Cleaning out your computer

Computers are great, but, just like any other machine, if they're not looked after, they tend to break down (although rarely in a physical way). Over time, computers tend to accumulate all sorts of undesirables, such as viruses, spyware, and undesirable programs. Hard drives get filled, system memory gets saturated with pointless programs, etc., all of which results in a general slowdown in performance.

Technically, the fastest (and easiest) way to get rid of all this stuff is to simply reinstall Windows, wiping away the old version in the process. However, this also gets rid of any preferences you might have set, and requires backing up all the data you want to save, which may be too much of a commitment for you at the moment. If so, read on.

NOTE: Users who would like an OS wipe should call the Helpdesk (x18062) or bring their machine up to the ITS helpdesk.

Step 1: Spyware/other malware removal

Symptoms: Lots of pop-ups, computer runs unusually slowly, programs you didn't install appear in the Start Menu or in Add/Remove Programs

Probably the biggest annoyance to today's computer users is spyware. It's obnoxious at best, and dangerous at worst. You can start by running SpyBot or Ad-Aware. You can find more information by checking out our spyware section.

Step 2: Virus removal

Symptoms: Symptoms from Step 1 don't go away after cleaning out spyware

If you've gotten rid of your spyware and your computer is still acting up, it might be a virus. Since you're not allowed to register on the Pomona network without an antivirus program, you should have one of the following programs:

• AVG Anti-Virus
• McAfee Antivirus
• Norton AntiVirus

Step 3: Memory reclamation

Symptoms: Computer scans clean for spyware and viruses, but is still running slowly

If your computer is still running slowly even after you've rid yourself of all malware, you're probably running low on RAM. It's possible to free up some of your memory, but it's a fairly lengthy process that involves diving into some parts of your computer you may not have seen before. If you're feeling adventurous, look at our complete instructions. Note: these instructions are only for XP users

Step 4: Hard drive defragmentation

If, after all this, you're still experiencing problems, you can try defragmenting your hard drive. Defragmenting puts all the pieces of big files back together on the hard drive, making it run faster. It's no longer as essential to the smooth operation of your computer as it was in older versions of Windows, but it's still a good idea to do it occasionally, even if you don't feel you're experiencing problems. It's a fairly simple process, and you should be able to use your computer while it's running. Visit our disk defragmenter page for more information.

Step 5: Future Prevention

Once your computer is clean and happy, you're going to want to keep it that way. Luckily, there are a few fairly easy steps you can take to make sure your computer stays secure and running smoothly. The biggest thing to worry about is keeping spyware off your computer. For other tips, visit our safe computing page.