PC Optimization and Cleaning?

[AstroBenny]

What's the best way to speed up a PC and optimize it if you haven't done so in a while?
I'm not talking about closing background applications but other things such as cleaning the registry, disk optimization etc?

I know some people do a fresh install of Windows every 6 months or so but can I just use software such as CC Cleaner or would you advise against it?

 

[Aytex]

virus scan

[JefferyD90]

^{the best thing you can do is a clean install of Windows. This is quite literally the ONLY way you can make sure your computer is running at its best within 6 hours.}

[vorticalbox]

What's the best way to speed up a PC and optimize it if you haven't done so in a while?

I'm not talking about closing background applications but other things such as cleaning the registry, disk optimization etc?

I know some people do a fresh install of Windows every 6 months or so but can I just use software such as CC Cleaner or would you advise against it?

try ccleaner?

[GoodBytes]

What's the best way to speed up a PC and optimize it if you haven't done so in a while?

I'm not talking about closing background applications but other things such as cleaning the registry, disk optimization etc?

I know some people do a fresh install of Windows every 6 months or so but can I just use software such as CC Cleaner or would you advise against it?

 

Very simple, Windows Vista (more so in 7 and up) and up auto-maintain itself. However, if you never allowed it to do this is what you can do:

 -> Close all your programs

 -> Open the "Security and Maintenance" panel of Windows (you can just search it from the start menu). Then, click on "Maintenance" to expand this section, and click on "Start Maintenance"

 -> Leave the system until it is done. This may take several hours. You may want to do it over night. If you do, be sure to set your computer to not to go sleep after a while. And don't forget to re-enable sleep after.

 -> Uninstall any software that you don't use.

 -> Start Disk Cleanup on C:\ drive, and press the button "Clean up System files", and check the boxes that you want to clean up, and click on OK

 -> Then start CCleaner and clean out your system. Do not clean the registry. It is useless, just increases the chance of causing problems. Only use it, if you are trying to solve a problem related to the registry.

 -> Then using CCleaner, go to startup program section, and remove all startup programs you don't really need. Usually you want to only have:

 

A/V (if not using Windows Defender of Win8/10).

OneDrive/Dropbox/wtv cloud service you use, if any.

Keyboard/Mouse software if you have/want the extra features that they provide

Software you want to genuinely start with your system. For example: your IM software, for example.

 

If you do use CCleaner, be sure to remove the silly monitoring software that starts with your system. Go to Options > Monitoring > and uncheck all boxes.

 

-> If you are on an HDD, you can do a deep defrag. That means not only defrag your disk, but also organize the files in such a way that they follow from each other when Windows or a program loads. To do this, you need a software. I recommend O&O Defrag. Sadly it not free, but the trial version is all you need (the next time you'll use it, it will probably have already reinstalled Windows). Deep defrag is not something you do daily. It is more "I have just finished installing all my software, now let's do a good defrag".

You can get it here: http://www.oo-software.com/en/download/current/oodefragpro (no need to enter an e-mail address).

 

Once install, and you run it.

Click on the down arrow of the green play button, and select "COMPLETE/Access".

This process will take several hours... depending on how much data you have, it can take up 8h easy. So it over night.

Once done, you can restart your system, and uninstall O&O defrag.

 

your computer should be faster now.