/ Cleaning computer of junk

Cleaning computer of junk

I had ADSL 2 years ago and all was fine but during this time my husband changed up absolutely everything including user accounts, administrator accounts, network adaptors, and so on. I had it all somewhat restored but his name and settings keep coming up. I can’t connect to my ADSL anymore. It’s just not the same and I don’t know what to do, nor do I have my XP disc. I just want my computer back to how it was when it first connected 2 years ago. Is this possible?

Kate Dubensky Cleanup a Heavily Used Computer

Reset your Computer with Windows System Restore

I think that your best chance to get your computer back to its original settings two years ago is to try Windows XP System Restore. This handy utility is included with the XP operating system and is most often used to return computers to previous states after they have been infected or corrupted by malware or viruses. Since you don’t have your XP installation disk this is just about your only chance at a clean slate with your operating system.

About Windows System Restore

System Restore works by recording snapshots of your system, its configurations and settings and saves these pictures as restore points. Since there are dates assigned to restore points you can use them to return your computer to earlier settings. System Restore includes a user-friendly wizard and takes snapshots automatically, which makes it easy to use and a reliable solution to unstable computer system issues.

Data not Affected by System Restore

System Restore creates restore points periodically; the first one right after XP is installed. For this reason, you should be able to return your computer to this state. There are some files and data that System Restore does not reset, such as those saved to My Documents, My Pictures and My Music. As a result, you might still need to clean your system of a lot of material manually. You also won’t reset your Word documents, Internet favorites and email settings automatically, but there are things you can do to clean these areas up.

Manually Cleanup your Computer

You will need a minimum of 200 MB to use System Restore, although much more space is preferred. To prepare to use System Restore, you can remove all unwanted programs. Click your Start Menu, then Control Panel, then Add/Remove Programs. Select all those that you no longer want, need or use and select uninstall. Next, open your Word program and other Office suite programs and delete all the old and unwanted files. You can continue the action or removing unwanted material from all your document, picture and music folders. If this feels too slow or time consuming, you can also remove the entire contents of these programs. When you are finished, open your Recycle Bin and empty the contents.

Run a Registry Scan

At this point, you should run a registry cleaner like RegCure or a free download to remove all the left-behind bits of data related to old and unwanted programs. Cleaning your registry is an important step to returning your computer to health and removing causes of program hangs and crashes.

Using System Restore

To use System Restore:

Click the Start Menu, then All Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools, and then System Restore.
When the first Welcome screen opens, choose the option to Restore My Computer to an Earlier Time, and then Next.
On the Select a Restore Point screen, choose the date that you want to return the computer to, and then Next.
Next, a Confirm Restore Point screen will open and prompt you to confirm your choice.
At this point you should close any open programs that you are running and then click Next when you are ready.
Your computer will automatically turn itself off and reboot. A Restoration Complete screen will open while the computer is powering up, and you can select OK.