In this guide, I\u2019ll show you h ow to clean up your comput er using the easiest and most thorough DIY process ever!\u00a0 Keep reading!<\/p>\n
Why Is a Computer Cleanup Necessary? <\/strong><\/h2>\nBesides my experience with Windows.old files taking massive storage space, there are other factors why you should take your W indows cleanu p seriously. Let\u2019s briefly go through them:<\/p>\n
\n- Lots of junk files.<\/b> The more you use your computer, the more it creates logs, temporary files <\/a>, and cached data. Yes, individually, these files are nothing to write home about. However, if you leave them unattended for a long time, they can accumulate and take up too much space.<\/li>\n
- Your hard drive is fragmented.<\/b> Fragmentation can occur if you\u2019re using a hard disk drive (HDD) <\/a>. This makes the drive work much harder and longer to read files, which can slow down your computer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\r\n\tNote<\/div>\r\n\tThere is a wide knowledge that you shouldn\u2019t defrag an SSD <\/a> because it can be harmful and decrease the drive\u2019s lifespan.<\/p>\n
However, SSDs can technically get fragmented, but not in the same way as HDDs. So, should you defrag SSDs? You can under certain circumstances, and this guide explains them: What Does Defragging Do: Easy Explanation <\/a>. <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n- Browser cache and extensions bloated with old data.<\/b> You may need a cleanu p if you have too many plugins or extensions because of the additional resources they consume.<\/li>\n
- Malware and virus infection.<\/b> Viruses, malware <\/a>, and other malicious software run background processes that use up system resources, steal data, and cause other issues. The good news is that there is a W indows cleanu p alternative to resolve the problem.<\/li>\n
- Your system registry is cluttered.<\/b> The Windows Registry stores the settings and options for OS and all the apps stored on your PC. If you don\u2019t clean your system regularly, these entries become corrupt, causing various registry errors <\/a> and slowdowns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nAlso read: <\/b>Why Is My Computer So Slow? Top Solutions to Fix It <\/a><\/p>\n
\nHow to Clean Up Your Computer<\/h2>\n
Let\u2019s walk through the step-by-step plan of cleaning your PC to make it faster:
\n
\r\n\tThe following methods or steps work on both Windows 11 and 10. There may be slight changes in the steps, but you can easily follow them without any problems. <\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/p>\n
\nFurther reading: <\/b>Free PC Cleaner: Best Tools for Cleaning Your PC <\/a><\/p>\n
\nMethod 1: Delete junk files<\/h3>\n
Clearing your old temporary files <\/a> is a great place to start with your co mputer cleanu p. There are two ways to do this. Let\u2019s quickly go through them:<\/p>\nUse Disk Cleanup to cle<\/b>an up compu<\/b>ter<\/b><\/p>\n\n- Go to your Windows search bar, type
disk cleanup <\/code>, <\/i>\u00a0and select the relevant results.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\r\n \r\n ![\"Type]()
\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n- Search the files you want to delete, tick the boxes, and click OK <\/i>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\r\n \r\n
![\"Search]()
\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n- If you want to clean your temporary system files, click on Clean up system files <\/i>, choose the files you don\u2019t want, and click OK <\/i>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\r\n \r\n
![\"Click]()
\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\nUse the Settings window\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n\r\n\tNote<\/div>\r\n\tThis option only removes the temporary files from your main hard drive. If you want the option to delete from any drive, look at the other alternatives discussed.\u00a0 <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n- Press
Windows + I<\/code> on your keyboard to open the Settings<\/em> app.<\/li>\n- Click on System <\/i>and select Storage <\/i>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\r\n \r\n
![\"Click]()
\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n- Search for Temporary files <\/i> and click on it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\r\n \r\n
![\"Search]()
\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n- Finally, select the boxes you want to delete and click on Remove files. <\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\r\n \r\n
![\"Finally,]()
\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\r\n\t\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\tPRO TIP<\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\tYou can use Storage Sense<\/a> for an automatic PC cleanup when you\u2019re low on space. You can find this feature at Settings > System > Storage<\/i> on Windows 10 and 11.<\/p>\nHowever, if you want to change the options on Windows 10, click on Configure Storage Sense or run it now.<\/i><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\nMethod 2: Clean bloatware from your system<\/h3>\n
Let\u2019s face it. One of the worst (and frankly annoying) parts about buying a new PC is the pre-installed bloatware.<\/p>\n
I get that manufacturers do this to keep their prices down, but it\u2019s still taking up space. Besides, you might never use these applications.<\/p>\n
So if you haven\u2019t set a time to uninstall these programs <\/a>, you should. You can learn how to clean up PC bloatware by:<\/p>\nSearching for the apps in the Settings app and deleting them<\/b><\/p>\n
Just search for the programs and delete them manually:<\/p>\n
\n- Press
Windows + I<\/code> to open the Settings<\/em> window.<\/li>\n- Click on the Apps <\/i>tab on the left side and select Apps & features <\/i>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\r\n \r\n
![\"Go]()
\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n- Look for the program you want to delete, click on the three-dot menu, and select Uninstall <\/i>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\r\n \r\n
![\"Uninstall]()
\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\nUsing software like Win11Debloat<\/a> or Windows10Debloater<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nUsing PowerShell Command<\/strong><\/p>\nFor Windows 10, right-click on any icon in the file and select Run with PowerShell<\/i> after downloading. It\u2019ll automatically delete the bloatware for you. With Windows 11, extract the ZIP file after the download and double-click the Run.bat file<\/i>. When Windows PowerShell<\/a> opens, type\u00a01<\/code> or 2<\/code>\u00a0according to your preference and press Enter<\/code> to start the process.<\/p>\nPerforming a clean install<\/b><\/p>\n
This is a good option if you just bought your PC or have already planned to reset your system <\/a>. If you want to know ho w to clean up a computer to run fas ter, this option usually works.<\/p>\n\r\n\tWhat is bloatware? <\/div>\r\n\t<\/p>\nIn simple terms, bloatware (also known as potentially unwanted applications) is the software that comes preinstalled on new devices. In short, if you did not install it, it\u2019s bloatware. Unless you like the app, and then it ceases to be bloatware for you.<\/p>\n
However, regardless of its subjectiveness, some programs can pose security threats . So, always be on the lookout.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\n
Method 3: Delete duplicate files<\/h3>\n
Duplicate files have a way of sneaking up on you, taking up lots of space, and sometimes slowing your Windows PC down . The more you download the same file types over and over again, the more duplicates you create.<\/p>\n
Windows doesn\u2019t have a dedicated tool to remove duplicate files <\/a>, but you can still do it manually if you have the time.<\/p>\nYou can sort files by name or size in the File Explorer. This makes it easy to find duplicate files.<\/p>\n
You can also use Windows Photos to search for duplicate photos . However, the best option is to use third-party software to automate the process.<\/p>\n
However, SSDs can technically get fragmented, but not in the same way as HDDs. So, should you defrag SSDs? You can under certain circumstances, and this guide explains them: What Does Defragging Do: Easy Explanation <\/a>. <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n Also read: <\/b>Why Is My Computer So Slow? Top Solutions to Fix It <\/a><\/p>\n Let\u2019s walk through the step-by-step plan of cleaning your PC to make it faster: Further reading: <\/b>Free PC Cleaner: Best Tools for Cleaning Your PC <\/a><\/p>\n Clearing your old temporary files <\/a> is a great place to start with your co mputer cleanu p. There are two ways to do this. Let\u2019s quickly go through them:<\/p>\n Use Disk Cleanup to cle<\/b>an up compu<\/b>ter<\/b><\/p>\n Use the Settings window\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n However, if you want to change the options on Windows 10, click on Configure Storage Sense or run it now.<\/i><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\n Let\u2019s face it. One of the worst (and frankly annoying) parts about buying a new PC is the pre-installed bloatware.<\/p>\n I get that manufacturers do this to keep their prices down, but it\u2019s still taking up space. Besides, you might never use these applications.<\/p>\n So if you haven\u2019t set a time to uninstall these programs <\/a>, you should. You can learn how to clean up PC bloatware by:<\/p>\n Searching for the apps in the Settings app and deleting them<\/b><\/p>\n Just search for the programs and delete them manually:<\/p>\n Using software like Win11Debloat<\/a> or Windows10Debloater<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Using PowerShell Command<\/strong><\/p>\n For Windows 10, right-click on any icon in the file and select Run with PowerShell<\/i> after downloading. It\u2019ll automatically delete the bloatware for you. With Windows 11, extract the ZIP file after the download and double-click the Run.bat file<\/i>. When Windows PowerShell<\/a> opens, type\u00a0 Performing a clean install<\/b><\/p>\n This is a good option if you just bought your PC or have already planned to reset your system <\/a>. If you want to know ho w to clean up a computer to run fas ter, this option usually works.<\/p>\n In simple terms, bloatware (also known as potentially unwanted applications) is the software that comes preinstalled on new devices. In short, if you did not install it, it\u2019s bloatware. Unless you like the app, and then it ceases to be bloatware for you.<\/p>\n However, regardless of its subjectiveness, some programs can pose security threats . So, always be on the lookout.<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\n Duplicate files have a way of sneaking up on you, taking up lots of space, and sometimes slowing your Windows PC down . The more you download the same file types over and over again, the more duplicates you create.<\/p>\n Windows doesn\u2019t have a dedicated tool to remove duplicate files <\/a>, but you can still do it manually if you have the time.<\/p>\n You can sort files by name or size in the File Explorer. This makes it easy to find duplicate files.<\/p>\n You can also use Windows Photos to search for duplicate photos . However, the best option is to use third-party software to automate the process.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nHow to Clean Up Your Computer<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\nMethod 1: Delete junk files<\/h3>\n
\n
disk cleanup <\/code>, <\/i>\u00a0and select the relevant results.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n![\"Type](\"https:\/\/www.auslogics.com\/en\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-1.png\")
\r\n <\/div>\r\n \n
![\"Search](\"https:\/\/www.auslogics.com\/en\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/screenshot-2.png\")
\r\n <\/div>\r\n \n
![\"Click](\"https:\/\/www.auslogics.com\/en\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-3.png\")
\r\n <\/div>\r\n \n
Windows + I<\/code> on your keyboard to open the Settings<\/em> app.<\/li>\n![\"Click](\"https:\/\/www.auslogics.com\/en\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Click-on-System-and-select-Storage.png\")
\r\n <\/div>\r\n \n
![\"Search](\"https:\/\/www.auslogics.com\/en\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Search-for-Temporary-files-and-click-on-it.png\")
\r\n <\/div>\r\n \n
![\"Finally,](\"https:\/\/www.auslogics.com\/en\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Finally-select-the-boxes-you-want-to-delete-and-click-on-Remove-files.png\")
\r\n <\/div>\r\n Method 2: Clean bloatware from your system<\/h3>\n
\n
Windows + I<\/code> to open the Settings<\/em> window.<\/li>\n![\"Go](\"https:\/\/www.auslogics.com\/en\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/screenshot-2.png\")
\r\n <\/div>\r\n \n
![\"Uninstall](\"https:\/\/www.auslogics.com\/en\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/screenshot-3.png\")
\r\n <\/div>\r\n 1<\/code> or 2<\/code>\u00a0according to your preference and press Enter<\/code> to start the process.<\/p>\nMethod 3: Delete duplicate files<\/h3>\n