[Guide] Maximizing Performance: Cleaning Your PC Like a Pro

Disk Cleanup Utility

Deleting unnecessary temporary files created by programs can help free up space on a Windows operating system. These files may include CHKDSK files, Windows Update files, setup logs, and many others that are created when programs are executed but are not deleted afterward.

Disk Cleanup in Windows 10

Step 1: Go to your start menu and type disk cleanup. Run it as administrator.

Step 2: Choose the drive you want to clean up.

Step 3: The Disk Cleanup window will pop out; check the files you want to remove and click OK to delete the files.

Disk Cleanup in Windows 8

Step 1: Click the windows icon, then type disk cleanup. Select Free up disk space by deleting unnecessary files.

Step 2: In the Disk Cleanup window, click Clean up system files to scan more files you want to delete.

Step 3: Scan your pc again. Check the files you wanted to delete. Then click OK.

Disk Cleanup in Windows 7

Step 1: Open the Start menu and type disk cleanup. Then, right-click and select Run as administrator.

Step 2: Check the files you want to delete. Next, click OK.

Delete Large Files

Deleting large files in your PC can help you free up storage space, which is essential for running programs smoothly. Not only that but deleting large files can also help protect your computer from viruses and improve the overall performance of your system.

Depending on the size of the file, it can take some time to delete, but it’s worth the effort to ensure your PC is running at its best. In this article, we’ll explain how to delete large files from your PC safely and efficiently.

Step 1: Type Files Explorer in the Start menu and click open.

Step 2: In the Search Menu, click Size and select Gigantic. Delete unnecessary large files.

Uninstall Applications

Uninstalling applications you are no longer using in Windows can be a great way to free up space on your computer and improve its performance. It is also a great way to eliminate applications you no longer need or use.

By uninstalling applications, you can ensure that your computer is running efficiently and that you are not wasting valuable disk space with old and unnecessary applications.

Step 1: In the Start menu, type Control Panel and click Open. Locate and open Programs.

Step 2: Click Program and Features. Scroll and find applications you don’t need.

Using CHKDSK

It can help identify and fix potential errors or issues on your hard drive, ensuring it runs optimally. CHKDSK can perform quick scans of your hard drive and more in-depth scans to check for errors and potential issues.

Step 1: In the Start menu, type “cmd” and run it as administrator

Step 2: Type chkdsk /f /r /b and hit Enter. Confirm to scan your disk upon the next reboot.

Step 3: Restart your computer.

The CHKDSK tool will check and repair your drives if they have errors. The check and repair process for hard disk issues can take over an hour, depending on the disk size; however, once completed, you will have either fixed potential issues or confirmed that there are no problems.

Recommended: Fortect System Repair Tool – Fix Errors & Speed Up Windows Automatically

Use Cloud or External Storage

Cloud or external storage is an excellent way to free up local space if you run out of room. Cloud and external storage are excellent ways to store large amounts of files, photos, videos, and documents without taking up any local space.

Cloud storage is especially convenient because your files can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. External storage drives, on the other hand, are great for keeping large amounts of data safe and secure in one place and are perfect for transferring files between devices. Both are great options for freeing up local storage space and c

Clear Browser Cookies and Cache.

Clearing your browser cookies and the cache is integral to regular computer maintenance. It helps to keep your computer running smoothly and can improve your browsing experience. Cookies are small files that store information about browsing habits, while a cache is a temporary storage space for web pages and other online content.

To clear your browser cookies and cache:

Step 1: Open your browser and open the settings of your browser. Go to Privacy and security.

Step 2: Select Clear Browsing data; it will clear your history, cookies, cache, and more. Click Clear data.

Cleanup Recycle Bin

Clearing the recycle bin is a crucial step when cleaning up a PC. It is essential to do it regularly, as the contents of the recycle bin can take up a large amount of space on the hard drive. Clearing the recycle bin will remove any unwanted files or programs placed in the recycle bin, freeing up space and potentially increasing the computer’s speed.

It is a simple process that can be done by right-clicking the recycle bin icon and selecting the empty to recycle bin option. Doing this regularly will help to keep the computer running smoothly and efficiently.

Step 1: Open the Start menu, find Recycle Bin, type it, and hit enter. In the Recycle Bin Window, Click Empty Recycle bin.

Step 2: Click the Yes button.

Configure Storage Sense

Storage Sense is a handy feature that helps users to optimize their storage by removing unnecessary junk files, such as previous installation files after an upgrade and temporary files. This allows users to create more space on their drives to store other files and improve drive efficiency.

Enable Storage Sense

To enable it, follow these steps:

Step 1: Press Win + I to open Settings, then click on System.

Step 2: Select Storage and click the “Configure Storage Sense or run it now” option.

Step 3: Turn On the Storage Sense. Click on the Run storage sense drop-down menu and select the best option. Insufficient free disk space is recommended.

Storage Sense is an automated feature on Windows 10 that helps to free up space and improve storage performance. It can be enabled through the Storage page, which activates the default settings.

Go to the Storage Sense settings page to customize how Storage Sense should remove unnecessary content. Once the steps have been completed, Storage Sense will run automatically according to your specified schedule.

Delete Unnecessary files using Storage Sense

Step 1: Press Win + I to open Settings. Click on System.

Step 2: Select Storage. Click the Configure Storage Sense or run it now option.

Step 3: Check the Delete temporary files that my apps aren’t using the option. Next, choose the Delete files in my recycle bin drop-down menu and select your preferred time.

Step 4: Click the Delete files in my Download Folder drop-down menu and select your desired time.

Delete Temporary files using Storage Sense

Step 1: Press Win + I to open Settings and click on System.

Step 2: Select Storage and click on Temporary Files.

Step 3: Check the files you want to delete or remove and click the Remove files button.

Free up space using One-Drive

OneDrive Files On-Demand is a powerful tool that allows users to free up space on their hard drives while still having access to their essential files stored in the cloud. It allows users to store their files and folders in the cloud while only downloading the ones they need.

By default, a local copy of the file or folder is stored on your device, but this feature allows you to reduce the amount of storage needed. This makes it much easier to keep your important files backed up and securely stored in the cloud. With OneDrive Files On-Demand, users can easily manage their storage space and ensure that their important files are always accessible.

To enable it, follow these steps:

Step 1: Click the up-arrow button located in the lower right corner. Next, choose the One-Drive Icon.

Step 2: Click the Settings icon and select the Settings option.

Step 3: Click the Settings tab, select Sync and Backup, and choose the Advance settings. Next, click Download files as you use them, then click continue.

Make files available online.

Step 1: Open the One-Drive file explorer. Select the files and folders occupying the most space, right-click on them individually, then select Free up space.

Using the steps above, you can access your content using File Explorer, but you will need an internet connection to open them. Furthermore, you can free up extra space by moving other files to the OneDrive folder and making them available on demand.

Delete Unused Languages

If you don’t often use the extra languages installed on Windows 10, you can delete them to free up storage for other documents.

To delete unused languages, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Settings, select Time & Language, and click on Language.

Step 2: Select the language you want to remove and click the remove button.

Delete Maps

To delete maps from your computer, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Settings, select Apps, and click on Offline maps.

Step 2: Click the Delete all maps button.

Uninstall Optional Features.

Uninstalling optional features on Windows is a great way to streamline your system and ensure you have enough storage space for other applications or files. By uninstalling unnecessary or unused optional features, you can reduce clutter and improve your system’s performance.

To Uninstall Optional Features, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Settings, Select Apps, and click on Apps & Features.

Step 2: Click the Optional features option.

Step 3: Select the features you want to remove and click the Uninstall button.

NTFS Compression

NTFS compression is a great solution if you’re looking for a way to free up space on your computer. NTFS compression allows you to compress files, folders, and entire disks to save storage space. It is an easy-to-use feature that can be enabled with a few simple steps. By compressing files and folders, you can reduce the size of your files, allowing you to store more data on your hard drive.

Moreover, NTFS compression is more efficient than traditional file compression methods, meaning the files will take up less space on your drive. With NTFS compression, you can quickly and easily free up space, making it the perfect option for anyone looking to make the most of their hard drive.

NOTE: If you have the necessary hardware capabilities, data compression should only be used if you don’t have another option available. It can affect system performance negatively due to the need to compress and decompress data constantly.

To enable folder compression, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open your File explorer and select the folder you want to compress.

Step 2: Right-Click and select Properties. Next, click on the Advanced button.

Step 3: In the Advanced Attributes window, check the Compress contents to save the disk space box. Click OK.

Step 4: Click the Apply button and select Apply changes to this folder, subfolders, and files. Click the OK button.

Drive Compression

Enabling drive compression is incredibly useful that can be used to compress files and folders on your computer, making them take up less space and allowing you to store more data. It can be used to compress all types of files, including images, videos, music, and documents, as well as folders. With this, you can also compress entire drives, which can help you free up large amounts of space.

This can be especially useful if you are running out of storage on your computer or want to ensure your data is more secure. Enable drive compression can also reduce the download size of files, making them easier to send over the internet. With the help of Enabled drive compression, you can easily manage your data and keep your computer running efficiently.

To Enable Drive Compression, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open File explorer and click on This PC

Step 2: Under Device and Drives, select the drive you want to compress. Right-click and select Properties.

Step 3: Check the Compress this drive to save disk space box. Click the Apply button and click OK.

Disabling Hibernation

If you are looking for ways to free up space on your Windows computer, disabling hibernation is a place to start. Hibernation is a power-saving mode enabled by default on Windows, but it can take up a lot of space on your hard drive.

Disabling hibernation is a simple task that can help you regain some precious storage space. Not only does it free up space, but it can also improve your computer’s performance, as it will no longer be running in hibernation mode.

To disable Hibernation, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the start menu and type cmd, and Run as Administrator.

Step 2: Type powercfg /hibernate off and hit enter.

Compressing Installation Footprint

Compressing the installation footprint of Windows 10 is a great way to free up space on your computer and make it run faster. It is a relatively simple process that can save you a significant amount of disk space, allowing you to store more files and applications on your computer.

NOTE: This gentle prompt reminds you that changing system files can be dangerous and permanently harm your setup if you do not do it correctly. You should create a complete backup of your computer before continuing.

Step 1: Open the start menu, type cmd, and run as an administrator.

Step 2: Type compact.exe /compactOS:always and hit enter.

When the feature is no longer needed, you can always revert the changes using the same instructions, but in step 3, make sure to use the “compact.exe /compactOS:never” command.

Rebuilding Search Indexer

The Windows Search database can become very large due to the quantity of content that needs to be indexed or indexing issues, resulting in decreased disk space on the system drive. To reduce storage utilization on Windows, you can clear and reconstruct the database and adjust the index items.

Step 1: Open settings and click on search and select Searching Windows. Then click on Advance Search Indexer settings.

Step 2: Click the Advanced button and click on the Index Settings tab. Next, click the Rebuild button and click OK.

Configure Indexer

You can reduce the size of your hard drive by preventing Windows Search from indexing specific folders.

To do this, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open settings and click on search. Then, select searching Windows.

Step 2: Click the Advance Search Indexer settings.

Step 3: Click the Modify button and the Show all location button. Then click OK.

Deleting Users No Longer Sharing Device

If you are using a computer with multiple users, you can free up space by deleting any accounts that are no longer needed. To delete a user account and its associated files on Windows, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open settings and click on Accounts. Next, select Family & Other users.

Step 2: Select the account you wish to remove and click the Remove button. Then, click the Delete account and Data button.

Windows Reserved Storage feature allocates several gigabytes of space for storing updates, system cache, and temporary files. This helps minimize any issues when installing new updates and upgrades.

However, this feature also limits the space available to save documents, pictures, and videos. If this is not a desirable feature, one can disable it and free up space. Note that the changes will only become effective during the next feature update of Windows.

It is not advisable to disable Reserved Storage if you do not comprehend the feature, as this could cause updating problems.

Step 1: Open the start menu and search for PowerShell. Then, right-click and run as administrator.

Step 2: Type Get-WindowsReservedStorageState to confirm if it is enabled. If it is enabled, type the following command to disable it, Set-WindowsReservedStorageState -State disable.

Stop Heavy-duty Tasks and Programs

If you’re looking for a way to clean up your PC and make it run faster, one of the best methods is to stop heavy-Duty tasks & programs. This method involves identifying and eliminating tasks or programs using too many of your computer’s resources.

Stopping these tasks and programs can free up memory and allow your computer to run faster and more efficiently. Additionally, this method can help you identify faulty programs causing your computer to slow down. Stopping heavy-duty tasks & programs can effectively clean up your PC and make it run faster.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Task Manager. To do this, right-click on the window icon at the bottom-left corner of your screen and select Task Manager.

Step 2: In the Task Manager window, under the Processes tab, select the programs and processes you are not using that take up the most memory. Then, click on the End task button.

Remove Unused Browser Extensions

Cleaning up your computer is essential to keep it running smoothly and efficiently. One of the best ways to do this is by removing unnecessary browser extensions. Browser extensions can be beneficial, but if you have too many, they can slow down your browser and cause other issues. Removing these extensions can help improve browsing performance and make your computer run faster.

Step 1: Open your browser. Click on the Extension Icon in your browser’s top right corner.

Step 2: Select unused browser extensions. Click Remove Extension.

Optimizing Startup Applications

Optimizing the startup applications on your PC can be a great way to clean up your computer and make it run faster. It can give your computer a much-needed speed boost and improve its overall performance.

Optimizing the startup applications on your PC can help ensure that only the programs you need are running at startup, freeing up resources for other tasks. You can also use this method to help ensure that any malicious programs or viruses cannot start up on your computer before you can detect and remove them.

Step 1: Open Task Manager. To do this, right-click on the window icon at the bottom-left corner of your screen and select Task Manager.

Step 2: In the Task Manager window, click the Startup tab. Select those programs with a High impact.

Step 3: Click Disable.

Defragment

To run Disk Defragmenter manually, it’s usually best to analyze the disk first.

Step 1: Open the Start menu and type Defragment and Optimize device.

Step 2: Select your Hard disk drive and click Analyze. If you need to defrag your drive manually, click Defragment Disk.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cleaning Up Your PC