8 Tips To Save Space

You may not have thought you would ever fill up your hard drive, but lately you've noticed that space on your PC is becoming a rare commodity. Before you run out and purchase a larger hard drive, implement some of these space-saving tips into your daily routine. Not only may it make your system run better and faster, it could save you money.

1) Clear Browser Cache
This folder stores all of the Web pages you've viewed and depending on the size at which you set the cache, it can use a great deal of space. Because of the way files are stored here, another reason to periodically clear the caches is to avoid viewing outdated material instead of the current view of the Web page.

2) Clear Browser History
Your browser's history is a log of Web sites you've visited over time. You can delete these files and like the cache, set the size of this feature.

3) Remove Bookmarks and Favorites
This resource is an extremely useful function of browsers, but saving your favorite sites for easy access can quickly build up and use valuable space. Users should occasionally go through their Bookmarks or Favorites and weed out old links or unused Web sites.

4) Delete Cookies
Cookies remember usernames and passwords, but they also pile up quickly and take up space on your hard drive. Deleting these files will clear space, but you will also lose any site preferences and may have to register with certain Web sites the next time you visit.

5) Clear Email
Minimize the amount of email you save to avoid using a lot of space on your hard drive. Delete any unimportant email and the attachments. Most email software has an archive feature. Archiving will allow you to compress the messages you want to keep.

6) Delete Temp Files
When applications are installed, your computer uses the Temporary Files folder as a temporary storage area. Many programs will automatically clear out their unnecessary files at the end of installation, but not all will. This folder can fill up quickly with garbage unless you manually delete these files.

7) Disk Cleanup
One way to better manage hard drive clean up and keep your drive free of junk is with the Windows Disk Cleanup utility.

8) Remove Programs and Miscellaneous Files
By using the Add/Remove Program application in Control Panel, you can install uninstall programs and Windows components you don't use. Many programs come with their own uninstall option and can usually be found in the specific program folder.
To remove miscellaneous files, go to Start, select Find and choose Files or Folders. In the Find All Files text field, search for the files you want to delete. Some of the miscellaneous file formats may be: .ZIP, .AVI, .MOV, .WAV. All of these types can take up a lot of drive space.