Although I don't have "many" icons on my desk top...

When I decide to clean them up, I just right click on them and delete them.

Is this wrong? We just deleted 3 Earthlink ones for example, since we don't use Earthlink any more. I just have about two rows at the bottom of my wallpaper -- since I have a landscape on it---they are down there "on the ground" LOL
The picture I have is this: so I don't want icons in the sky etc

If you click on the picture it will show larger... DocJohn has changed the graphics display here recently.

The problem with just deleting those old, unused icons is that when you next boot up, Windows may not know what has happened to them and will create an error message asking to find them. There is no real harm in this, however.

But much better than deleting an icon is to uninstall the entire program. This will not only delete the icon, but also create more free space on your hard drive, eliminate any processes which may have happened to run in the background, and generally erase from the Windows Registry any remnants of the program (some uninstall procedures are better than others in doing this, some still leave traces in the Registry).

You can do this very easily. You go to Control Panel and then to "Add or Remove Programs." Then a list of your installed programs will appear, find the one you want to delete, and have at it.

Even if you have already just deleted the icon for a program, it should still show up in the Add and Remove Programs - so you can go there and safely delete it.

Of course you should only use this procedure for programs that you are absolutely sure you will never, ever use again. If there is even a remote possibility that you will use it in the future, then don't use this procedure. Instead, you can just move the program icon to another folder to get it off the desktop - I think Brian posted about how to do that.

Also keep in mind that there will no bandwidth gain, no matter how many desktop icons you either move or delete. This is not the thing to do to increase internet speed, but it can make for a more organized and/or cleaner desktop. Actually removing the entire program could affect bandwidth, but if it is just one or two programs, not by very much unless it was a misbehaving program. So, even deleting programs is not recommended to increase internet speed.

There is a lot to say for doing some routine computer housekeeping. Brian mentioned about defragging. I have schedules that automatically defrag my hard drives on a regular basis. Also, the Desktop Cleanup can be useful, especially if you have let it become "overgrown." But also beware of overdoing things - for example, there are a lot of scam software programs out there that promise to do a lot of these housekeeping activities, and if you are not careful, they will definitely prune too much.

rfinney

No Mrs D, don't just delete any icons, i definatly agree with that, you have to remove them from control panel, by useing the add remove program.

Well i just phoned up a mate [pc pro] to get the right answers to our little discusion,
He said " cleaning down your desktop thats full of useless icons you will only find a minimal increase in performance in the PC's that are around these days, he said going back to the old win 95 days & 486 machines, it was pretty significent then, when the old 486 machines were battling to run Win 95.

Of course, i then asked about closing down some programs to improve bandwidth, he said no, its got nothing to do with bandwidth at all, closing down programs will increase boot up times only.

So cleaning up all your desktop icons, won't make much of a differance performance wise its only minimal ,other than keeping you desktop nice and tidy and more easier to work with thats all

So thats the finish from this end, i found it an interesting discussion, so
thanks Refinnery.
all the best
Brian

MrsD,

Forgot to mention that if you do boot up and get an error message asking to find a deleted link, there will be an option to either delete the link or just cancel out of the operation - forget which message you first get. But in any case, if you are given the option to delete, it is perfectly safe to do so.

rfinney

Brian,

Thanks for following through with a savvy friend. While it is certainly ok for us to disagree, this just wasn't really about opinions. Even with computers, there are plenty of legitimate differences, but there are certain basics about bandwidth where is not too much wiggle room.

We have known each other for quite awhile, and I have always been impressed with how you are willing to check get things out. You do not get so invested in your own opinions and beliefs that you get unwilling to look at them - and makes changes if necessary. And I am not just referring to computers!

Someone else just might come along any second and correct a few of my statements, beliefs, etc, etc. I was just reading a post of mine on this thread and realized that it wasn't quite accurate. Anyway, I can only hope that I will always have the kind of openness (without being wishy-washy, which you certainly are not) to look at things again, if necessary.

rfinney

You guys are not only Neuropathy experts. Now you are computer experts!!!!

Can't ask for more than that.

Oh, by the way, NOT THAT THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH COMPUTERS. But I went to Cornell yesterday for my two month checkup. I'm in the ACCORD program, Action to Control heart Disease in Diabetic woman.

Well, since September 20 of this year, it seems I've lost over 11 lbs. You should have seen the expressions on the nurse practicitioners and the main doc, my lovely Dr. Ganz (the endocrinologist who is in charge of the whole magilla).

I get on the scale backwards. I still do not know what I weigh and I don't want to be told until I hit my goal of 150.

As I get on the scale backwards, she says to me "Melody, you are getting narrower". I looked at her and burst out laughing and said "in all my 59years on this planet, believe me, NO ONE HAS EVER SAID "MELODY YOU ARE GETTING NARROWER".

So there you have MY update. I'm still alive and kicking and Rocky just put his arm in my face and said 'FEEL THIS".

sigh!!!!!!

mel

Hi Melody:

Have Alan put his arm around your waist and tell him to "Feel this" meaning the narrower size! So there, Alan!

Shirley H.

DO NOT REMOVE PROGRAMS SIMPLY IN ORDER TO REMOVE AN ICON FROM THE DESKTOP!!!!!

THIS IS BAD ADVICE!

Fair enough if you don't use the programs but if it's only to tidy up the desktop of icons, all you need to do is create a folder on the desktop:
Right-click > New > Folder

then DRAG your unwanted icons and drop them in the folder. Voila! Tidy desktop and if you want to use the program, it's still there! Just open the folder and click on the icon to launch the application or launch it from the Start Menu.

Thanks mate for your kind words, and one back to you over the time [ geez it is a long time too] anyway i have always found your posts to be very interesting & very informative, and i am 100% positive that knowbody else here would disagree with me on that.
all the best
Brian

Mel,

Congrats. It seems like a bit of a waste to have this "update" buried in a post on computers. I sure hope you plan on posting this elsewhere - and hopefully with some info about the program.

rfinney