Freeing up space on the hard disk, eliminating useless traces of files and programs, and keeping the computer always up to date are among the essential actions.
A new computer is often associated with optimal performance, while old ones are to blame for slowness: applications take time to start, and a simple gesture like opening a tab in a browser takes forever… but in most cases, these situations can be avoided with maintenance tasks Essential files that prevent hundreds of files from accumulating on your hard disks and ending up drastically decreasing performance.
How to configure the computer so that it always has good performance? Windows includes some tools for getting rid of junk files, optimizing your hard disk, adjusting security settings, and much more. Combined with other software and some hardware upgrades, they guarantee an almost instantaneous improvement in performance. These are the main measures that can be taken.
Install the Operating System and Software on the SSD Drive
For several years, many computers, even the cheapest ones, install an SSD disk instead of – or accompanying – a traditional disk. These drives dispense with moving components and instead use what is known as non-volatile NAND flash memory, similar to that used by memory sticks or USB keys. And it is precisely this feature that makes them more reliable (without mechanical elements), more resistant, and faster: access to information is immediate. This speed is perceived when turning on the device, searching for data, or running programs and applications. Ideally, if available, both the operating system and software are installed on the SSD and maintain the traditional file system.
Keep Equipment Up To Date
Windows updates fix technical issues in the operating system that can affect productivity and security. In this sense, it is possible to establish in the device configuration that updates are made automatically and at times when they are not used for other tasks. Any compatibility issues or minor bugs that programs and drivers often have can only be resolved by installing the latest version.
Hard Drive Cleaning
Photos, videos, text files, audio… More and more files are piling up, and with more weight. If there are too many of them and the hard disk does not have a certain margin to work, then it will be very slow. In this case, it is advisable to get rid of useless items and move the rest to external storage.
Something similar happens with programs: it doesn’t take long for the computer to fill up with applications that were installed “just in case” and were never used or will no longer be used. If that’s the case, the best thing, according to experts, is to uninstall them so they don’t consume resources. This work can be done directly from the control panel, but it is much more interesting to use a specific program to do this so that it removes all traces that may have remained after the uninstallation. CCleaner, Revo Uninstaller or Bulk Crap Uninstaller are some of the free tools that help you do this.
Clean Record
Most programs temporarily store data on your hard drive, but once they stop using it, they don’t even bother deleting it. So they build up until they take up too much space and slow down your computer. Although cleaning can be done manually, it is not recommended for users who are not computer literate: it may cause the operating system or programs to malfunction. For this reason, there are two better alternative options: using Windows Disk Cleanup which, while not designed for this task, is capable of removing leftover applications and drivers; Or use specific software that locates entries that can be erased and allows you to make a preventive backup. Again CCleaner and other alternatives like Wise Registry Cleaner are among the most used.
Disk Defragmentation
When saving files or installing programs on a mechanical hard disk, this is done in parts, not as a whole. And while Windows knows exactly where all those bits are, it has to work to find them, causing inevitable slowdowns. Microsoft’s operating system includes a function to automatically perform disk defragmentation daily, once a week, or once a month, although it is also possible to do it manually if we are low on storage or notice a decrease in computer performance.
Choose Startup Programs
If the problem is that Windows is slow to start, it’s a good idea to review the programs that start with the operating system because many of them won’t need to. The higher the number, the longer it takes between pressing the power button before it can be used. The system task manager integrates a tab (“Start”) with all the applications configured to start the device, which can be deactivated in the same menu.
And if none of the above options work…it remains to reinstall the operating system
This task is performed from the “Recovery” option in the configuration, being possible to choose between keeping the files or doing a complete reinstallation. However, it’s always a good idea to make sure that everything is copied to an external drive and that you have the necessary items – executable file, keys … – to reinstall the applications.
