1. Empty your internet cache.
   
   For users of Internet Explorer:
   
   • Close all instances of your browser.
   • Open Control Panel and double click on "Internet Options".
   • In the "General" tab, in the section where it says "Temporary Internet Files", press the button marked "Delete Files".
   • In the dialog box that pops up, place a check mark in the box "Delete all offline content".
     This removes all subfolders that are created in the " Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5" folder.
   
   For users of Netscape or Mozilla:
   
   • From the menu bar, choose "Edit/Preferences/Advanced/Cache".
   • Press the "Clear cache" button.
   
   For Mozilla Firebird/Firefox:
   
   • From the menu bar, choose "Tools/Options/Privacy/Cache".
   • Press the "Clear" button.
   
   For Opera users:
   
   • From the menu bar, choose "File/Preferences/History and Cache".
   • Press "Empty Now".
   
   
2. "My Documents":  Make sure that you do not have too many files, folders and sub-folders in 'My Documents'.  Create new folders outside of 'My Documents' and move stuff to the new folders. The 'My Documents' folder is a special system folder, and there is a known issue in Windows, where too many files/folders within it can cause your system to become very sluggish.
   
   
3. Clean up your registry with one or both of the following freeware tools - be sure to read the help files:
   
   
   • EasyCleaner (v2.0.369 with installer) 2.41MB.
   • Jv16 RegCleaner (v4.3) 504kb.
   
   
4. Streamline your startups.  Take some time to study the following web pages to determine what programs you have running at startup, what is necessary and what you can disable.  To help you, Startup List will tell you what you have running at startup on your system.  Wherever possible, use the preferences or options of the application involved to prevent it running at startup. Use the Chameleon Startup Manager tool to check which programs are starting at the boot time. You can uncheck those programs. If a program is not immediately required upon Windows start, you can specify a delayed startup (we recommend several minutes) or upon what program this program should be started.
   
   For the adventurous amongst you, but particularly for troubleshooting purposes, following is a list of possible startup locations. Otherwise, if you used Chameleon Startup Manager skip directly to item 5.
   WARNING: Editing the registry incorrectly can result in your operating system failing to function. Do this only if you are confident, and be sure to back up your registry first, or create a restore point, in case something should go wrong.  What YOU do with this information is YOUR responsibility, and YOURS alone.
   
   List of possible startup locations.
   

   • REGISTRY:
     
     HKLM = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
     HKCU = HKEY_CURRENT_USER
     
     HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce\
     HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx\
     HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices\
     HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce\
     HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\
     HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ShellServiceObjectDelayLoad\
     HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run\
     HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows (AppInit_DLLs)
     HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon (Userinit)
     HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon (Shell)
     HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\
     HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System (Scripts)
     
     HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce\
     HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx\
     HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices\
     HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce\
     HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\
     HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run\
     HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System (Shell)
     HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows (Run)
     HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows (Load)
     HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System (Scripts)
     
     
   • Services
     HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\
     
     
   • Browser Helper Objects
     HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Browser Helper Objects\
     
     
   • Active Setup Stub Keys (These are disabled if there is a twin in HKCU)
     HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\
     
     
   • ICQ Agent Autostart
     HKCU\Software\Mirabilis\ICQ\Agent\Apps
     
     
     
   • STARTUP FOLDERS:
     
     Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
     Documents and Settings\[user name]\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
     Documents and Settings\Administrator\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
     Documents and Settings\Default User\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
     WinNT\Profiles\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
     WinNT\Profiles\[user name]\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
     WinNT\Profiles\Administrator\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
     WinNT\Profiles\Default User\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
     Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
     Windows\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
     WinME\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
     WinME\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
     
     
     
   • OTHER MEANS:
     
     WINDOWS\win.ini
     Start=
     Run=
     
     WINDOWS\system.ini
     Shell=
     Scrnsave.exe=
     Drivers=
     
     Config.sys
     Autoexec.bat
     Dosstart.bat
     Task Scheduler
     
     
5. TEMP Folder:  Reboot and immediately empty your "Windows\Temp" folder - or "Documents and Settings\[username]\Local Settings\Temp" for Windows XP users.  Note that emptying the Temp folder is quite safe, but only following a reboot. This is because applications and setup routines store working files in the temp folder, and setup routines in particular, often need to finish their cleanup process after a reboot.  It also ensures that you don't delete a temporary file that may be needed by an application that is currently running, with the possibility of loosing work.
   
   Here are some possible TEMP folder locations.
   
   

   • Your system may vary:
     [Drive]:\Windows\Temp
     [Drive]:\Documents and Settings\[User Name]\Local Settings\Temp
     [Drive]:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Local Settings\Temp
     [Drive]:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp
     [Drive]:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temp
     [Drive]:\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Local Settings\Temp
     
     
   • Windows Update temporary folder:
     [Drive]:\WUTemp
     [Drive]:\Windows\WUTemp
     [Drive]:\Program Files\WindowsUpdate\V4\temp
     

   
   
6. Empty your recycle bin.  You'd be surprised how many people fail to empty their recycle bin regularly, and it can grow to many megabytes, or even gigabytes! Right click on the recycle bin and you will see the options available to you.
   
   
7. Scandisk and defrag your hard drive.
   
   
8. Keep your system well maintained by following these few simple steps.  You may be surprised at the difference a clean system can make.

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