The windows computer, like much of the American population, has a tendency to put on weight. With the additional weight comes consequences. The longer the condition is allowed to persist the greater the weight and the more severe the consequences. Unlike with people, the condition of the computer can be controlled, moderated, or even completely corrected (the format and reinstall option mentioned in my last article). Excess weight in computers occurs on the hard drive (the drive containing the operating system) and in the system registry.

In this and following articles I'm going to cover putting the hard drive on a reducing diet. I'm going to assume that your computer is at least moderately overweight to begin with. (The same steps will also prevent (or at least minimize) the weight gain on a clean computer). I'm starting with the hard drive because it is the slowest operating device on your computer. Improvements here will provide the greatest gains in stability and performance. It is also the one point where the user (you) has the most control.

First a simple word of warning. If you have not done the things recommended in previous articles: i.e.. Installed an anti virus program which is kept up to date and run constantly, installed a firewall program, downloaded and run anti malware programs, then don't bother to read further. The steps will not help you and in all likelihood nothing will. Essentially you're on your own!

There is a concept (rule, principle, whatever) out there called KISS. Kiss is an acronym for Keep It Simple Stupid. (While I strongly agree with the keep it simple concept, I prefer a statement like "You're stupid if you don't keep it simple", even if it doesn't lead to a nice memorable acronym.) In fact your computer is a very simple device in its operation. It performs a short simple operation (or a series of them) and then waits for more input. For instance: when you type a letter such as "a" the computer goes into a routine which checks to see if there is an active insertion point (blinking cursor). If there is one, the computer inserts the letter at this point, if not it does nothing. It will sit there until the proverbial spot freezes over or you tell it to do something else.

The point of this is to get you to thinking of your computer in this simple way. Most things are simple if taken in small discreet steps and many small steps put together lead to major gains. Large projects tend to discourage most of us but the same project untaken in small bits (no pun intended) is easy.

The first step is likely to be hardest (emotionally) for many users. If you do not use a program, UNINSTALL IT! I don't care how fond you are of it, that you plan to use it in the future, how cool it is, or about any other excuse (note I did not say reason) you offer. IF YOU DO NOT USE A PROGRAM, UNINSTALL IT. Remember, if you have the installation disk(s), you can always reinstall it if your obsession becomes too great or if you windup actually needing it in the future. Uninstall programs properly using the add/remove programs applet in the control panel. If this doesn't work, look in the program's directory. There should be a program named with some contraction of uninstall.exe or perhaps, unwise.exe. If neither is present, forget about uninstalling the program at this stage. I will discuss removing such programs later. Remember, you don't have to do this all at once. Slow and easy should make the medicine go down with less trauma.

The introductory paragraphs have caused this article to run overly long. I'll continue the process of slimming down the hard drive in my next article. Perhaps it's a good thing to have a month or so to accomplish the first step. Maybe you'll decide you don't want to bother (after all most of us don't diet even though we sometimes pretend to).

Read the fourth and fifth paragraphs carefully. If you can learn to think of your computer and its operation in this way your will go a long way toward easing your "Oh my God, what did I do now" anxiety feelings when things don't go just right.

CAG