I took a class at NSCC, and the professor wanted me to do a lab.

I must admit I did not follow directions very well. I Googled and came up with a slightly different set of instructions and modified them for my own use:

(first) Schedule ChkDsk,

(second) Schedule Disk Cleanup,

(third) Schedule Defrag, 

and Windows XP AutoLogin.

It should be noted that, once again, Google is your friend.

These are the lab instructions from the professor;

Tel IV

Part I:  Throw the trash in the Dumpster

First, take this opportunity to get rid of any old files or programs that you want to get rid of.

To Remove Unwanted programs:

Click    è Start

            è Settings

            è Control Panel

è    Add/ Remove Programs (enter)

Select the program that you want to remove and click è Remove

Keep doing this for all the programs you want to get rid of.

Please note that just deleting a Program Icon from the desktop does not remove all the components of a program.

Remove any other files and folders you no longer want to save (Be careful, make sure you do not delete any system components or other important files).

Part II:  Empty the Dumpster

Run a ‘Disc Cleanup.’  This is an operation you should do regularly on your computer anyway.

To Clean a Disc:

Click    è Start

            è Programs

            è Accessories

è    System Tools

è    Disc Cleanup

Select the Drive you want to cleanup.  You will probably want to start by cleaning up Drive ‘C’, but you can do this to any drive on your Hard Drive and even attached ‘Flash Drives’

Check the boxes for the tasks you want done.  I usually check everything except for ‘Compress Old Files.’  I would not recommend that you do that.

Click è  OK and then è Run to run cleanup.

Part III:  Scan your Hard Drive:

Note that Scanning Your Hard Drive can take several hours.  I usually start this process before I go to sleep at night and check the results in the morning.  Try to do it at least every couple of months.

Older versions of Windows had a utility known as Scan Disc.  A similar utility on XP machines is Check Disc.  I will give you the instructions for running Check Disc.

1. Close out any other programs that are running.  Disable any Screen Savers that you run.
2. Open up ‘My Computer’, which should be on your Desktop.
3. Right Click on the Drive that you want to Scan (Drive ‘C’?) and choose ‘Properties’
4. Click on the ‘Tools’ tab.
5. Under ‘Error Checking’ click ‘Check Now’
6. Check both boxes to Automatically fix file system errors and to repair bad sectors
7. Click è Start
8. You may be prompted to Run this program next time you boot up.  If so, then click Yes.
9. Restart your computer.

Wait several hours.  Check out the log file.  Any bad sectors?

You can repeat this process for any of your other Drives.

IV  Defrag your Hard Drive:

Note that Defragmenting Your Hard Drive can take a few hours.  Again, I usually start this process before I go to sleep at night and check the results in the morning.  Try to do it at least every couple of months.

1. Open up ‘My Computer’, which should be on your Desktop.
2. Right Click on the Drive that you want to Scan (Drive ‘C’?) and choose ‘Properties’
3. Click on the ‘Tools’ tab.
4. Click ‘Defragment Now’
5. Choose the Drive you want to Defrag and Click è Analyze
6. After several minutes it will tell you if it recommends you to Defragment this Hard Drive.
7. Click è Defragment to Proceed.

Wait several hours. 

You can repeat this process for any of your other Drives.

Pat Rosenheim, PC Mechanic panda@spamcop.net http://patrosenheim.com PatRosenheim dot com 978-766-6763

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