1. Delete Temporary Files: The first step in cleaning up your computer is deleting temporary files. You can find these in the ‘%Temp%’ folder, which can be accessed by typing ‘%Temp%’ into the Windows search bar.
2. Clean Out Recycle Bin: Items put in the Recycle Bin still occupy space on your hard drive, so taking the time to empty the contents will free up space and help improve performance.
3. Uninstall Unused Programs: Install or Uninstall Programs feature in the Control Panel to review which programs are taking up space on your computer, and uninstall those you don’t need.
4. Disable Unnecessary Startup Programs: Many programs automatically launch at startup, making your computer boot slower. To disable unnecessary startup items, open the Task Manager (right-click the taskbar, then select Task Manager) and click the Startup tab.
5. Defragment Your Hard Drive: Fragmentation occurs when a file is broken down into multiple pieces, which takes longer for the computer to read. To defragment your hard drive, open the Disk Defragmenter tool (type in “Disk Defragmenter” into the search bar).
6. Clean the Registry: The registry is a database that stores information about the hardware and software on your computer. Cleaning the registry can improve system performance. We recommend using a professional registry cleaner tool to clean up any errors or corruption in the registry.