.
Everytime a program is loaded onto your computer, DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files are added to the PC's C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\ folder. Go there if you'd like see just how many there are. (Right click on the Start Button, left click on Explore, double-click on C:. Double-click on the Windows folder on the right side, then the System folder.)
If you've spent any time at all on the Internet, your computer has 'cached' or stored every image from every page you've visited as well as page information from each page. It has done this so when you revisit a page on the Internet, the computer will pull every picture and word of the page (that is unchanged) from the computer cache (which is quicker than redownloading that information from the Internet - the slower source). You can see how many files have built up on your computer by right-clicking on C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files then clicking on Properties.
Check the 'size' number. It can be huge. That's how many megabytes of your hard disk space is taken up by files and pictures you don't need. In a moment, you'll dump all this along with other unneeded files.
The Recycle Bin holds files you've deleted as sort of a "Do-you-really-really-really-want-to-delete-this-file?" kind of place. You can access the recycle bin from the desktop. There should be an icon (picture of a trash can, with the words "Recycle Bin" underneath) somewhere on your desktop. 
Accessing the recycle bin gives you the option of restoring a file you have deleted or emptying the bin. You might look through the files for something you thought was gone forever before emptying the bin but again, there is a one-step process to which we will get in a minute that will dump this along with the temporary Internet files.
If you find your computer constantly running low on disk space there is a quick way to get some breathing space. Right click on the recycle bin and choose properties from the shortcut menu. This will show the properties for the recycle bin.
When Windows is installed it sets the recycle bin to be 10 percent of the size of the hard disk. If you have a large hard disk, the size of the recycle bin could be over 100 MB. To change the size of the bin, move the slide over until it reaches the 5 percent mark. This will halve the size of the recycle bin and free up 50 MB or more of valuable hard disk space. Of course it also helps if the bin is emptied. Click OK to apply the change.
(Don't confuse hard disk space with RAM. While both are measured in Megabytes (MB) they are very different. When a computer is very low on hard disk space, Windows 95 will give a message saying it is low on memory.
Go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup. Right click on Disk Cleaunup. Left click on Send To. Left click on Desktop (create shortcut). That will place an easy-access icon to click on from now on to find this hidden feature. If you're not still on the Disk Cleanup screen go back to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup > OK (for Drive C:) > Settings. Make sure there's a check mark in the box so that Disk Cleanup will run automatically if disk space runs low.
Click on the Disk Cleanup tab. The drop down menu displays all the junk currently residing on the hard drive, including the temporary Internet files and the recycle bin. Offline Web Pages won't have anything in it if you haven't 'made a page available offline' while viewing a web page from the WWW. Downloaded Program Files are .exe (execution) files that are typically downloaded from the Internet to run a program you've downloaded onto the PC.
As files are edited and saved, they become fragmented because the added parts to the file are placed on the hard drive in the next available space on the hard drive, not appended to the location of the original file. When a program opens a file (like opening a letter in WinWord, for example) the program finds all the scattered pieces and puts them altogether in a temporary file in C:\WINDOWS\TEMP, making it quicker to work with the file as a whole. Programs are supposed to close the temp files when they're done with them, but if you'll click on the View Files tab in Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup, you'll see how many there are left undeleted.
All these bad boys taking up space will get dumped now. Check all the boxes and hit OK. Don't worry. If you've made sure there aren't any files in the recycle bin that you'd like to keep (If there are just restore them.), no files will be lost that are essential for running programs or storing data on your PC.
Next, there are other files which build up on the hard drive which are unnecessary and can also be removed to free up more disk space. Go to Start > Find > Files or Folders. In the Find In space paste this: *.tmp;*.bak;~*,*.log
Do not delete .dat files!
To the right of the Look In field, click on the drop down arrow and select C:. Make sure the 'Include subfolders' is checked. Go to File > Save Search. This search will be saved (not as a shortcut but as an executable file) on the desktop. (Later we'll create a 'Speed Folder' on the desktop and drag this file into it.)
Click the Find Button. Your computer will now locate all the files with extensions .tmp (temporary files, same as above and included here because sometimes you might want to run this search/delete function without going through the previous step to clear .tmp files), .bak files which are 'back up' files (Programs like word processors and spread sheets and databases create backup copies of files you've edited.), ~* are also temporary files not needed, and *.log files which can be real culprits in stealing disk space, particularly in an email program like Outlook Express. (Perform a search for just *.log to see the number and size of these files alone. The largest of them might be a pop3.log file which is a log of your email activity - not needed.
All these files will be listed in the results screen when the search is completed. You may sort any of the columns by clicking on the headers Name, Infolder, Size, Type, etc. Clicking on the same header a second time will change the sort order from ascending to descending or vice versa. Click on the size header just to see how large some files are. They're taking up space!
Sort the results by 'type' by clicking on the Type header. Hold down the control key (Ctrl) and press A. That selects all of the files. Scroll down to the files listed with an extension of .log. Deselect the install.log and uninstall.log listings by holding down the control key and clicking on those file names. (These files are records of the programs which have been installed on your computer. Deleting them would not harm your computer or programs, but they are needed for uninstalling programs.)
Now, hit the delete button. All of these files should go to the recycle bin. If not, you will receive a message saying that one or more files cannot be deleted. That is because a program somewhere is still running. Note the name of the file. It should tell you what the program is.
Hit the Control, Alt and Delete buttons at the same time. A list of programs running in TSR (Temporary-Stay-Resident memory or RAM (Random Access Memory) will appear. Highlight each program one at a time and click on End Task. Some will shut down automatically while others will require that you hit the End Task button again in a pop up screen that may come up seconds later. Delete everything from the list except Explorer. (That's the program that is running your computer, Windows Explorer, as opposed to the Internet browser, Internet Explorer.)
Go back to the search results page. Click anywhere in the white area of the results area to activate the cursor in that area (if it isn't already). Hold down the Control Key and hit A. That selects all the files and they are all now highlighted. Hit the delete button. All of the files should go to the recycle bin. If not, you will receive a message saying that some file cannot be deleted. That is because a program somewhere is still running. Note the name of the file. It should tell you what the program is.
Repeat Ctl+Alt+Delete and delete everything but Explorer. Go back to the Find screen and repeat the search. After it is complete, repeat Ctl+A, delete. If the error message reappears, sort the size field in descending order. If large files remain, select them by holding down the left mouse key and dragging from outside and to the lower right of the lowest file you wish to delete up to the top of the list, or highlight the lowest file, hold down the shift key and click on the highest file to be deleted, selecting them that way. Hit delete. Error message? Delete the largest files one at a time.
Some RAM memory may be used by programs which are started at boot up. The instructions to your computer to start these programs each time the PC is turned on can be turned off (as opposed to deleting the programs altogether).
Go to Start > Programs > StartUp. Holding the cursor on StartUp will pop up a drop down menu. (Right.) Right click on each program you prefer not to start automatically each time the computer is started or rebooted. These programs will not be running in the background (using up RAM) but will remain on your PC and can be started when you need them by clicking on an icon for them or by clicking on their link in Start > Programs. (Create an icon (most often on the desk top) to open or start any program by going to the file or folder or .exe file of the program you wish to open or run, right click on it and select Send To > Desktop (create shortcut). An easy way to find hard-to-find .exe files is to perform a search (Start > Find > Folders or Files) on C: for *.exe files. All of them will be listed alphabetically by name. Right click on the name then Send To > Desktop create shortcut.
Now go to Start > Run. Type in (or copy/paste) msconfig in the Open field. Click OK. Click the Startup tab. You'll see a list of programs that are running on your PC. Uncheck all the programs that you do not want sitting in TSR waiting for your call. Again, they can be started at anytime by clicking on an icon or their link in Programs. Unchecking these boxes just removes them from RAM memory the next time your computer is started or rebooted. Leave check marks for virus programs and for programs that you do wish to start every time the PC starts. If you uncheck a program and find that it is not running after rebooting - and you would like for it to run after rebooting, go back in and replace the check mark.
Speaking of viruses, if you don't have a virus protection program on your PC and you receive emails and/or access Internet websites, it is quite possible that your computer is infected with a virus. Viruses make things like your mouse, keyboard and monitor 'act funny'. They can destroy files and even destroy your hard drive. It is essential that you havea virus protection program (like Norton found at http://www.symantec.com).
(If you would like to make a program start with the PC boot, right click on the system tray at the bottom of your screen (in an area away from any button). Click Properties > Start Menu Programs > Add > Browse. Here's the tricky part. Most programs will be found in their folders in C:\Program Files. Check there first by clicking on the folder icon for Program Files. Look in this browse screen for the name of the program next to the list of listed folders. If you find it, open and burrow down through folders until you find the .exe file (execution file) that runs the program.
More than one .exe file? Most main .exe files will be named after the program. Left click on the most likely one and see if the program opens. Close it if it does, go back to the browse screen and hit Open, then Next. Scroll down, find StartUp and click on it, then click Next. Give it a name that you'll recognize (usually the program name like WinWord). Hit finish. Now this program will load each time the computer starts up.
You can put files in the Start Menu telling your computer to start, dial your Internet connection, open your email program and when you come back, your email will be ready to read.
If you use Netscape, run this sequence before or after each session to delete memory and cache files: Preferences > Advanced > Cache > Clear Memory Cache > Clear Disk Cache. Set Memory Cache to 1024 and Disk Cache to 7680. While you're there you can note where Netscape places your cache files in Disk Cache Folder. Looks something like C:\Program Files\Netscape\Users\you\cache. Set 'Document in cache is compared to document on network' to 'Every Time'.
For Internet Explorer: Tools > Internet Options > Delete Files and Clear History. Set Day to Keep Pages in History to zero. Click on Settings and check Automatically. Set Amount of disk space to use to 400. Clicking View Files will show all temporary Internet files, including cookies.
Cookies are like a hand stamp at a night club. If you leave and come back, the web site you revisit will recognize you and do useless things like greet you by name, giving the impression you're being treated as an individual, or do useful things like remember your username and pass word and other information about you so you don't have to renter it. A merchant from whom you've made a purchase will remember your billing and shipping info.
These files are stored at C:\WINDOWS\Cookies. Right click on that folder to see how many cookies there are stored on your PC and how much space they're taking up. If Moby Dick was a minnow the last time you gave your drive a Spring cleaning, you could open this file, right click > arrange icons by date and keep the most recent entries, or you could just delete them all and suffer a little inconvenience of having to reenter your personal info to the sites you routinely visit now. Usually this isn't so much of a space on your drive consideration as it is whether you want your personal info scattered all over the Internet or if you want a trail of your website visits resident on your computer.
Another minor but cleansing thing to do in Internet Explorer is deleting and arranging the Favorites Menu (Bookmarks in Netscape). This is a pain to do in IE through the Toolbar > Favorites because the viewable area of the screen is small and you can only delete one book mark at a time through the Favorites > Organize Favorites window. Rather, open C:\Windows\Favorites (Netscape C:\bookmarks). Highlight a file to be deleted. Hold down the shift key and highlight another. Highlight all you don't want then delete. Not certain what it is? Click on it and if you're connected to the Internet, the site belonging to the book mark will load. (These files may also be edited in a text editor by copying and pasting the files into the text editor.)
Think about programs that you use. Do they create results or reports? The most likely place they will be stored is in a subfolder of the program, often in C:\Program Files. Look for something like C:\Program Files\My Favorite Program\Results\filenames.txt. These you will have to delete one at a time at your discretion.
Your email program may store messages. If you're not a business you may not want or need to have disk space wasted on email message storage. Even if you would like to store this information, it can be stored on disks or tape drives.
Go to your email program and look for an option which will allow you to compact email messages. In Outlook Express, go to File > Folder > Compact All Folders or Tools > Options > Maintenance > Clean Up Now > Compact. That will remove wasted space between messages where they are stored, which, by the way, is at C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Identities in the subfolder(s) listed there. (Netscape: C:\Program Files\Netscape\Users\YourUserName\Mail). Copying these hard-to-find files to backup is a good idea for those who like to or must keep a record of email correspondence.
In Outlook Express, go to Tools > Options > Maintenance. Check the first three boxes and uncheck all the boxes at the bottom. We don't need troubleshooting logs. Go back to the folders. If folders contain messages you no longer wish to store, highlight the last message, hold down the control key and select each message you wish to delete then hit delete. To delete all the messages in a folder, highlight the last message, hold down the shift key while scrolling top the top of the list. Click on the top message to highlight all messages and hit delete.
Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs > Windows Setup. A list of Windows components is shown, some of which you may not be using which are taking up space. Desktop Themes is a likely candidate using up 29 MB. (If you unload anything from this screen it may be added back using the Windows Setup CD.)
Desktop Themes stores the sites and sounds of your computer. You can highlight and click Details to see the various themes. If you know you're using one of them there's no need to keep all of them. Unmark all unnecessary listings. Go back to the main listings. You probably don't need Online Services which is basically built-in advertising on your PC for AT&T, CompuServe and the rest of the Internet backbone ISPs (Internet Service Providers). If you're already connected to the Internet, these aren't needed. Go through the list and trash things you think you don't need. If you delete something and later discover your computer needs it, pop in the Windows CD and reinstate it. Once you've unchecked all you want, click OK. Major space saver.
Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs > Install/Uninstall. Highlight a program you don't want on your PC. (Again, it can always be reinstalled, but only delete what you're relatively sure you won't use again. Reinstallation can be a pain, especially if you no longer have the disk!) Click Add/Remove > Next > Next > Finish. You might be surprised what's been hanging out on your hard drive, particularly if you've downloaded and installed programs from the net. Have any annoying screens that keep popping up? They are probably on this list.
Go to C:\Windows\Downloaded Program Files. Delete files you won't use again. These are programs you've downloaded from the Internet.
Just about done. Isn't computing fun? We're approaching discovering just how fast your computer ran when it came out of the box.
One thing left to do to make this whole process much easier the next time your PC needs a catharsis: Go to the desktop and right click > New > Folder. A folder will appear on the desktop and the title bar below it should be blanked out in blue ready for you to type in a name. Type "Speed" or whatever you'd like to name this folder. If the title bar isn't highlighted, click on it and hit F2 (for rename). Type in the name of the folder.
Go to each of these locations, right click on them and select Send To > Desktop (create shortcut):
Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs Start > Programs > StartUp Desktop > Right click on Recycle Bin > Create Shortcut. Desktop > Right click on My Computer > Create Shortcut.
Go the desktop and drag the shortcuts you've just created into your Speed folder. Do the same with the Saved Search icon made earlier. (The Recycle Bin and My Computer shortcuts may seem a bit redundant but put them in the Speed folder for a reminder that they are part of this process and for a quick reference link.)
You can create a shortcut to any file or folder or your PC and place them into this folder or any other folder on the computer. You can also create shortcuts on your desktop then drag them to the system tray at the bottom of your screen. (If your desktop is a mess of icons, make one new folder, give it a name, and drag all the icons you seldom use into this one folder.) Even that folder doesn't need to be on the desktop. It could be anywhere (like My Documents, Start > Documents > My Documents or C:\My Documents) - somewhere out of the way.
For Internet Explorer, right click on these folders and make shortcuts to them:
C:\Windows\Application Data\Identities\{B7009628-B6D3-11D3-B34B-00C04FA0CBD7}\Microsoft\Outlook Express - replacing the {B700...} with your own user ID -- this is where Outlook Express stores email data.
C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book - So that's where it is! Click on the .wab file and watch your address book open.
C:\unzipped
C:\Windows\Cookies
C:\Windows\Favorites
C:\Windows\Temporary
C:\Windows\TEMP
C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files
If you don't want someone to know where you've been on the Internet, you'll need to delete specific cookies and temporary Internet files. Go directly to those directories, use control+A to select all files, then delete. Deleting cookies will also delete any stored user names and passwords and other settings for websites you revisit.
FYI, you can view the Desktop as a folder here: C:\Windows\Desktop.
One more time, go to Desktop > Recycle Bin to confirm that it is empty.
Of course there are many times when it is not possible to remove any programs as they are all needed. Windows does provide a solution - disk compression. The name is a bit of a misnomer, as it is not the disk that is compressed but the contents on it.
Essentially, disk compression stores the data, programs and documents in a manner which is highly space efficient. Instead of a file using up 5 MB of disk space, it may only require 2 MB. The amount of compression gained is entirely dependent upon the kind of file. Some files (like word processing files) will compress better than others (like graphics files).
But compression does have a down side. It may take longer to open programs and files which are compressed as not only do these files need to be read off the hard disk but they also need to be decompressed. Though on occasion, because the files are smaller, they take a shorter time to be read off the disk, and the time to decompress the file is less than the difference.
Using a compressed disk requires a compression driver to be memory resident all the time.
Some computer users may be wary of disk compression as there was a huge bug in an early DOS compression program. There are no known errors now. In fact this columnist has run drive space on all his computers at one time or another without mishap.
To compress a hard disk - Click the Start button then choose Programs, Accessories, System tools, Drive space. The program is very easy to use. The initial compression of the files on the hard disk can take a few hours depending on the speed of the computer and the number and size of the files.
The Drivespace program will not work on a full disk as it needs a working area while it begins the job of compressing the files. Some files and programs may need to be removed in order to allow the compression to be commenced. Once the compression program has reorganized the disk the amount of space gained is huge.
Use Compression Agent to Free Disk Space (optional)
Use Compression Agent to compress selected files using the settings you specify. With Compression Agent, save disk space by compressing files, or improve performance by changing the level of compression on files. While files on the hard drive are being recompressed, Compression Agent updates information in a table to reflect how disk space changes as files are moved from one compression method to another.
Open Compression Agent by clicking Start, pointing to Programs, pointing to Accessories, pointing to System Tools, and then clicking Compression Agent. You can use Compression Agent to compress files only on drives compressed using DriveSpace 3.
Using DriveSpace 3 to Increase Disk Space
Use DriveSpace 3 to compress both hard and floppy disks to create more free space for files. Also use DriveSpace 3 to configure disk drives that you have already compressed by using DoubleSpace or DriveSpace 3.
Start DriveSpace 3 by clicking Start, pointing to Programs, pointing to Accessories, pointing to System Tools, and then clicking DriveSpace 3. You cannot compress drives that use FAT32. For information about how to use DriveSpace 3, click the Help menu in DriveSpace 3.
Use Drive Converter (FAT32) to Free Space and Speed
Drive Converter converts your drive to the FAT32 file system, an enhancement of the File Allocation Table (FAT or FAT16) file system format. When your drive is in this format, it stores data more efficiently, creating up to several hundred MB of extra disk space on the drive. In addition, programs load faster and your computer uses fewer system resources.
Start Drive Converter by clicking Start, pointing to Programs, pointing to Accessories, pointing to System Tools, and then clicking Drive Converter.
Once you convert your hard drive to FAT32 format using Drive Converter, you cannot return to using the FAT16 format unless you repartition and reformat the FAT32 drive. If you converted the drive on which Windows 98 is installed, then you must reinstall Windows 98 after repartitioning the drive.
Older disk compression software is not compatible with FAT32. If your drive is already compressed, you may not be able to convert to FAT32.
If you convert a removable disk and use the disk with other operating systems that are not FAT32-compatible, you cannot access the disk when running the other operating system.
If your computer has a hibernate feature, the conversion may turn off this feature. See your computer documentation for details. Because previous versions of Windows are not compatible with FAT32, you cannot uninstall Windows 98 after converting.
Although most programs are not affected by the conversion from FAT16 to FAT32, some disk utilities that depend on FAT16 do not work with FAT32 drives. You will be prompted if you are running one of these utilities. Contact your disk utility manufacturer to see if there is an updated version that is compatible with FAT32.
If you convert your hard drive to FAT32 using Drive Converter, you can no longer use dual boot to run earlier versions of Windows (Windows 95 [Version 4.00.950], Windows NT 3.x, Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 3.x). However, if you are on a network, earlier versions of Windows can still gain access to your FAT32 hard drive through the network.
Your hard disk is now squeaky clean and you're a fellow Geek! Reboot and don't go anywhere. See if you notice a difference in speed as the system reloads. Go to Desktop > My Computer and right click on C:. Lots more space? How does the amount of free disk space compare to when we started?
Now for more speed! Go to Start > Run. Type in scandisk and check Thorough and Automatically Fix Errors. Hit Start. Go start the grill, wash the car and come back. This will find and fix (or block off) any damaged and/or unusable storage areas on the hard drive and must be done before the next step, defragging.
Go to Start > Run. Type in defrag. Click Settings. Check the top two boxes, the last box and click OK. You can select Show Details and watch a pretty screen of colored boxes as their movement represents the appending of file fragments. All the pieces will be put back together again so the next time your program goes looking for a file you wish to open, it will be in the same place on the hard drive and will be located and opened much faster because the hard drive head doesn't have to run all over the country looking for scattered bits of the file. Go the movie, wash the dog and come back. Make sure before you leave that the progress screen says its 1-2% or more into the defragmentation process. Sometimes a TSR program will interfere (even though we thought we deleted them or stopped them from starting when the PC starts). If so, do the Ctl+Alt+Delete thing again to stop programs from running in the background. Do not reboot and restart defrag again.
You're back! Reboot. Should be quicker than your wife's lover when you come home unexpectedly. Your disk is so clean and organized you'll think it's new!
If you would like for your computer to run Scandisk and Defrag automatically and periodically, go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Welcome to Windows. (If a Welcome to Windows screen loads every time you boot up, here's your chance to get rid of it by unchecking the box in the lower left hand corner! Opening this screen places a check mark in the box. Remove it.)
Click on Maintain Your Computer > Change My Settings > Ok > Express > Next > Next > Finish. You'll need to leave your computer on the night before the scheduled time (or go back through the schedule setup to select a different time to run).
Here are very valuable tools for keeping your computer settings, memory and Internet connections at optimal performance. The minimal cost of these software programs is well worth keeping your equipment running at top speed!
After a PC has been running for a while, it starts losing its mind - its memory! It gets scattered and runs out of room to operate - virtually! MemTurbo II increases system performance by recovering RAM (Random Access Memory) on the fly and makes it available again for your applications and the operating system. It also defragments physical RAM, increasing the efficiency of your CPU and mother board caches.
MemTurbo II also recovers memory leaks from poorly behaved applications and flushes unused libraries and DLLs temporarily out to disk, making more room for your favorite games or applications. Memory is refreshed with one mouse click, reducing chances of lockup and reducing the number of reboots to refresh the computer. Visit their website.
Windows® lacks the power to provide an optimal Internet connection because of changing, unstable network conditions. webROCKET is a powerful, easy-to-use program for Windows® 95, 98, NT, 2000 and Me which accelerates Internet speed by up to 200%.
webROCKET automatically turbo charges your Internet connection by boosting Internet data transport efficiency, adapting your modem or high-speed connection to its maximum potential. It is compatible with any home or office Internet connection that works in Windows®, including dial-up modems of any speed, and high-speed connections such as cable modems, ADSL, ISDN, T-1, LAN, etc. It works with all Internet services, including AOL and local ISPs.
Because webROCKET optimizes the way Windows® works with the Internet, you will notice an improvement with any web browser, e-mail client, file transfer, online game, or other Internet software. webROCKET speeds up everything you do on the Internet, and improves your Internet performance even if you already have a high speed connection or speed boosting software.
