Internet Explorer normally stores Web pages and locations (URLs) as you explore the web. Over time, Web page files and long lists of URLs can take up valuable disk space and even bog down the browser. To keep IE running its best, you should periodically purge the Web cache and history log. Start IE, click Tools in the main toolbar, then select Internet Options and check the General tab. You'll see where you can control your Home page, Temporary Internet files, and History. Go to the Temporary Internet files area and click the Delete Files button. This will clear the Web pages from your disk and free up that space (using Disk Cleanup will also clear the Web cache). Now go to the History area and click the Clear History button. If you do a lot of surfing, you can shorten the "Days to keep pages in history" entry. Click Apply, then click OK to save your changes.

Formerly part of Computer Currents, Stephen J. Bigelow's Computer Advisor column has been resurrected on computeruser.com as a daily tech tip column. Find Stephen at www.dlspubs.com.