Question: Manage Space on a Storage Device As you use your computer or mobile device, chances are that you are storing more files and installing additional programs and apps. At some point, you might require additional space or need to improve performance on your storage device. While purchasing an additional storage device might seem like the best option, ways may be available to help you manage the space on your existing storage device so that an additional purchase is not necessary. The following steps guide you through the process of managing space on a storage device.
a. Review the files on your storage device and identify unused files you might be able to delete. Be careful not to remove files that the operating system, programs, or apps require to run properly.
b. View the list of programs and apps you have installed on your computer or mobile device. If you no longer need a program or app, uninstall it.
c. If you have files you may need in the future but not immediately, consider compressing them or copying them to an external storage device or to cloud storage. Verify the files have copied properly and then remove the files from your primary storage device.
d. If possible, defragment the storage device. If the storage device has not been defragmented recently, this process might improve performance significantly.
e. Search for and use any other tools that might be available in your operating system to maximize available space or improve performance. Note that some programs that claim to increase free space by compressing the files on your hard drive may slow your computer's performance.
f. If the above options do not increase performance enough or create sufficient free space, you might need to purchase an additional storage device.
Exercises: 1. What files on your storage device might you consider deleting to save space? Why?
2. Does your computer or mobile device contain any programs or apps that you no longer need? How can you uninstall programs and apps from your computer or mobile device?
3. How does defragmentation help increase performance on your computer?