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by jsteel412

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I'm looking to have my computer run more smoothly, my first idea is to get red of all unnecessary files. My question is, do I need to keep all updates such as security, java runtime or just the latest ones

5 replies

by formerly callpete.com

I would suggest that you run CCLEANER to get rid of the unnecessary files.

I wouldn't junk the updates. In fact, you want to get the latest updates. If you have FireFox or another non-IE browser, go to http://windizupdate.com
If Microsoft admits to it being a bug, you can be sure that its a bug.

by cmiller5400

Be VERY careful of what files you delete. You could end up with an system that needs to be rebuilt. Best bet is to not delete it unless you know for sure what it does.

by thechas

I assume that you are looking at what is listed in Add/Remove Programs.

If so, cleaning up the old entries will not have a significant impact on your computer.

For the most part, the entries for old versions of JAVA and other media software are remnants from a poorly written installer / uninstaller. While the old version is still listed in Add/remove programs, the old software is no longer on your PC.

Often when you use the uninstall option for an older version of a program, it also removes the latest version.

As to Windows updates, the story here is different. Most Windows Updates do NOT install a new version of Windows or related software like Internet Explorer. What these updates do is change registry keys or replace specific files with newer versions. There is no way to tell from the list if a newer update has replaced all the files related to a newer update.

If you are looking to speed up your computer, start by reducing the number of programs that load at startup and run all the time.
Think about adding more memory to your system if you have less than 1GB installed.

Now, if your problem is not enough free hard drive space, there are other things to look at. Uninstall programs you never use. Purge the temp folders. Archive and then delete old files and pictures.

Chas

by the scummy one

if you are looking for more storage space, you can get internal/external/or network HDD's, flash drives, or other media to move files to. Or, in many cases, get a larger HDD

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