1. Close out of any open programs or files.
2. Click the Start button on your Windows taskbar. Then click Programs >Accessories >System Tools > Disk Cleanup. (If you're using Windows XP, go to All Programs >Accessories >System Tools > Disk Cleanup.)
3. Use the pull-down menu arrow to select the drive you want to clean. Click OK.
   NOTE: Be patient. Analyzing the drive can take a while depending on how full it is. Don't be surprised if you don't see anything happening for several minutes.
4. Once the drive analysis is complete, you'll see a list of file categories Windows has found to delete. Click on each category to learn more about it, and use the View Files button to decide which specific files you might want not to delete.
5. Once you've reviewed the categories, make sure there are check marks next to as many categories as possible, and uncheck any you don't want to delete. Personally, I was able to delete all the files Disk Cleanup had suggested.
6. Click OK to begin the disk cleanup process.

Defragment your disk drive
After using Disk Cleanup, it's a perfect time to run Microsoft Disk Defragmenter (right below the Disk Cleanup Utility under System Tools in Windows 2000, Me, and XP). Disk Defragmenter moves pieces of files and folders that are scattered across your disk drive to a single location. You can learn more about defragmenting your hard drive in this eLink Tech Tip. Since Disk Cleanup frees space in your computer's memory, it's good to consolidate the tiny freed-up memory segments with a program like this afterwards. Here's how:

1. Close out of any open programs or files.
2. Click Start > Programs >Accessories > System Tools> Disk Defragmenter.
3. Select the drive you want to clean, and click Defragment.

Anytime you'd like, you can use the Error-checking system tool (Windows XP; formerly ScanDisk in Windows 98, 2000, Me) to look for and fix system errors and bad sectors. Here's how:

For Windows XP:

1. Close out of any open programs or files.
2. Click the Start button and choose My Computer (or double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop).
3. Right-click the icon for your hard disk and select Properties from the menu that appears.
4. Click the Tools tab.
5. Under Error-checking, click Check Now.
6. Check the box labeled Automatically fix file system errors.
7. Click Start.

For Windows 98/2000/Me:

1. Close out of any open programs or files.
2. Click the Start button and select Programs.
3. Choose Accessories, System Tools, and ScanDisk.
4. Make sure your hard disk is selected in the list.
5. Under Type of test, select Standard for a quick check of your disk or Thorough for a more complete (but more time-consuming) scan. Check the box labeled Automatically fix errors.
6. Click Start.

Steady your monitor—Get rid of that shaky picture
Monitor flicker: The one area where your computer's health can affect your own. Monitor flicker can cause headaches and eye strain. Luckily, there's an instant adjustment you can make in your monitor settings that will steady many stand-alone computer monitors.

Keep in mind that some monitors, particularly on laptop computers, make automatic adjustments and will not allow you to change the refresh frequency of your monitor. And don't miss our important note (below).

1. Open your Control Panel: If you're using Windows XP, click Start > Control Panel. Other Windows versions, click Start > Settings >Control Panel.
2. Double-click on Display. If you're using Windows XP, you'll need to double-click on Appearance and Themes, and then double-click Display.
3. In the Display window, click the Settings tab.
4. On the Settings screen, click the Advanced button.
5. Click the Monitor tab.
6. Set the monitor Refresh Frequency to a rate of 85 Hertz. 85 Hertz is optimal for most desktop monitors; however, not all monitors will have this option. If your monitor settings tab does not include 85 Hertz as a regular option in your pull-down menu, please don't proceed.

When your screen stays steady, you'll be able to enjoy your computer's performance even more.

Mac Tip : Try free performance utilities for Mac OS X
A few months ago, I got a brand new 14" iBook. Don't ask me how, but while setting it up, I accidentally deleted iCal (a Mac calendar program that I really like to use). Of course, I reinstalled it, along with a few other Apple-recommended updates. But then I noticed that my brand-new computer was running noticeably slower. My first response was panic! My second: online research that turned up this post about Mac OS X disk utilities in the Apple Discussions Forum.

Now I regularly run two built-in utilities—which are included on my Mac OS X software installation disk (#1)—Repair Permissions and Repair Disk. Especially when my computer freezes, after software updates, or anytime things seem to have slowed down, these two handy programs get everything running like new again.

Here's how:

1. Open your Applications folder.
2. Open the Utilities folder.
3. Double-click Disk Utility.
    
4. Select your hard disk in the left column.
    
5. Click on the First Aid tab.
6. Click the Repair Disk Permissions or Repair Disk button.

Some versions of Mac OS X are different. If you can't find a Repair Disk button in your Applications folder, you can still Repair Permissions and Repair Disk by using the tools that come on your Mac OS X software CD (see this post). No software CD? No problem! Cocktail is one of several tiny programs which you can download from the Internet to Repair Permissions and perform other routine maintenance. You'll find more terrific Max OS X utilities and tips in this article from our eLink archive.