All Windows-based PCs are susceptible to a certain level of system data bloating and corruption, especially if you have had the same system running for several years.\u00a0 This is caused by several factors.<\/p>\n
Once you have decided that your system needs serious attention and that you are ready to spend the next two to four hours on this project.\u00a0 You really have two options to consider. Clean up my current OS or reinstall it with a fresh one. This question is more complicated than you may think, and you need to ask yourself the following questions to determine which option is best for you.<\/p>\n
A third option is a completely new operating system, distinct from your current one, such as Linux<\/a>, Chrome OS<\/a>, or one of the many Windows variants<\/a>, like Tiny Windows<\/a>.\u00a0 This is an entirely different subject, and I will refrain from getting off topic, since switching your current OS to another available alternative would require far more consideration than what we are discussing here.<\/span><\/p>\n Based on the answers to the questions I just listed, I often find that doing a cleanup, especially if you use some free helper software to make it easier, is better than starting over from scratch with a reinstall.\u00a0 If you have nothing important on your PC or software to worry about, reinstalling your current OS would probably take less time and get you back up and running faster.\u00a0 Keep in mind that you will be starting from factory default, as if you had just turned on your PC for the 1st time.\u00a0 This may make reinstalling your current OS less palatable.<\/p>\n Before you begin, skip down to Step 13 and run a benchmark performance test of your system before the cleanup to see how the cleanup procedures improve performance after you have completed the cleanup.<\/p>\n Windows Update<\/a> Windows Defender<\/a> Download and run a malware scanner and removal tool.\u00a0 The one I have relied on for years is Malwarebytes<\/a>. You can download and run this software using the free options for personal use.\u00a0 Not only does this software detect malware, but it also scans your system for PUM (Potentially Unwanted Modifications).\u00a0 These are not usually dangerous, but they can identify system vulnerabilities and changes made by third-party software that you cannot see, which can often make your system less safe.\u00a0 Once you’re confident your system is free of viruses and malware, you should notice a significant improvement in system performance.<\/p>\n Windows Apps<\/a> When software is installed, Windows registers it and sets up data links (Dll)<\/a> in the System Registry<\/a> to associate system resources with the program.\u00a0 Scripts and Services are often installed, along with files and folders required to run the software.\u00a0 These changes consume system resources, storage memory, live RAM, and processing time just to have the software on your system.\u00a0 Some applications will install programs that run when your PC starts. You can usually see these in the system tray.\u00a0 These live pieces of software are there to facilitate notifications, telemetry, and software updates, often in the background without you being aware of it.\u00a0 Removing the software using the uninstall option in Windows should undo all of these changes.<\/p>\n Bloatware<\/a> is simply software that has little or no real purpose other than to send data to 3rd parties or to notify and bug you with advertising.\u00a0 A lot of these are preinstalled by computer and component makers when you buy your pc, and others will come with software you yourself downloaded, not realizing that the free utility software you just downloaded came along with 3 or 4 friends you did not want or need.<\/p>\n For example, Dell will load your new PC or laptop with a bunch of utility programs you don’t need or want, most of which will start automatically.\u00a0 Uninstalling them from Windows app settings will remove most of the issue.\u00a0 You have to do a little research to figure out which ones you really need in order to keep your system updated, and which are not needed and can be removed.\u00a0 For example, on my Dell PC, I have removed most of the pre-installed software and kept only Dell Support Assistant.<\/a><\/p>\n I do recommend that, for your PC and any major components like a standalone video card, you keep the main utility program for each, which you can run manually to download the latest drivers and adjust settings when required.\u00a0 If you’re not sure, a quick Google search for the software or component in question should tell you which programs are really required and which you can drop.<\/p>\n After removing all the software you do not need, you can run a system registry cleaner that will clean up your system’s registry.\u00a0 This ensures that all added changes and data links are actually removed.\u00a0 This will make your system registry much more efficient and organized.\u00a0 This improves your overall system performance.\u00a0 The one I like to use is Wise Registry Cleaner<\/a>.\u00a0 You can use this software for free, but it also offers a paid option, as with most free utilities.\u00a0 Run all scans and accept all system updates and improvements that the system suggests that do not require additional software or paid subscriptions.\u00a0 This cleaner will ask you to do a registry backup or a system restore point before starting the cleaning process.\u00a0 I strongly suggest creating a system restore point, as it will also let you undo any changes you make after this point if something goes wrong.<\/p>\n Windows Storage<\/a> You should remove all files and folders you do not use, and clear your browser cache of saved webpages and graphics.\u00a0 Here<\/a> is a good guide on how to do this for each browser.\u00a0 Files and software you download from the internet usually end up in the Windows download<\/a> folder.\u00a0 This folder should be cleared regularly. You should also clear your recycle\u00a0<\/a>bin\u00a0<\/a>on<\/span> the desktop.\u00a0 \u00a0Windows has an option\u00a0called Storage Sense<\/a> that helps free up hard drive space and\u00a0lets you clear unused files in<\/span> the settings menu.\u00a0 \u00a0Storage Sense will guide you to items you can safely delete, including large unused files that you may no longer need.<\/p>\n This isn’t as big a deal as it used to be since solid-state drives (SSDs) have, for the most part, replaced mechanical hard disk drives (HDDs).\u00a0 The files on an HDD are not organized efficiently and usually store data in the order it is saved, downloaded, or created, as ones and zeros on the physical storage medium.\u00a0 On a mechanical disc drive, there are several spinning magnetic disks and a mechanical read\/write head that moves across them like a needle on a record player.\u00a0 Data farther from the head takes longer to reach than files located closer to the head.\u00a0 Files for the same program may not be located in the same relative area, and the reading head inside the mechanical hard drive may have to move to each position on the drive to access those files and then move back to read another file in a distant location.\u00a0 This is called defragmentation<\/a> and will get worse as hard drives are used over time.\u00a0 Windows has a defragmentation function<\/a> that rearranges files on the hard drive into an optimized format to dramatically increase the drive’s efficiency and speed.<\/p>\n For SSD drives, you should not use defragmentation, since there are no mechanical parts to slow down performance.\u00a0 Instead, optimize the drive by using\u00a0Windows Trim\u00a0<\/a>to remove unused <\/span>data and improve efficiency.\u00a0 The Windows degradation function lets you optimize the SSD drive instead of defragmentation, which should only be run on an HDD.<\/p>\n Press Windows + R<\/strong> to open the Run window. Windows Features<\/a> Computer resources are not unlimited; they are finite for the most part, so any time you can reduce how often the system has to calculate, find, or run something, you are freeing storage, RAM, and CPU processing time for other things you actually need.\u00a0 This conservation-resource thinking is very important when optimizing a system, and you need to make your own decisions based on how you want your system to run, what you need, and what you do not.<\/p>\n A good example of this is Windows Pro Hyper-V<\/a>, a Windows virtual environment that allows users to set up a virtual machine within their current OS.\u00a0 Most users will never need this feature, and if it is installed in your current OS, there is no reason you can’t remove it.\u00a0 If down the road you change your mind, it can always be reinstalled.<\/p>\n Windows has a function to add and remove Windows features<\/a>.\u00a0 You can do a Google search to see what each of these features is used for and if you can remove them safely.\u00a0 Please remember that some of these features are required for certain software to run on your system, so take great care when removing Windows features.\u00a0 A good example of something you would not want to remove is the .NET Framework, which is required for many applications to run on your system.<\/p>\n Press Windows + R<\/strong> to open the Run window. Windows has a ton of features, functions, startup programs, notifications, and telemetry that constantly run in the background and even communicate over the internet.\u00a0 Some of these are so basic that we cannot imagine windows without them, such as the ability to copy and paste.\u00a0 Resources and processing power are dedicated to the system to allow this functionality.\u00a0 Removing these or disabling them will improve your PC’s performance.<\/p>\n Windows Transparency<\/a> Microsoft is constantly changing and adding features and options to Windows with every new build and update.\u00a0 I have listed below many of the Windows settings and features I would adjust to improve performance and security.\u00a0 You, as the user, should make your own decision on some of these, but I myself prefer an easy, straightforward setup with as little fuss as possible and as little telemetry and data collection occuring as possible.\u00a0 Below is a quick list of settings I recommend adjusting to get the most out of your Windows 11 experience.<\/span><\/p>\n Settings<\/a><\/p>\n Other things you should disable:<\/p>\n GameOptions Services<\/a> are built into Windows and run live on the system in the CPU’s RAM memory, and are available for any program to access and use.\u00a0 Software will often create its own services when installed to provide the functionality it needs to run properly.\u00a0 Many built-in Windows services are set to manual, which means a service must be selected or software must be initialized to activate it.\u00a0 Other services are configured to run automatically, so they start when the system is turned on without the user taking any action.\u00a0 You can also set a service to disabled, which will prevent it from running.\u00a0 Please note that some services are dependent on other services running at the same time.<\/p>\n When a Windows Service is running, it is running in the computer’s live memory, and the processor is actively giving it processing time just to keep it available even if it isn’t used or needed.<\/p>\n One technique to make a system run faster and more efficiently is to disable unused services Windows does not need, force most services to be Manual only, and prevent them from running all the time.\u00a0 You have to be very careful with this since disabling a service or setting it to manual may prevent software from running correctly.<\/p>\n A good example of a service that most of your programs will interact with is the Print Spooler<\/a>.\u00a0 This Windows Service loads automatically when Windows starts and allows software running on your PC to use the computer’s printing functions.\u00a0 If the Print Spooler was disabled, you can not print from your PC.\u00a0 One thing to consider is that, for example, you had a gaming PC with no printers and intended to use it only for gaming.\u00a0 Then you could make a good case for disabling the print spooler or setting it to manual, so it isn’t running on your PC all the time, which would free up RAM and processing time.\u00a0 This will positively affect your PC’s performance.<\/p>\n In theory, you could go through all your automatically set services, switch them to manual, and force the system to turn each service on only when needed.\u00a0 The downside is that certain functions and software may not run at all, and the system will take longer to boot and start software, since it will have to start these services manually instead of having them hot and ready.<\/p>\n My suggestion is to use current articles that have already done the hard work and identified services that can be safely set to Manual or Disabled altogether, with consideration for the most common use cases.<\/p>\n Windows Services to Disable for better security and performance<\/a> Press Windows + R<\/strong> to open the Run window. Startup Items<\/a> For example, Steam<\/a> is a popular gaming software platform, and if you have a gaming PC that uses a lot of Steam games, then you will want this program running all the time.\u00a0 For most people, you want to prevent this program from starting when the pc is turned on.<\/p>\n The 1st article linked below shows you how to access all startup locations, and the others are guides and recommendations on specific software you can or shouldn’t disable.<\/p>\n Startup item locations in Windows 11<\/a> Windows system corruption is a common cause of system slowness and performance issues, and running a scan to check for issues and problems is always a good idea.\u00a0 Windows maintains a system image on your hard drive. This system image is used to install components and, as a maintenance function, to reinstall parts of the system that become corrupted.\u00a0 Windows has a built-in\u00a0System File Checke<\/a>r<\/span>\u00a0that can identify corruption and use the local system image to make repairs.\u00a0 To run this, you have to do so from an administrator-level CMD prompt.\u00a0 1st, make sure your system image is up to date before starting a system file check. Open a CMD prompt as an admin.<\/p>\n Press\u00a0Windows + R<\/strong>\u00a0to open the Run box. At the CMD prompt, run the following command to update the system image:<\/p>\n DISM.exe \/Online \/Cleanup-image \/Restorehealth<\/p>\n After the system confirms that your system image is good within the same cmd prompt window, you can run the System File Checker to repair any system corruption.\u00a0 If corruption is found and corrected, it does not hurt to run it a 2nd time to make sure everything is addressed.<\/p>\n sfc \/scannow<\/p>\n Windows also has several built-in troubleshooting wizards that can provide correction and assistance for spefic issues like Windows update failures or networking issues.\u00a0 I would only run these when you are actually having an issue, not as preventive maintenance. More than likely, Microsoft has already tricked you into signing up with your Microsoft account or setting up a new one when you turned your pc on for the 1st time.\u00a0 \u00a0I prefer to use only a local user account and not use a Microsoft account at all.\u00a0 Here is a link<\/a> to an article on this issue and how to set up a local user account<\/a> on your pc.\u00a0 The downside is that Windows will occasionally prompt you to sign in with a Microsoft account, which can be annoying.<\/p>\n Please note that if you already have the current user setup on this PC as a Microsoft account, you may want to keep it as is, since creating a new local user account now will mean that some of the custom settings you have already done to this point will have to be redone in the new user account.<\/p>\n The upside to using a Microsoft account, if you use Windows on multiple devices with the same account, you can enjoy the benefits of having each experience duplicated, with things like bookmarks, browser settings, and passwords shared across devices.\u00a0 For my own use, I do not like sharing my information with too many big data hoarders, just as a general rule.\u00a0 Whether we are talking about Google, Microsoft, Apple, or another large corporation, at the end of the day, if you choose to buy and use their products, you are going to have to allow them a certain level of access to your data on some level.\u00a0 You should take the time to get familiar with who you are sharing your data with and how that data is being used, so you can make your own decision.<\/p>\n One workaround for this issue is to use a Google Chrome account.\u00a0 This gives you the same unified experience across devices without needing a separate Microsoft account.\u00a0 This is just one approach to data control. You, as an informed pc user, will have to make your own assessment.<\/p>\n Well, now that you have dedicated an afternoon to cleaning up your pc, you may be wondering how to quantify your improvements.\u00a0 If, at the beginning of these steps, you saw my note to come down here to run a benchmark test before your cleanup, then you have a good baseline for comparison.\u00a0 If you did not, then don\u2019t worry, since the benchmark tool will compare your results with those of other testing users with similar hardware to give a performance grade.\u00a0 This is the one I like, which is BenchMark<\/a>, or this one NovaBench<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now that you’ve taken all this time to clean up and optimize your PC, you want to preserve this setup by creating a system backup<\/a>.\u00a0 \u00a0There are several ways to back up your pc; you can create a usb backup of your system.\u00a0 You can create an online backup (requires OneDrive) or go old-school and create a system restore point.<\/p>\n System Backup Online (OneDrive)<\/a> To create a restore point, use the following commands: All Windows-based PCs are susceptible to a certain level of system data bloating and corruption, especially if you have had the same system running for several years.\u00a0 This is caused by several factors. File System Corruption Register File Fragmentation Bloatware Unused Software Unused System Features Windows System Corruption Unused Windows System Services Old component drivers … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":236,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-511","page","type-page","status-publish"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gerzetich.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gerzetich.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gerzetich.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gerzetich.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gerzetich.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=511"}],"version-history":[{"count":50,"href":"https:\/\/gerzetich.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/511\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":624,"href":"https:\/\/gerzetich.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/511\/revisions\/624"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gerzetich.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gerzetich.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Suggested Steps for Windows 10\/11 PC cleanup:\u00a0 This guide is primarily tailored to Windows 11 build 25H2<\/strong><\/h6>\n
Step 1 – Windows Updates –<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nMake sure your PC has all current Windows updates<\/a> installed, including optional updates, which are usually driver installations.\u00a0 This is very important, as security patches and driver updates help reduce the risk of conflicts and ensure your system is safe to use.<\/p>\nStep 2 – Scan for Viruses and Malware –<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nMalware and viruses can not only make your PC unsafe to use but also slow it and make it unusable.\u00a0 You should run a virus scan in your current protection software.\u00a0 More than likely, this is the native Windows security<\/a> software formerly known as Windows Defender that is already installed on your system.\u00a0 \u00a0Don’t just run the basic scan, which only checks for live running software; instead, take the time to run a complete system scan. This may take some time to run, depending on the number of files and your system’s speed. Run a Windows Security Scan<\/a>.<\/p>\nStep 3 – Remove Unwanted Software and Bloatware –<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nSoftware is what makes a PC usuable, and over time, your system will fill with applications, some of which are from your own installations, and others will be from Windows and software updates. In Windows Settings<\/a>, open the app list, go through each application, and remove any you are not currently using. Think about each piece of software for a moment. If you do not know what it does, then take a moment to look it up. A Google search will give a description.\u00a0 I suggest that you remove everything you don’t use often by default.<\/p>\nStep 4 – System Registry Cleaning –<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Step 5 – Free Drive Space –<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nA common cause of poor system performance is low storage space on your PC.\u00a0 Not only does Windows use a portion of your hard drive space to run several live Windows system files<\/a>, but your browsers require a chunk of available storage just to browse the internet or download emails.\u00a0 Another consideration is that the more files and folders you have, the longer the system will take to open and close folders and run system searches.\u00a0 Windows keeps a live list of files with their location referred to as a file index<\/a>.\u00a0 This allows Windows to find files and folders quickly by maintaining a sort of cheat sheet of where each file is located.<\/p>\nStep 6 – Defrag Hard Drives –<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nType dfrgui<\/strong> and press Enter. This instantly opens the Defragment and Optimize Drives window.<\/p>\nStep 7 – Remove Unused Windows Features and Options –<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nWindows is a wonderful thing and does a really good job of illustrating complex computer functions through graphical elements that can be seen and touched.\u00a0 Few can appreciate what happens behind the scenes when you just double-click a shortcut on your desktop to activate a program.\u00a0 This is what operating systems like Windows do very well, and we are all better for it.\u00a0 The downside is that Windows is designed to be generic and used by a wide variety of users to run an array of applications.\u00a0 This means that there is a lot of functionality, features, programs, and options in the system that, depending on the circumstances, will never be needed or used.<\/p>\n
\nType optionalfeatures<\/strong> and press Enter. This instantly opens the Optional Features Window.<\/p>\nStep 8 – Turn off Unneeded functions, notifications, and telemetry –<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nThe best example I can give of this is the Windows transparency<\/a> menu effect.\u00a0 This is a visual feature of windows that creates a transparent effect along the borders of menus and folders, allowing items behind them to be partially visible, as if the menu bars are semi-transparent.\u00a0 The OS is constantly dedicating processing time to calculate and display this visual effect.\u00a0 \u00a0While making the OS prettier and enhancing the system’s look and feel, an effect like this consumes resources.\u00a0 At the end of the day, you have to decide how to allocate your resources within your system, while I will always strive to maximize performance. There will always be an inherent give-and-take in finding your own sweet spot between performance and usability.<\/p>\n\n
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\nMicrosoft Gamebar<\/a>
\nMicrosoft GameDVR<\/a>
\nMicrosoft Gamemode<\/a>
\nMicrosoft Gamebroadcast<\/a>
\nMicrosoft Gamenetwork<\/a><\/p>\nStep 9 \u2013 System Services –<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nConcise List of Windows services and recommendations to disable<\/a><\/p>\n
\nType services.msc<\/strong> and then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter<\/strong>. This instantly opens the Services window.
\nYou will need admin access to open this option.<\/p>\nStep 10 \u2013 Disable Startup Items –<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nThere are several places in the system that can control startup items. I have the main one linked above, but you should take the time to review the other locations to make sure you aren’t missing anything scheduled to run when Windows starts up. When you install software, including drivers on the system, startup software can be installed. The purpose of this software is to do updates, telemetry, and notifications related to the software or device for which it is intended. In many cases, you do not need or want this software running on your PC all the time, taking up system resources. Some startup items you need, like Windows Defender and Security. You need to apply your own judgment about what you need to run, based on what you use and what can be activated manually when the software is turned on and used.<\/p>\n
\nCommon startup items you can disable<\/a><\/p>\nStep 11 \u2013 Windows System Corruption –<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nType\u00a0cmd<\/code>\u00a0and then press\u00a0Ctrl + Shift + Enter<\/strong>.
\nConfirm the UAC prompt by selecting\u00a0Yes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\nWindows Troubleshooting<\/a><\/p>\nStep 12 – Microsoft Accounts or Local User Account –<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Step 13 \u2013 Performance Testing –<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Step 14 \u2013 System Backup\/Restore –<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nSystem Recovery Drive (Local)<\/a><\/p>\n
\nPress Win + R<\/strong> to open the Run dialog box.
\nType rstrui.exe<\/strong> and hit Enter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"