Routine Tasks

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Introduction:
All computers require routine maintenance periodically just like a car requires oil changes every few thousand kilometers. Routine computer maintenance should be performed about once a month. Over time your computer accumulates several hundred if not more temporary files that start to slow down your computer and take up valuable hard drive space. Here is a list of type’s files and activities that are associated with them that make up these temporary files.

  • Temp files created from installing programs
  • Temp files created from removing programs
  • Temp files created from printing
  • Temp files that the Windows operating system periodically creates that are no longer needed.
  • Temp files created while working on documents like Word and Excel.
  • Cookie files created from websites that store small bits of information like your postal code for weather sites.
  • Temp files from websites like the graphics that are downloaded from the websites that you may not need any longer
  • Temp files left behind from unwanted adware or spyware
  • Temp files created from random computer crashes

    Note: If I have visited your computer lately you will notice I have put a folder on your desktop called Routine Maintenance.

    Step 1: The Routine Tasks folder contains shortcuts to a series of individual tasks that should be run in their ordered number.

    Step 2: Please double click with the left mouse button on the first task you see called 1. Delete C Temp
    Note: You should see several temporary files.

    Step 3: Then with your mouse please click on Edit in the menu bar and then Select All.
    Note: You will notice that all the files are highlighted blue.

    Step 4: Simply hit the Delete key on your keyboard

    Step 5: Then Click on Yes

    Step 6: You may see a message like the one below, click on Yes to All
    Note: Your screen should look like this showing the files being deleted.
    Note: When doing steps where you are deleting temp files you may come across one or more files that are in use.

    Please click OK with the left mouse button.

    Next while holding down the CTRL Key button on the keyboard simultaneously with the left mouse button click the first file in the list which is the one in use (This will unselect it from the list, then hit the delete again.) There could be more then 1 file in use, so don't be surprised if it happens a few times. If so unselect the second, third and so one depending on the number of times you see the error.

    Step 7: Please double click with the left mouse button on the second task you see called 2. Delete Windows Temp

    Important Note: Please repeat steps 3 to 6 and then return to Step 7.

    Step 8: Please double click with the left mouse button on the third task you see called 3. Delete User Temp

    Important Note: Please repeat steps 3 to 6 and then return to Step 8.

    Step 9: Please double click with the left mouse button on the fourth task you see called 4. Delete Prefetch

    Important Note: Please repeat steps 3 to 6 and then return to Step 9.

    Step 10: Please double click with the left mouse button on 5. Delete Cookies and Temporary Internet Files

    Step 11: Please single click with the left mouse button on Delete Cookies

    Step 12: Please double click with the left mouse button on OK

    Step 13: Please single click with the left mouse button on Delete Files

    Step 14: Please single click with the left mouse button on the check box called Delete all offline content

    Step 15: Please single click with the left mouse button on OK toward the bottom.

    Step 16: Right click on 6. Empty Recycle Bin

    Step 17: Please single click with the left mouse button on Yes

    Step 18: Please double click with the left mouse button on 7. Run Ad-Aware SE Personal
    Note: Ad-Aware SE will automatically do an update when you start the program.

    Step 19: Please single click with the left mouse button on Connect

    Step 20: When the update finishes please single click with the left mouse button on Start

    Step 21: When the update finishes please single click with the left mouse button on Next
    Note: You will now notice Ad-Aware SE is scanning your computer and tracking down unwanted Spyware.

    Step 22: When the update finishes please single click with the left mouse button on Next
    Note: Notice the list of Spyware it has discovered.

    Step 23: Right click on any of the Spyware ware and click on Select All Objects

    Step 24: When the update finishes please single click with the left mouse button on Next

    Step 25: Please single click with the left mouse button on OK
    Note: You will see Ad-Aware Quarantining all your unwanted Spyware.

    Step 26: Please single click with the left mouse button on X in the top right hand corner of the window to exit Ad-Aware SE.

    Step 27: Please double click with the left mouse button on 8. Run Spybot Search & Destroy

    Step 28: Please single click with the left mouse button on Search for Updates
    Note: You will see Spybot Search & Destroy contacting the server to get its list of available updates from the internet.

    Step 29: Please single click with the left mouse button on each of the updates listed.

    Step 30: Please single click with the left mouse button on Download Updates
    Note: You will see all the updates start to download.

    Step 31: Please single click with the left mouse button on Check for Problems
    Note: You will start to see Spybot Search & Destroy search for over 30,000 different spyware.

    Step 32: Please single click with the left mouse button on Fix Selected Problems

    Step 33: Please single click with the left mouse button on Yes
    Note: You will notice that Spybot Search & Destroy will start removing your unwanted Spyware.

    Step 34: Please single click with the left mouse button on OK

    Step 35: Please single click with the left mouse button on File and then Exit

    Step 36: Please double click with the left mouse button on 9. Run Disk Defragmenter

    Step 37: Please single click with the left mouse button on Defragment
    Note: You will notice that Disk Defragmenter will start reorganizing all your files so your computer will run faster.

    Step 38: Please single click with the left mouse button on Close

    Congratulations!!! You have completed all your necessary monthly routine tasks. I hope you find these instructions useful.

    Tomas Limon

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