6 Ways to Keep Your PC Optimised

6 Ways to Keep Your PC Optimised Keeping your PC clean both physically and digitally is essential to keep it running at an optimum level. Here are a few tips to help improve your PCs performance and lengthen its life from the experts at FileHippo. Slim Down the Software Running too many programs at the same time is a drain on your computers resources and can slow it down. When Windows boots up, there are programs that start which you may not necessarily need. You can control which ones you want to run through your Task Manager (accessed via CTRL, ALT, DELETE). Navigate to Task Managers startup tab, right-click on the program you want to disable and then reboot your PC. Note: some programs are essential to keep your computer running correctly. Make sure you research online first before disabling a program at startup. Uninstall Unused Programs Getting rid of unused software is an effective way to free up more space on your computer. Go to Programs and Features in the Control Panel (Windows 7) or by right-clicking Start and navigating from the pop-up menu in Windows 8.x. For Windows 10, its Apps and Features, accessed via the Settings cog. Anything you installed yourself but never use can go but if youre not sure whether a program is necessary for the smooth running of your system and other apps, Google them first before uninstalling. Clean Up Your Disk Space This is like getting unwanted clutter out of your hard drive. Windows 7, 8.x and 10 all have different ways of accessing clean-up resources for Win 7, from Start, go to All Programs - Accessories - System Tools. For Windows 8.x, just hit the WIN key, type disk cleanup, and select the option to free up disk space. In Windows 10, press the Windows Start button and youll find it under Windows Administrative Tools. The cleanup tool will remove all the temporary files that build up on your hard drive and any cached files. It will empty your recycle bin too make sure youve moved everything you want to the recycle bin first. Reorganise Your Disk Over time, as your PC accesses and uses files, they start to become fragmented and muddled up, which impairs performance. Defragmenting your hard drive brings your files back into contiguous blocks again. Only defragment HDD-type drives SSD-type drives dont need it. In Windows 7, the Disk Defragmenter is in the System Tools in Windows 8.x, just type defrag after hitting the WIN button. In Windows 10, the tool is called Defragment and Optimise Drives and can be found under Windows Administrative Tools. Use PC Cleaning Software As an alternative to maintaining your computer manually, there are various free PC cleaner programs which are free to download. CCleaner is an effective tool that cleans and organises your disk space without having to use the various administration tools in Windows. Choosing the Slim installer version of CCleaner will ensure you dont get any unwanted extras. Keep Your Machine Clean Dust is a great insulator, which can contribute to your computer overheating. Giving your computer a thorough clean involves taking it apart, which can violate any guarantees. If it has a maintenance warranty, have it cleaned professionally, but if not, and youre feeling confident enough, there are some good guides online on how to give your machine a proper valeting.