Do it yourself: Clean up your computer

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Is your computer running slowly? Then it’s time for some spring cleaning.

Ccleaner, formerly Crap Cleaner, is a program for Windows that deletes unneeded (crap) files from your computer. You can choose which files you would like to remove so you don’t delete important data.

Photo by Adam Schoof

Clean sweep: Ccleaner deletes unneeded files several times over to speed up your computer’s performance.

For the paranoid, there are settings that allow you to delete your data to Department of Defense or National Security Agency specifications. This might take a long time, though, because the program has to delete your files several times over.

Ccleaner also cleans out your computer’s registry, which is where Windows stores its settings for programs. Many of these settings are unneeded or redundant, so cleaning your registry can help your computer’s performance.

Ccleaner also allows you to uninstall programs, some of which you cannot see in Windows’ uninstall utility.

You can download Ccleaner at www.ccleaner.com/download.

Accelerate your computer

How to shift your computer’s performance into high gear

/news/2008/oct/09/accelerate_your_computer/

Green it!

Predict climate change with your idle computer

/news/2009/jan/22/green_it/

Facing the music

For 13 students sued by the music industry, the risks of illegal ...

/news/2008/apr/30/facing_music/

City adopts registry service for same-sex couples

The city commission became the first in Kansas to create a registry ...

/news/2007/aug/13/registry/

Essential Life Skills: Deleting web history

In case of emergency, read quickly.

/news/2011/sep/14/essential-life-skills-deleting-web-history/

University anti-virus software plagues students

Residence hall students find that KU's required anti-virus program causes problems.

/news/2008/mar/06/sophos/

Going the distance

Video chatting helps students network and even apply for jobs.

/news/2009/oct/08/going-distance/

ResNet strives to speed up Internet

KU’s Internet provider considers changes to eliminate highest bandwidth users from abusing ...

/news/2007/mar/26/bandwith/

I'll be watching you

/news/2005/sep/22/ill_be_watching_you/

Keeping personal information from cyber crime

Personal information can be accessed by hackers and thieves in an instant ...

/news/2012/jan/29/keeping-personal-information-cyber-crime/

Geological Survey digitally maps Kansas

Geologists and geographers team up to digitize and update county maps.

/news/2010/mar/01/geologic-survey-digitally-maps-kansas/

Exposed

My boyfriend during freshman year had 100 gigabytes of pornography on his ...

/news/2005/mar/03/jayplay_feature_pornography/

Cinematic achievement

Recording your own movie may sound intimidating but using resources such as ...

/news/2010/jan/28/cinematic-achievement/

Sex registry brings up more questions than ...

The national sex offender registry list is almost complete, but many feel ...

/news/2008/jul/15/sex_registry/

Essential life skills: recovering from a PC ...

In case of emergency, read quickly.

/news/2010/jan/21/essential-life-skills-pc-crash/

Tomorrow's news: Txt Blocker

Just call us Cleo.

/news/2009/oct/29/tomorrows-news-txt-blocker/

Kansan Departments

Your guide to surviving the week.

/news/2008/jul/11/kansan_departments/

Personal data again left unsecured

/news/2005/dec/27/personal_data_again_left_unsecured/

Keying in on germs

The surfaces of public computer keyboards harbor hundreds of germs and bacteria. ...

/news/2009/oct/01/keying-germs/

Our electronic addiction

When did digital communication get so controversial and why are we so ...

/news/2009/oct/01/our-electronic-addiction/

the scarlet list

Jonathon Bourgeois doesn’t wear a visible scarlet “A” on his chest as ...

/news/2005/may/12/news_features_offenders/

University enacts new downloading policy

Access in libraries will still be available to students who have their ...

/news/2007/aug/13/download/

High-tech health hazard

How to keep your old cell phone from turning toxic

/news/2007/sep/20/hightech_health_hazard/

University e-mail working

Students and faculty can now access KU e-mail.

/news/2010/apr/29/campus-internet-access-interrupted-today/

Reuse it

Put that pile of old newspapers to use

/news/2008/jan/31/reuse_it/

The Gift of Life

/news/2005/may/05/news_campus_organs/

Be a Speed Cleaner

/news/2005/may/05/jayplay_manual_clean/

Photographic memories

Dan Smith sits down with friends at the Replay Lounge. His friends, ...

/news/2010/nov/04/photographic-memories/

Essential Life Skills: Saving a wet computer

In case of emergency, read quickly.

/news/2011/sep/22/essential-life-skills-saving-wet-computer/

Dirty Work

Clean without getting your hands too dirty

/news/2007/may/10/dirty_work/

KU Information Technology promotes Hawk Drive to ...

Previously available only to faculty and staff, the service promises one gigabyte ...

/news/2010/feb/02/Hawkdrive/

Modern-day people watching

The evolution of our peering culture through the use of new media.

/news/2010/mar/04/modern-day-people-watching/

Katz: Duped and drugged

Cases of mood disorders are on the rise, but is it really ...

/news/2010/apr/19/katz-duped/

Q & A: The Frames

/news/2005/oct/06/q_frames/

Center for Sustainability holds an office supply ...

By going green, the University hopes to spend less on supplies than ...

/news/2011/apr/19/center-sustainability-holds-office-supply-swap/

How to take out your e-trash

Get rid of those electronics in an eco-happy manner

/news/2008/mar/13/how_tackle_etrash/

Overworked students' dangerous race against time

Is too much work and too little time putting students' health at ...

/news/2011/apr/28/time-not-our-side/

Trapped in a game

Students who encounter video game addiction could face job loss, poor grades, ...

/news/2008/may/06/trapped_game/

Be back soon

/news/2005/sep/01/away_messages/

Better Options for Bad Situations: Staring at ...

If you're going to do it, be smart.

/news/2011/oct/27/better-options-bad-situations-staring-computer-scr/

Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.

Sign in to comment

Or login with:

OpenID