Clean Up Old Software and Files

Introduction

Cleaning up junk software from your computer can decrease security risks and increase your machine's performance. Limiting the software that is installed on your computer can reduce the points of attack that a hacker can use to get at your machine, as well as minimize the loss of sensitive data should your machine become compromised. Hackers look for old, out of date programs to use as openings to get at the rest of your machine. If those openings don't exist, it will make it much harder for your computer to become compromised. In addition, because many programs can run in the background without your immediate knowledge, removing those programs can lead to improved speed and performance.

It is useful once a year to go through and remove programs that you no longer use, downloads that are simply sitting on your machine taking up space and files with sensitive data that you no longer need.

Remove unwanted programs as soon as you get your computer

Nearly all new computers come pre-loaded with trial software and demos that most people do not use. When you purchase or receive a new computer, one of the first steps you should take is to remove software that you are positive you do not want or will not use. If you are not the original owner, you should look at what programs are on the machine that you no longer need.

Your new computer may have also come with trial anti-virus software. The trial period can be for as little as 30 days, after which it will quit downloading new virus definitions (antidotes to the latest viruses). Anti-virus software can actually be vulnerable to attack, too. If you are not going to pay to continue to receive updates from the maker of your trial anti-virus application, you should remove it and install the version that is provided to members of the University of Illinois community at no cost. That software can be found at http://webstore.uiuc.edu

Use built in tools to help manage your programs

On Windows based computers there are utilities that can help you identify all programs that are installed on your computer, instead of searching through every folder on your machine. Located in the Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs (as it is called in all Windows versions before Vista) or Programs and Features (in Vista), will list all of the programs installed on your machine, and allow you to easily uninstall any programs that you do not want.

While you are going through Add/Remove Programs, make sure that you also remove older versions of software. Some applications, such as Acrobat Reader, do not always remove older versions when you install the most recent version. Java and .NET frameworks behave similarly and can be susceptible to attack. Instead of keeping the old versions alongside with the latest version, simply remove out of date software that you have updated.

Clean up your System Tray

When trying to maximize your Windows computer's performance, keeping an eye on what is in your system tray is important. The system tray is located in the lower right corner of your screen and contains mini-icons for different programs that are running.

A typical system tray will look like this:

Even if you never opened a program, if you see its icon in the system tray, that program is running. Uninstalling programs from the system tray can be difficult, sometimes requiring sifting through the program's preferences. But removing programs from the system tray that you no longer use can dramatically speed up the performance of your computer.

Know what sensitive data is on your machine, and remove what you no longer need

One of the greatest risks of not cleaning up your regularly is the accumulation of files that contain sensitive data. While a file that contained Social Security Numbers, financial records, and other sensitive data might have been useful at one point in time, if you are no longer using that file, it is best to delete it or archive it off of your machine. If sensitive data isn't on your computer, then the damage of your computer being compromised is reduced.

CITES provides a tool called Firefly that can help find Social Security Numbers on your computer. While Firefly won't identify every single Social Security Number, it will pick up many, which can help you remove them from your computer. For more information about Firefly, visit: http://www.cites.illinois.edu/ssnprogram/firefly/index.html

Managed machines

For University employees that use a computer that they do not manage themselves, it is a good idea to talk with your IT Staff or the person managing your machine, before you delete programs. Just because you do not know why a program is on your computer, doesn't mean that it is junk. Consulting with your IT Staff can help make sure you don't delete crucial programs that you might actually need.