Get Norton Systemworks. It doesn't really matter what year, but I just got Systemworks 2005. Install it and do the following:
- Norton WinDoctor: Have it run all tests. It will search your registry for corrupt entries, search for missing shortcuts and a crapload of other stuff. It finds hundreds of problems.
- Speed Disk: This is a defrag utility that I find works better than the one that comes with Windows
Quote:
| Speed Disk optimizes an entire disk's files, directories, the MFT, swap file, and security metadata. You can optimize without restarting your computer and optimize in only one pass, even after you optimize the swap file. Intelligent analysis places file types in the optimal order for best performance, which reduces the frequency and necessity for substantial reoptimizations. |
- Run a full virus scan.
- Run the Windows Disk Cleanup wizard (as stated above)
- Download Webroot's SpySweeper. Download the most current spyware definitions. Scan your entire hard drive and delete everything.
- Go through and delete the folders of applications that you have uninstalled.
- Go through all of your download folders and all of your documents and delete anything you don't need/want anymore.
- Put anything you don't usually use onto a CD.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head.
-Brian
> choose 'disk cleanup', and it's pretty straightforward from there.
