How to perform disk cleanup in Windows XP?

Disk Cleanup can help free up space on the disk, including deleting of the temporary files, emptying the Recycle Bin and removal of unused programs.
User can free up disk space and maintain system properties by running Disk Cleanup on a regular basis.
User can improve the performance of Disk Defragmenter by running Disk Cleanup in advance.

Please refer to the following technical support information from Microsoft.

Article ID	310312
Last Review	2007/12/01
Title	Description of the Disk Cleanup Tool in Windows XP
Link	https://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312/en-us

Regarding how to perform Disk Cleanup, please refer to the following steps.


■ How to remove the files that no longer being used?

■ How to remove system restore points?

■ How to remove the installed programs?

■ How to remove Windows components that are longer being used?

1. Click Start-All Programs→Accessories→System Tools→Disk Cleanup.
   
   

   ※	User also can click Start→Control Panel→Performance and Maintenance→Free up space on your hard disk to remove the files are no longer being used.

   
   

2. When the Select Drive dialogue box appears, click in Drives: bar,and then select the drive,to cleanup and click OK.
   
   
   
   

3. When the Disk Cleanup for (C:) dialogue box appears, select the checkbox corresponding to the files to delete in Files to delete in the Disk Cleanup tab, and then click OK.
   
   
   
   
   The information of the Files to delete includes the following items.
   
   • Downloaded Program Files:
     Downloaded Program Files are ActiveX Controls and Java applets downloaded automatically from the Internet when you view certain pages. They are temporarily stored in the Downloaded Program Files folder on your hard disk.

   • Temporary Internet Files:
     The Temporary Internet Files folder contains Web pages stored on your hard disk for quick viewing.

   • Recycle Bin:
     The Recycle Bin contains files you have deleted from your computer.

   • System Restore:
     System Restore includes current setup files which saved in the computer regularly.

   • Temporary Files:
     Programs sometimes store temporary information in a TEMP folder. Before a program closes, it usually deletes this information. You can safely delete temporary files that have not been modified in over a week.

   • WebClient/Publisher Temporary Files:
     The WebClient/Publisher service maintains a cache of accessed files on this disk.

   • Catalog files for the Content Indexer:
     These files are left over from a previous indexing operation and can be deleted safely.
     
     

4. When the Are you sure you want to perform these actions dialogue box appears, click Yes.
   
   

■ How to remove system restore points?

Please refer to the following steps.

1. Click Start→All Programs→Accessories→System Tools→Disk Cleanup.
   

2. Click the More Options tab in Disk Cleanup for (C:).
   

3. Click Clean up... in System Restore.
   
   

4. When the following information appears, click Yes.
   
   Message:
   Disk Cleanup
   Are you sure you want to delete all but the most recent restore point?
   
   
   

5. Click Yes to close the Disk Cleanup dialogue box.
   

■ How to remove installed programs?

Please perform the following steps .

※	However, the method of removing the installed software is different. Please consult the product dealer for details.

1. Click Start→All Programs→Accessories→System Tools→Disk Cleanup.
   

2. Click More Options tab in Disk Cleanup for (C:).
   

3. Click Clean up... in Installed programs.
   
   

4. When the Add or Remove Programs dialogue box appears, user can select the program user wants to remove, and then click Change/Remove.
   

5. User will be asked to confirm the removal, please click OK.
   Repeat step 4 to 5 the next time to delete programs.
   

6. Click Close to close the Add or Remove Programs dialogue box.
   

7. Click OK to close Disk Cleanup.
   

■ How to remove Windows components that are no longer being used?

Please refer to the following steps.

1. Click Start→All Programs→Accessories→System Tools→Disk Cleanup.
   

2. Click the More Options tab in Disk Cleanup for (C:).
   

3. Click Clean up... in Windows components.
   
   

4. The Windows Components Wizard dialogue box will appear.
   
   

5. Select the checkbox corresponding to the component,to remove in the Components: list.
   

6. Click Next.
   

7. Click Finish in Completing the Windows Components Wizard.
   
   

8. Click OK to close Disk Cleanup.