With spring quickly approaching, it won’t be long before it’s time to do some spring cleaning. Most people spend a lot of time maintaining their living areas but often overlook their electronics.
Cleaning your desktop and laptop from the inside and out will keep it running smoothly, boost longevity, and can even save you money over time. So read on if you want to learn how to clean your computer.
Get Organised
Keeping your files organised will keep your system running efficiently and save you time that would otherwise be spent searching for important data. Furthermore, if everything is carefully arranged, you are less likely to accumulate unused software and media that will consume hard disk space.
Sort your system by using different user folders for documents, photographs, and movies, and you’ll notice the difference next time you need to quickly find a specific file. Avoid having a bunch of files and apps on your desktop, especially as this unnecessarily adds to your workload.
For the same reason, spend some time cleaning out the Start menu as well to ensure that only the shortcuts you absolutely need are available.
Remove Useless Files
It’s an unavoidable outcome of regular computer usage that waste files accumulate as you use your device. These files include stuff you’ve made and forgotten, temporary files created by Windows or programs, and so on. You can’t stop this from occurring, but you can keep up with the mess by doing frequent cleanups.
Unless you are really familiar with how Windows works, it is best to use an app to take care of this. CCleaner is by far the number one free solution in this category.
If you don’t want to rely on these apps, you can probably conduct some basic maintenance on your own. Spend an hour or two eliminating the images and videos you’ll never look at again or clear up outdated office documents and sheets that you no longer need.
Don’t forget about the recycle bin. People are often confused when they don’t see a difference in free disk space after sending a file to the recycle bin. But a file is not completely removed until you delete I from the recycle bin. So just use the desktop shortcut by right-clicking it and selecting the “Empty Recycle Bin” option.
Transfer Your Files to Cloud Storage
If you aren’t already storing your papers on the cloud, such as OneDrive, spring cleaning is a fantastic time to start. Rather than storing all of your files on a hard disk, which can malfunction and cost you all of your data (especially if you’re not vigilant about maintaining a dependable and up-to-date backup), save them on a cloud service.
If you use a platform like OneDrive, you could easily keep them locally on your computer’s hard drive while having them automatically synchronised to the cloud, where they are also accessible to any other devices you use. It’s not only handier, but it’s also a safer approach to managing your data.
Remove Old Software
If you’ve owned this PC for a while, chances are you have a few apps installed that you no longer use. You can free up a substantial amount of space by clearing out the clutter.
If you don’t need something, uninstall it since you can always restore it later if you decide you do. However, do not remove anything vital. Instead, run a Google search for any software names that you do not remember. That way, you can ensure that you won’t be removing anything essential to your computer’s functionality, such as drivers and basic features.
Follow these instructions to uninstall apps from your computer.
Select Settings from the menu that appears when you click the start button in the lower left part of your desktop. Then, select Apps to navigate to Apps and Features. Select Sort by, then choose Size, and the system will show you which software takes up the most space. When you pick Date, you can locate older programs that you may no longer require. Uninstall the programs by selecting them and following the instructions Windows gives you.
Keep in mind that you may need to restart the computer for the software removal process to complete.
Disable Unnecessary Software at Startup
Even if you remove useless programs, your computer may still be slow due to a startling amount of apps and services that run when your computer boots up without you knowing.
To see a list of apps that slow down your PC upon launch, use the Start button followed by Settings. Then, in the left part of the window, click Apps and then Startup. You will see a long list of all the programs that are running at launch, and you may be startled to learn that there are dozens of them.
Scan the list and disable everything you think you don’t need, especially if Windows indicates it has a high impact on the performance of your computer. To switch an app off, simply turn the switches to the left. Return here to turn them back on if you later find you really wanted that software to execute at startup.
Remove Unused Browser Extensions
A recurring theme while cleaning your system is finding software that is causing you problems. Your browser has its own set of extensions that may be slowing it down as well.
It’s all too simple to install an extension and then forget about it. In fact, chances are, if a browser starts running slowly or behaves strangely, an extension is to blame. We’ll show you how to take care of this on Chrome in the example below.
Select More tools, then Extensions from the three-dot menu at the upper right part of the browser window. On the Extensions tab, you can remove or disable any plugins that you don’t recognise or use.
Reset Your Operating System
If you want to begin fresh with a clean operating system, consider resetting it. This is not the same as rebooting your computer. It’s more akin to a factory reset of your phone. This unique feature was first introduced with Windows 10.
Resetting the operating system is equivalent to reinstalling it. You’ll be reverted to the original environment, devoid of any programs you’ve installed or settings you’ve altered. You can then begin again. You also have the option of retaining your personal files during this process.
You may do a “Fresh Start” while resetting Windows, which will truly eliminate any unnecessary software and offer you a fresh, clean operating system. If your PC comes with a lot of unneeded software from the manufacturer, this is a wonderful solution to try.
Keep in mind that if you do this, you will have to invest some effort into reinstalling your applications and configuring your operating system to your liking.
We also recommend creating a backup of important data before proceeding with this method, just in case. If you choose the correct options, the reset process can save your files, but it’s best to be extra safe. It’s usually a good idea to keep a recent backup on hand.
Clear Your Computer Physically
Finally, cleaning your computer physically is just as important when doing spring cleaning. It will make your computer look bright and new, and in certain circumstances, it will also prevent more significant issues, such as dust obstructing the inner parts of your PC.
You don’t need any expensive equipment or much time. Begin by turning off and unplugging your PC. Then, take a can of compressed air and blast dirt from the keyboards and ports.
Next, take your time cleaning your laptop or monitor’s screen. Screens are sensitive regardless of how they are created, so be cautious with the product and equipment you employ.
When you’re finished, wipe off your machine’s exterior and all of its accessories, like mice and keyboards, with a dry microfiber towel. Microfiber cloths are another useful item to regularly use when removing built-up filth.
To get a deeper clean, simply moisten your cloths with some rubbing alcohol. Plain old water can also be used, but keep in mind that you’re working with electronics, so moisten your cloths carefully and remove any surplus instead of getting them entirely saturated.
If you’re working with a desktop PC and know your way around it, you can also disassemble specific components, such as coolers and fans, to really get into those filthy places and make them shine.
Conclusion
As you can see from the extensive list of our tips above, there’s a lot you can do to keep your computer clean. Hardware and software are equally important when spring cleaning, so it’s important not to neglect either of these aspects.
If you apply the solutions from this article, we’re positive that you will take your computer spring cleaning skills to the next level in no time.
