The OneMinute Geek:

Too Many Programs

The Problem:

The other day I received some boxes I had put in storage during my college days nearly 20 years ago. The boxes remain sealed, stacked in a corner in my office. When people ask what’s up with the boxes, I jokingly reply that they’re actually a time capsule from those formidable days of youth.

My computer is a kind of time capsule, too. Over the course of just one year, I have collected more programs than I really need. But, before I can get rid of any of them, I need to know what I have. What’s actually on my machine? And how can I get rid of the stuff I don’t need anymore?

The Solution:

Start with your desktop to find out what’s installed on your computer. Look at the each icon on your desktop and figure out what it is. Where did it come from? Start a paper list of all the programs on your desktop.

Next, examine your taskbar at the bottom of your screen. You’ll find all kinds of tiny icons on it. The area just to the right of your start button is called the Quick Launch section of your task bar. Place your cursor over each icon. A tiny message box will pop-up indicating what the icon represents. If there’s an expansion icon, click on it to get all the icons. Write them on your list also.

Check out the right side of your taskbar, too. That section is called the System Tray. For example, your computer’s clock is located in the system tray area. Again, put your cursor over each icon and write down the names of the programs they represent.

Now click on your Start button and choose Programs. The resulting list will give you a good idea of what else is on your machine.

Now, survey your Control Panel. Click on Start > Settings > Control Panel. Look for an icon called Add/Remove Programs. If you double-click on it you will get a long list of the programs that are installed on the computer. It should include all those on your paper list, but there may be many, many more as well.

When you’ve identified unwanted programs, the next step is to remove them. Go to Start > Programs and go through the menu until you find the programs you want to delete. If there’s an option called Uninstall, choose it and simply follow the directions. If there is no option for uninstalling the program, go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs.

To see what’s currently running on your machine, move your cursor to the taskbar located at the base of your desktop and right click your mouse. Choose Task Manager.

If you’re having a tough time understanding all those names under the Processes tab, don’t worry. Much of it is very arcane. To determine what’s what, just Google it. Open up Google in your browser, type in the complete file name, e.g. TeaTimer.exe, hit enter and see what Google can dig up.

There are also third-party programs available to help remove unwanted software from your system. Check out www.aladdinsys.com/win/springcleaning and www.ursoftware.com.

James Kerr is President/CEO of SuperGeeks, a Hawaii-based computer service and repair company (www.supergeeks.net). Please feel free to send your questions, comments and suggestions to Mr. Kerr. He can be reached at kerr@supergeeks.net and 942-0773.