Your computer seems slow, nothing seems to be working right, you crash a lot. Perhaps it's time you gave your computer a simple cleanup.

The following general maintenance guide is provided by 16 year old Ari, a very smart regular visitor at Kids' Turn Central forums.

It is meant as a guide for Windows users only. If you are unsure of what you are doing ask your parents or someone who knows about computers to help you through the cleanup process.

Getting Started:

Windows gives you these tools to help your system run more smoothly ?Disk Clean Up, Scandisk, and Disk Defragmenter (and I recommend using them in that order).

However, before doing any of this, it is advisable to be sure that all non-essential data is removed from your system, particularly tiny files (these clog up the space). Directories to check include C:\WINDOWS\TEMP, C:\WINDOWS\RECENT among others. You can also clear your browser cache and empty your email trash bins.

There are third party utilities to scan your drive for files of specific types (eg. files with 0 size, *.tmp files, etc. However, if you routinely clear your cache, history and recent lists, this is really optional. The tools provided by Windows should be all that you need.

Programs in the background may prevent scandisk/disk defragmenter from working properly, so before beginning, it is recommended to disconnect from the net*, turn off all virus programs, firewalls, etc. The easiest way to do this is to press CTRL+ALT+DEL and follow the instructions there to shut everything off but SYSTRAY and EXPLORER**.