How to Clean my PC

jimfinoc

My PC has started to run a bit slow in the last couple of weeks. Can some one point me to a link or give some advice on how to clean it myself.
I have an Acer AX1300 running windows 7.
Thanks for any advice.

chin_grin

Things to check.

Disk space. If this is running low delete files or uninstall programs that you don't need.

Run a defrag. I'd recommend Defraggler.

After this run "Crap Cleaner" or Ccleaner as it's known. Handy app that will clean out the registry and remove temporary files from your machine.

Also be sure to have a decent and up to date anti virus installed. I use Microsoft Security Essentials (but that's a personal choice). Just don't have more than one AV installed and when you've done the above update and run a full scan. Just to be sure that it's not malware or spyware that's slowing your system down.

Spacedog

(copy pasted from another thread, this should be made a sticky)

Everyone who has a windows computer needs to do this NOW.

-Backup your data (don't forget data inside programs like e-mail, calendar, favorite sites, savegames, desktop, app data etc)
-Backup your network driver and internet settings
-Format your computer
-Partition your hard drive like so...
-C: First 40GB
-D: all remaining space
-Reinstall Windows
-Reinstall Drivers
-Reinstall Office
-Reinstall common apps (use this to save some time)
-Reinstall other apps (exclude apps that want to install crap on your machine and toolbars in your browser)
-Install Firefox and use the 'adblock plus' plugin in 'add-ons'
-Configure control panel to your preferences.
-Apply all updates and patches from Windows Update (about 5 reboots needed)
-Put your data on the Drive, independent of your programs.
-Most importantly: Make an image of your new C: drive using a partition imaging tool on a boot CD, like ghost or partimage, and store the image on the drive.

coylemj

chin_grin wrote: »

Run a defrag. I'd recommend Defraggler.

After this run "Crap Cleaner" or Ccleaner as it's known. Handy app that will clean out the registry and remove temporary files from your machine.

In reverse order surely? You don't want defrag to spend hours moving thousands of temporary Internet (browser) files and other rubbish around only to have CCleaner delete them immediately after?

What you're suggesting is like moving house, taking all of your clutter with you to the new house, then doing a clearout!!

Run CCleaner first, then Defrag.

freestyla

chin_grin wrote: »

Things to check.

Disk space. If this is running low delete files or uninstall programs that you don't need.

Run a defrag. I'd recommend Defraggler.

After this run "Crap Cleaner" or Ccleaner as it's known. Handy app that will clean out the registry and remove temporary files from your machine.

Also be sure to have a decent and up to date anti virus installed. I use Microsoft Security Essentials (but that's a personal choice). Just don't have more than one AV installed and when you've done the above update and run a full scan. Just to be sure that it's not malware or spyware that's slowing your system down.

+1

and the same guys have this handy little tool Speccy which shows your more detailed information about PC components.

but if you don't want hassle downloading and installing these software you can use Windows' own Disk Cleanup and Defragmenter tools are going to make your PC run faster (especially if used frequently).

- Also go to Control Panel --> Programs and Features and uninstall all software that has "toolbar" name, uninstall also other software which you can recognize futile there never been used

- ^^ as Chin mentioned anti-virus and/or malware is important.
First download and install Malwarebytes, then run Full scan. Malwarebytes is once run, it doesn't update itself automatically.
Then, get lighweight anti-virus which runs in background and gets automatic updates like AVG (free), Kaspersky and Bitdefender (instead of heavy Norton, Panda, F-secure..).

- After you done all of these, you could maybe buy some more RAM (memory) and boost your Acer machine for cheap 20-30eur? check with Speccy how much you got now and if any RAM slots are free..