HP SR5502FH Removing Unused Programs, Using Windows Update, Running the Disk Cleanup Program

Removing Unused Programs

Unused programs take up memory space and slow down the computer. If there are programs you do not use, follow these steps to uninstall them.

1Click the Windows Vista start button, and then click Control Panel.

2Click Uninstall a program. The Programs and Features window opens.

3Select the program you want to remove, and then click Uninstall.

4Follow the onscreen instructions.

NOTE: Some programs have their own uninstall features. If you cannot uninstall a program from the Control Panel, refer to the program documentation or online Help.

Using Windows Update

Check for updates or schedule a monthly automatic update. (See the Getting Started guide for details.)

1Click the Windows Vista start button, and Control Panel.

2Under Security, click the Check for Updates button.

3Click Install Updates.

Reviewing programs that automatically run at startup

Set the Startup Programs feature to open only needed software programs, to improve system speed and performance:

1Click the Windows Vista start button, All Programs, then click Windows Defender.

2Click Tools.

3Click Software Explorer.

4In the Category list, select Startup Programs.

5Select the program that you want to prevent from running at startup, and click Disable.

Running the Disk Cleanup Program

The Disk Cleanup program frees up space on your hard disk drive by removing temporary and unused files (including temporary Internet files and files in the Recycle Bin). You can run Disk Cleanup manually, or you can set it up to run automatically.

Running Disk Cleanup manually

1Click the Windows Vista start button,

All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup.

Disk Cleanup searches for files to delete and calculates how much disk space can be saved.

2Place a check mark in the check box next to the file types you want to delete.

3Click OK, and then click Delete Files to finish deleting the selected files.

Scheduling Disk Cleanup to run automatically

1Click the Windows Vista start button,

All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then click Task Scheduler.

2Click Action, and then click Create Basic Task.

3Type a name for the task, and an optional description.

4Click Next, and then click Next again.

5Select the reoccurrence, and click Next.

6Select the time at which to run Disk Cleanup, and click Next. Disk Cleanup may take a long time, so select a time when the computer is on but not in use.

7Select Start a program, and click Next.

8Under Program/Script, click Browse.

9Type cleanmgr.exe, and click Open, and then Next.

10Review the summary of the schedule you set. When you are done, click Finish. Disk Cleanup will run at the time you set.

2Troubleshooting and Maintenance Guide