Most laptops and PCs are equipped with the Windows 8 operating system. It can be a hassle keeping it up to date and optimized. You want to use a nag free anti virus that is easy to use. Technophobes like myself would want to avoid the entire sage all together- no matter how dire the consequences are. In order to enjoy a stress free digital life you will have to explore quite a few DIY processes to be your own Systems administrator.
Most antivirus software will penetrate your hard disk to check for any lingering viruses or incredulous pieces of software. This means that the antivirus will check each piece of data for any viruses or Trojan - regardless if the file is old, new, or temporary. If you have a particularly large hard drive, the antivirus software can take many hours to complete a scan. You can decrease the time it takes for the virus scan to complete by deleting temporary files. As you delete programs and surf the web, pieces of information are embedded into your computer's hard drive. This can reduce the performance of your computer and make it sluggish.
Deleting Temporary Files On Windows 8
With your screen cleared of any inconspicuous Windows or programs, place your cursor to the bottom right of your screen. There will be a search box - this will allow you to search for any kind of program or Windows command on the whim. In the search box, type in "Disk Cleanup". You will see an option pop up saying "Free Disk Space by Deleting Unnecessary Files".
Your computer will usually have one hard disk where it installs most of its programs. If for some reason you have multiple hard drives or if you have an external hard drive that is connected to your desktop or laptop, then you will have to do a disk cleanup on each hard drive. Once the "Free Disk Space by Deleting Unnecessary Files" opens up, use the drop-down menu to select the hard drive that will have its temporary files deleted. The "Disk Cleanup Tool" will start to scan the hard drive and calculate how much free space you will potentially gain. Click on the check boxes then click on the "OK" button. Click on "Delete Files". Windows 8 will then take a couple of moments to delete these temporary files.
Once the deletion process is complete, restart your computer. Restarting the computer will turn off any background processes that may bog down the antivirus scan. You will find that the antivirus program will take a less time to complete the scan. Deleting temporary files can also help dismantle certain trojans or viruses from further infecting your system.