How to Clean Your Computer So It Runs Like New Again
Over fourth dimension, every Windows installation builds up junk that takes up space and wastes resource. It'due south easy to neglect regular maintenance, so often the trouble comes from one-time files and programs.
If you lot don't clean your calculator, shortly you'll encounter low disk space warnings and notice information technology slowing downwardly. Permit'due south walk through how to make clean Windows ten (and Windows eleven) using a variety of tools for unlike situations.
Step 1: Erase Temporary Junk
Windows 10 and xi include a pair of similar tools for clearing out sometime temporary files from your disk, meaning you don't demand a dedicated Windows cleaner app. They're a great first cease on your Windows cleanup journey.
Disk Cleanup
If you lot don't heed an old-school interface, the classic Disk Cleanup tool gets the cleaning job washed. Access it by typing Disk Cleanup into the Start menu and selecting the disk you lot want to clean.
After a moment, y'all'll see a list of unnecessary files that Windows can clean up. Assuming you're an ambassador, yous should kickoff click the Clean up system files push button to browse again for boosted types of data.
Experience free to delete pretty much every category of data bachelor here, with a few exceptions. On older versions of Windows 10, watch out for Downloads, which volition delete everything in that binder. You lot may also want to avoid cleaning the Recycle Bin unless you're certain that y'all won't demand to restore anything from it.
If you've recently updated to a new major version of Windows, you'll see a Previous Windows installation(s) entry. Deleting this will remove the old files Windows keeps for ten days—those allow you to easily go back to an earlier version. Y'all should also avert removing the Windows ESD installation files choice, as this is used for resetting your PC via Settings.
Check out Windows folders y'all tin delete to save space for more info on the specific items you can remove with disk Cleanup.
Storage Sense
Windows x and Windows 11 both include much of this same functionality of Disk Cleanup, with a nicer interface, at Settings > System > Storage. You lot tin can apply the Storage Sense characteristic found in that location to automatically clean up files when your disk space is low, or every then often. Click Configure Storage Sense or run information technology now to change these options.
In the listing of what'due south using space on your PC, click Temporary files and yous can delete the same types of information as in Deejay Cleanup. Show more categories provides more info about types of data that aren't using as much infinite.
Step two: Delete Large Files
You've removed unnecessary files; the next footstep to cleaning up Windows ten is to find sometime data taking up a lot of infinite on your estimator. To help with this, download TreeSize Free, which will scan your storage and show you lot where the biggest files are.
Once installed, search for TreeSize on the Beginning Menu and launch it using the (Administrator) link so you tin can scan everywhere. To beginning, cull Select Directory in the peak-left and select your main storage deejay.
Later on a few moments, you lot'll see a visual breakdown of your PC'southward storage, with the largest files at the top. Click the dropdown arrow on any folder to expand past one level.
The largest folders will probably be Users, Windows, and Programme Files (or Program Files (x86)). There'south not much you tin can do in the Windows directory without causing issues (be aware of Windows folders y'all should never bear upon), so let's wait at the others.
Uninstall Big Programs
Under Program Files (and/or Program Files (x86) on 64-chip Windows), you'll find files for most of the apps you have installed. If y'all don't use some of these anymore, caput to Settings > Apps > Apps & features to uninstall them.
Eliminate Large Items From Your User Folder
The majority of space-hogging files volition likely be in your account folder nether Users. This contains your documents, pictures, videos, and like.
Yous'll probably see a lot of space taken in the AppData binder, which is where many apps store information and preferences. For case, Chrome and Spotify's caches tin can take upwardly several gigabytes here.
Have a expect at these files and encounter if anything is depression-hanging fruit. You can delete files you lot no longer employ or motion some data to an external hard bulldoze. If you lot accept lots of files in Dropbox or other cloud storage, utilise their preference panels to de-sync cloud files you lot don't need. You tin always access them through the spider web interface.
You might see another enormous files in TreeSize, such as WinSxS. See our guide to managing a large WinSxS binder if you have this issue.
Footstep three: Make clean Windows 10 Bloatware
Most store-bought computers come loaded with worthless manufacturer bloatware that wastes space and duplicates functionality already in Windows. In addition, Windows 10 itself includes some junk apps you probably never employ.
If you lot haven't taken the time to remove bloatware from your arrangement, yous should. It's an important part of Windows ten cleanup. See our guide to removing bloatware from Windows 10 for instructions.
Step 4: Tidy Your Desktop
Fifty-fifty afterward you've cleaned upwards your figurer'southward files and apps, a messy desktop can notwithstanding misfile you and make information technology harder to work efficiently. Many people employ their desktop as a temporary storage space, leading to all sorts of files getting scattered beyond it.
You should try "resetting" your desktop to a clean state to make it neater. Start past moving all the files from your desktop to some other location. Next, y'all can create shortcuts to files you need all the time on your desktop.
If you have so many files that you lot don't think this volition piece of work, the Fences app is definitely worth a expect. It includes powerful tools that let y'all automatically combine similar desktop icons, hibernate or show all icons with a few clicks, and much more.
Later yous've cleaned upwardly Windows 10 and your desktop, yous'll experience like y'all have a whole new automobile. Nosotros accept a deeper guide on cleaning up your Windows desktop if you lot're interested.
If Necessary: Refresh Windows 10
Perhaps you've ended your PC is such a mess that yous don't want to take the effort to clean up Windows ten. In that case, you can use a built-in option to reinstall a fresh copy of Windows.
You might know near the Reset this PC option bachelor in the Recovery settings. However, using this with certain options will restore your PC to how it was out of the box, including the preinstalled manufacturer bloatware. To avert this, you tin use another method.
To use it, hit the same Get started button in the Recovery menu. Pick Go on my files, choose whether to download or reinstall locally, pick settings, and and so make sure you choice No for Restore preinstalled apps?
This is equivalent to the Fresh Beginning option institute in the Device performance & health section of the Windows Security app in older Windows 10 versions. It reinstalls Windows x and updates information technology to the latest version, plus it removes all installed apps. Only your personal files and "some Windows settings" are kept.
Even though Windows promises to continue them safe, make sure yous dorsum up your files before doing this, in example something goes incorrect. You lot should likewise make a note of whatever license keys yous'll need to reactivate software later the refresh.
Having to reinstall all your programs by hand volition take some time. But if your computer is a mess, information technology might nonetheless be worth it to get a clean system.
Avert Simulated Cleaning Apps
While we're discussing Windows ten and 11 cleanups, it bears mentioning that you should exist careful what cleaning software you download. While the above tools are all legitimate ways to clean your PC, y'all'll find many scammy "PC cleaners" online that are totally worthless (such as the one in the higher up video).
These tools provide a "free scan" that finds thousands of "problems," which absurdly count every cookie on your figurer as a "privacy hazard." So they need you pay a practiced amount of money to actually "clean" anything up.
Don't carp with this nonsense. The above tools should exist plenty to make clean upward unnecessary files. If you feel the need to exercise more, follow our ultimate Windows cleaning checklist.
Now Windows 10 Is Cleaner Than Always!
That'due south how to make clean your estimator without any frills. Y'all now know the big steps to clean up large and unnecessary files in Windows 10. These methods should be sufficient to make clean upwards a skillful chunk of space on your figurer and make information technology experience fresh. Keep up with them every so frequently, and you shouldn't have to worry nigh low disk space warnings any longer.
Just brand certain you lot don't get overboard and make common Windows maintenance mistakes.
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