maintenance wizard

[Buddha1234]

Would anyone suggest scheduling the maintanance wizard to work on my PC every day?As i heard that regular defragmenting could harm the computer...

 

[TonyKlein]

I don't think it could harm your PC, but once a day seems a little like overkill.

If you clean out your C:\Windows\temp folder and clear your temporary internet files regularly, and defrag once every three to four weeks, you'll be fine.

Good luck,

 

[Buddha1234]

I have just been to the C:\Windows\temp folder and cleared a couple of things from there.Two things were pictures i had previously deleted from my pictures,and then from the recycling bin.Why did they then go to the C:\Windows\temp folder?And also,there are some other things there,such as a folder called_ISTMP3.DIR.What is that?There are others there that i dont want to remove as i dont know what they are...

 

[TonyKlein]

Everything there can and must go.

This is just a folder programs use to store temporary files during installation or while you run it, and which they should have the decency to delete afterwards.

Unfortunately often they don't, so you need to do it yourself.

It's just your programs 'thinking aloud', so to speak.

Best to empty the folder the next day, after rebooting, so that you can be sure no files will be in use.

I clean out this folder on a daily basis myself, and so should you.

Greetz,

 

[Buddha1234]

Excellent info.Thank you..

 

[TonyKlein]

Here are a couple of articles I've found:

http://www.pcnineoneone.com/howto/drvcln1.html
http://www.pcforrest.freeserve.co.uk/deltemps_bat.htm

Good luck,

 

[Max19]

It's not necessary to clean everything out every day or even every week. I rarely perform any maintenance on my computer (defrag, scandisk, deleting temp files), and I've never had any problems because of it.

If you're having problems installing software, or your computer seems to be running a little slower than usual, then go ahead and do those things. Believe it or not, your computer is capable of running for weeks or even months without any of that stuff being done to it.

 

[TonyKlein]

Hi Max,

It's a question of taste, I guess.
I much prefer preventing problems than having to fix them afterwards.
I regularly get to deal with computers suffering from shutdown and startup problems that are often due to a temp folder that's full with junk

It's a little like your car.
Of course you can forego regular maintenance, but the chance of something going wrong certainly increases if you do.

Greetz,