How to clean your computer so that it doesn’t slow down: which program to choose

Not too old computer starting to glitch? “Braking” can be caused not only by the physical obsolescence of the equipment, but also by software reasons:

• availability of a register – a database of settings, which is easy to break;
• viruses – hackers initially focus on hacking Windows, not iOS or Linux;
• creating unnecessary filesclogging up the operating system (OS).

As a result, the computer freezes unpredictably and does not respond to anything Windows 10. Unfortunately, there is no one way to troubleshoot problems – you need to try everything in turn.

Remove unused files and shortcuts from the desktop

Useful for users who store many large files there – videos, disk images, photo archives. Proceed according to the following algorithm:

1. Identify the largest files and folders. Right-click on them and select the line “Properties” in the drop-down menu – the size will be indicated.
2. Think about what you need on your desktop. For example, there may be a movie that was downloaded and watched 2 weeks ago. Move it to a separate folder on a non-system drive.
3. Go to app shortcuts. Perform the same cleaning as for the files. Removing the shortcut does not uninstall the program – you can launch it in other ways.

How can I clean my computer from malware and files on my own?

In this case, you cannot do without antivirus programs and utilities. There is no antivirus that can clean the system of malware. We recommend using one universal antivirus for scanning (AVG, Avira, Avast, Kaspersky, ESET NOD32) and one specialized utility of the following types:

• Anti-Malware – to eliminate spyware viruses that can be present in the system for years, but the user may not even know about it.
• Scanners – they are not installed and, when checked, most often block the OS.
• Bootable anti-virus disks and USB – run before Windows and eliminate those viruses that are “resistant” to everything when the OS is running.

Standard Windows tools for removing unnecessary files

Use the tool built into the OS like this:

• hold down the key combination “WIN + R, enter the command“ cleanmgr.exe ”into the window and press“ Enter ”;
• a window will appear in which select the disk that needs cleaning;
• Windows will analyze the disk;
• decide on the cleaning options – select all;
• confirm the action twice – by clicking on “OK”, and then – on “Delete files”.

Checking the disk for errors if the computer slows down

Windows can independently check the disk for errors. To do this, do the following:

• open “This PC”;
• select a local drive to check;
• right-click on the disk icon and click on “Properties” in the context menu;
• in the window that appears, select the “Service” tab and click on “Check”.

There are many paid applications for more advanced verification, but they do not guarantee success either.

Removing unused programs

To do this using Windows, start the “Control Panel”. Make sure that “Large Icons” is listed at the top right next to “View”. Find in the main area of ​​the window the item “Programs and Features” and click on it. Choose a program that is no longer needed and click on “Delete” from above.

Uninstallers like CCleaner can be used. This utility is convenient in that it allows you to solve other tasks as well. After downloads and install the following:

• on the left in the panel, select “Service”;
• just to the right, click on “Remove Programs”;
• select even more to the right the program you want to uninstall and click on “Uninstall”.

Clean up the Windows registry

Let’s analyze this procedure using CCleaner as an example:

• after launching the utility, click on “Registry”;
• click below on “Search for problems”;
• after the analysis, the “Fix” button will appear – click on it;
• just in case, save a backup copy of the registry – the program itself will ask you about it;
• further in the window, click on “Fix Selected”;
• the procedure is over and should be repeated in a month.

We defragment the HDD or SSD

Freezing can be caused by the fact that files on the storage medium change their physical location over time. Let’s analyze this with a conditional example:

• after installing the OS, everything is arranged in an orderly manner – the files that are contained in the folder and on the drive itself are physically close to each other;
• due to the ordering, the files in the folder are quickly read;
• new information is gradually written to the disk, and the old is deleted – for example, the size of the occupied data in the Windows folder will increase due to the installation of updates;
• when writing / deleting information, the OS does not preserve the existing order;
• the time of reading information from one folder slows down over time – you need to work with many files that are physically far from each other.

The fragmentation problem is more common in slower HDDs than SSDs. It is also more inherent in old PCs – in modern models, faster drives are used, and current operating systems better optimize file placement.

Defragmentation is performed with a tool built into the Windows 10 operating system, for which they do the following:

• open “This PC”;
• select the local disk that you want to defragment – you should start with the one on which the OS is located;
• right-click on the disk icon and click on “Properties” in the context menu;
• in the window that appears, select the “Service” tab and click on the “Optimize” button in it;
• in the window that appears, click on “Optimize”;
• in the same window you can defragment any other local disk.

The duration of the process depends on the level of fragmentation. If everything ends quickly, then you will not notice a strong increase in productivity.

Clean up Windows 10 startup

Each time the computer is turned on, the OS independently launches a certain list of programs. The list of such utilities is stored in a special place called autoloading. Most of them are internal system ones and, in fact, are part of Windows. Certain third-party programs that were installed by the user are also auto-loaded. An important nuance – often, when installing them, you can not even guess that they will be registered in the startup list. Bottom line – at startup, the system spends a lot of time launching an impressive list of self-downloadable applications.

It is not difficult to make sure that only important utilities are loaded on their own, and all secondary ones are launched only as needed. Thanks to this, after pressing the power button, you will be able to interact with your computer faster. This is achieved as follows:

1. Find out what exactly is in startup. To do this, in Windows 10, hold down the combination Ctrl + Alt + Del – the “Task Manager” will appear. Go to the “Startup” tab – you will see a list of all relevant applications.
2. Disable unnecessary applications. You should only leave everything from Windows and those programs that you always need at the start. For example, this one could be Viber or Skype.
3. Restart your computer and watch what has changed. Most often, cleaning up the startup does not greatly reduce the OS boot time, but it definitely makes the system more responsive in the first 20-30 seconds of operation.

This procedure has a positive effect on a PC with an HDD – SSD much faster, so clearing the startup on such a drive will make the computer faster only in exceptional cases.

HDD diagnostics

To find out why the video slows down on the computer, how to fix it, it is enough to examine the state of the hard disk. Let’s clarify the important features of the degradation of drives of different types:

1. HDD braking occurs smoothly. Over time, the magnetic plates can become covered with microcracks, which prevents the read head from operating at the proper speed. This is an unavoidable process that begins after the first startup of the drive.
2. SSD stops working abruptly. The memory cells of such a drive can be rewritten a limited number of times, which is not typical for HDD.

It is best to diagnose disk health by SMART attributes, for what it is worth download and install the “HDDScan” program. After starting the application, click on the “SMART” icon – it is located on the left of the start window. After that, the results of the analysis of the attributes will appear – they will be formatted as a table. It is important to make sure that there is a green dot next to the attribute – it means everything is fine. If some attribute has a red dot, it means that a critical value has been exceeded in the hard disk by a certain criterion. Find out what this attribute means and take appropriate action according to the situation – they are individual. A yellow triangle with an exclamation mark indicates that a critical value will soon be exceeded – analyze how serious a performance parameter is described by the corresponding SMART attribute.

RAM Diagnostics

A good way if the computer is frozen what to do. For this, use the standard Windows utility according to the following algorithm:

• hold down the key combination “Win ​​+ R, enter“ mdsched ”into the window and press Enter”;
• a window will appear in which you should click on “Perform reboot and check”;
• Windows will reboot and check the RAM;
• after the end of the check, the OS will reboot again and the check results will be shown at startup

Cleaning your computer from dust and other debris

You don’t need to clean your PC often – once a year is more than enough. It is best to turn to professionals, but if there is no such desire, then 4 features are important:

1. A desktop computer (desktop) is much easier to clean than a laptop.
2. Everything must be done carefully and nothing needs to be washed with water.
3. The main thing is to get rid of dust that obstructs air flow.
4. Everything is done only after turning off the PC and disconnecting it from the 220 volt network.

Regarding laptops – look on the net for instructions for disassembling your specific model. In some laptops, everything starts with removing the keyboard, and ends with a complete dismantling of the case. In others, you only need to remove the bottom cover in 1 minute and immediately gain access to all components that may be dusty.

On the desktop, cleaning is simplified with easy access to most of the components. To do this, unscrew the bolts of the side case cover with a Phillips screwdriver. The next step is to use a vacuum cleaner, but be careful. Pay special attention to the CPU cooler. It is best to remove it and manually clean it from dust – the fan and the radiator itself.

Eliminating the causes of overheating of electronic components

The computer can also freeze due to excessive heating of the components – first of all, the processor and video card. To check this, find out the temperature of these devices when performing resource-intensive tasks (computer games, video editing). If it is higher than 75 ° C, take care of eliminating the causes of overheating:

1. Make sure the system is not 100% loaded in idle mode.
2. If the computer is over 3 years old, replace the thermal paste.
3. Clean your PC from dust.
4. Increase the speed of the cooler fan.
5. Replace the cooling system with a more efficient one.

Outcome

There is no single answer to the question: “How to clean the computer so that it does not slow down?” You need to act in two directions:

1. Eliminate software causes. In most cases, they are related to the peculiarities of the operating system, so you should clean the registry, free up free space on the system disk, remove unused programs, defragment, and deactivate unnecessary programs from startup.
2. Make sure that the computer is not buggy due to hardware failures. First of all, diagnose the memory and RAM and improve the cooling system – a simple cleaning often helps.