If you have a bunch of programs you don't use, launch the 'Programs and Features' utility from the Control Panel and weed them out by clicking on them and selecting Uninstall from the menu above the main window. Or download , a proven freebie that does a bang-up job of pulling out all the detritus that Windows' uninstaller often leaves behind.

As for Registry cleaners, we recommend avoiding them entirely. Although the premise that removing unneeded Registry entries can speed up your PC is basically sound, there's little evidence that it works in practice, and you can easily do more harm than good when you go mucking about in the Registry.

Not counting the time you'll spend waiting for Disk Defragmenter and Windows Update to automatically do their thing, the total amount of time a relative novice should take to perform all these tune-up tasks is about 15 minutes. So save your money, and check out "," our easy guide to giving a computer a performance boost without paying for dubious services.

Buying a new PC, printer, or monitor? Most major retailers will now happily offer to take as much as $200 off your hands to come to your house, pull the machine out of the box, plug it in, and load the setup disc (if indeed one exists). One well-known national chain charges $150 to help you set up your new printer over the phone. That's highway robbery.