Spybot - Search & Destroy - can detect and remove a multitude of advertisement files and modules from your computer. Spybot can also clean program and Web usage tracks from your system, which is especially useful if you share your computer with other users.  And for advanced users, it allows you to fix Registry inconsistencies related to adware or malicious program installations. The handy online update feature ensures that Spybot always has the most current and complete listing of adware, dialers, and other uninvited system residents.
Please make sure you continue to check for updates - it is not automatic!

Ad-aware - With its ability to scan your RAM, Registry, hard drives, and external storage devices for known data mining, advertising, and tracking components, Ad-aware can easily rid your system of these tracking components, allowing you to maintain a higher degree of privacy while you surf the Web.
Next - make sure you use the following at least once a month:
 (they are found on your system)

1. go to start
2. go to programs (or all programs)
3. go to accessories
4. go to system tools

Now use  - Disk-Cleanup, then disk defragmenter
Last, but not least - please go to Microsoft.com and download any new Windows and device updates available.

1. Sack Pop-ups
2. Hibernate to Accelerate - save time, avoid the slow-down of exiting and restarting windows, it quickly restores any applications you were running to the way you left them
3. Master your mouse, clean it too!  A pokey slow moving mouse can irritate the best of us
4. Did I forget to mention - clean the dust bunnies, food, and greasy stuff off all of them keys. Your keyboard is harboring human viruses - keep the keyboard infectious clean.
5. Change your browser to something GREAT, like Mozilla or try Opera, and they come free and also loaded to ward off them nasty pop-ups.
6. Here is a terrible one for many - get all them icons off of your desktop, if you are working on files, place them all in a folder on your desktop.  This way when you click on the folder everything is in alpha/numerical order (easy to find).
7. Buy more RAM, I cannot seem to get enough!

Another thing to do is check for DUMPED files.  System crashes may create large crash-dump files on your PC, each can be as much as 80 MB.  Prior to writing this I found two files on my system, both were 64 kb, but they do not belong on my system.
 
How do you find them?

1. go to start
2. go to search
3. go to All files and folders
4. go to Type in the space available - "by the (All or part of the file name:) *.dmp
5. once the system gives you a return - delete the files

So you thought that you were done?  Yea right!  You have another thing to do.  Many people download and add programs to their system without concern for what gets dropped into the "START-UP" file or what happens to your system tray; which is that bar next to the time display in the lower right hand corner.  See all that stuff? 
It is not a good thing!
So you need to delete all the stuff in the startup folder.

Another good tool is downloadable from the Internet - from download.com, it is named "Ace Utilities." Ace is the place to destroy even more stuff (misc. garbage) off your system.
Or try TuneUpUtilities - Tune-up Utilities® 2004 optimizes the performance of your computer, corrects problems and helps you to customize your system to suit your needs. "they offer a FREE full-version 30-day trail"
Other things happening out there in the Cyber-World is them nasty virus attacks and browser hijacking - here is how you can fight back - and yep! for FREE
Go to - The Virus Information Center it is an eTrust Antivirus Web Scanner - it also has links to download many of the popular cleaning utilities
Or go to - FREE Virus Online Scan - For whatever reason, some people still aren't quite "up to par" in the antivirus field.  So here's the next best thing - a FREE online virus scan.  By using the links above, you can scan your entire system for viruses, using the latest and most up-to-date definitions.  After the scan, if any viruses are detected, you can also rid your computer of them by following the simple cleaning instructions. 
Here is another Cleaning Software program - Slow system performance may be due to an accumulation of unused Registry files, usually the result of faulty file installation and un-installation. Easy Cleaner is a small program that searches Windows' Registry for entries that are pointing nowhere, and creates a list from which you can delete them.

Win Patrol 10.1 - Win Patrol with Scotty the Windows Watch Dog will sniff out worms, adware, key loggers, spyware, cookies, and Trojan horses. This program puts you back in control of your computer with no need for constant updates. Win Patrol's goal is to help you better understand what programs are running on your computer and to alert you to any new programs added without your permission. Scotty lets you confirm any new programs or add-ons set up to run on your computer. Unlike traditional security programs, Win Patrol doesn't scan your hard drive searching for previously identified threats. Instead using a heuristic approach, a snapshot is taken of your critical system resources, and Win Patrol alerts you to any changes that occur without your knowledge.

Check out all these tools to keep your system running like when you first bought it.

If all fails - you’re going to see a Techy-Person. 

Happy Cleaning!

Brought to you by Mike Smith