1: You might have to check your Recycle Bin

The first thing you should do is check the Recycle Bin of your laptop. Everyone who knows how to use a laptop knows that when you delete items, they automatically get stored in the Recycle Bin. That does not mean that they are not taking up space on your laptop. So, just click on the Recycle Bin icon and empty it to free up some space. However, even if you do not do this yourself, your laptop will do it for you because Windows automatically deletes items in the Recycle Bin after a lapse of 30 days.

2: You can use the “Disk Clean up” utility

This built-in space-cleaning tool or utility helps you delete useless files to make space for useful ones. This clean-up tool comes in handy when you want to delete the files that belong to a previous Windows update. It includes various delivery optimization files, temporary internet files, etc. To accomplish the task of effectively using this tool simply click the Start button and go to “All Apps”.

When you open it, you will find “Windows Administrative Tool”, click it and then click on the “Disk Clean up” option. Hence, your mission is accomplished. But, there is more; after you click on the disk clean-up option, you will be asked to choose the target drive.

Then you will have to wait for a few minutes until your computer carries out some calculations. You will be presented with various file groups on your laptop screen from which you will have to choose the ones that you want to erase. Do not worry, there is no chance of getting the wrong file deleted because, your Windows will also provide you with a set of explanations consisting of what each file group means and contains.

3: Are you sure that you use every software installed on your laptop?

People install various apps and software that they only use once and then they forget about it. Even if they do not forget about them, they keep them in case they might need them again when they know that it is highly unlikely. So, instead of deleting your music, or your precious pictures which consist of priceless memories, just uninstall that useless software.

You can install them again if you might need them. These unwanted and unused software not only take up space themselves but, they also take up extra space every time they update. Needless to say, during those background updates, you will likely experience unpleasant performance depletion.

To uninstall this useless software, follow the steps given below:

1. Go to Control Panel
2. Open All Control Panel Items
3. Open Programs and Features

The “Programs and Features” option will provide you with the amount of space that certain software has been using on your laptop and will also allow you to uninstall that program.

4: Windows 10 allows your PC to hibernate. Disable that feature

Another tip for hard drive cleaning is to disable the hibernation feature on Windows 10. At this point, you must be wondering how disabling the hibernation feature helps in cleaning the hard drive. Well, the hibernation feature allows you to save data in the hard drive which allows your PC to shut down completely without losing any of your unsaved data. Although, that is a plus point if you are running too low on memory then you should try this tip since, the hibernation feature takes quite an amount of gigabytes on your laptop or PC.

To disable this feature, search “Command Prompt” and then right-click on it to “run as administrator”. Follow below:

Start > Command Prompt > Run as administrator

A window will appear on your screen. Now, all you have to do is to type the command given below:

powercfg /hibernate off

This way you will be able to successfully apply this tip and free some gigabytes on your hard drive.

5: Try using an external hard drive

If you do not want to lose your pictures, project, or other files and you have tried every method given above and still you are short on space then you must transfer your less immediate files to an external hard drive. The method is very simple, either cut and paste those files on the external hard drive or use the “Move to” feature to do so. These external hard drives include:

• Microsoft OneDrive
• Google Drive
• USB Device
• Detachable Memory Cards
• Drop Box etc.

6: Declutter and make space

Most of us get lazy and keep cluttering our PC or laptop with unimportant files which take up a lot of extra space. So, take some time out of your day and go through every file of yours to delete the unimportant ones completely. Do not forget to empty your recycle bin after doing so.

7: Check for any duplicate files

Over time as our laptop or PC clutters with various files, we tend to own or accumulate some copies or duplicate files. To free space on your Windows, you need to get rid of those duplicate files. Unfortunately, Windows does not provide its users with an easy way to get rid of such files so, for this purpose you will need to install third-party software.

Now, this is the only tip where you have to install software but, it can also be done without installing one. However, without the software, this task will not be very time-efficient and will turn out to be quite tedious. The name of the required software is “Duplicate Sweeper” and it allows you to get rid of duplicate files without any hassle.

8: Clear your browsing history

Yes, we talked about cleaning the temporary internet files in tip number 2 but, that did not include cookies, cache, and the data being saved due to your browsing history. So, remember to clear it out by going to the settings menu of your internet browser.

By using these eight hard drive cleaning tips, you will surely be able to earn a lot of free space on your Windows and will not be bothered by any of those full memory notifications. However, if none of these tips work for you then you also have the option to transfer your important files to a USB device and reset your PC or Laptop which will make it as good as new.

These simple tips will help you to clean the space on your computer in a few minutes. Be mindful online!

The post How to clean space on your Windows computer? appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

But so far we will present you with reasons to clean your software because it’s the mind and soul of your machine that needs to be carefully attended to — first in a line. When thinking about your cyber wellness, taking care of your computer should be the top priority.

What Are The Reasons That I Need To Clean Up My Computer

To illustrate why you need to clean your PC’s software, have a look at several examples of what sometimes makes the need to go through your software with a mop quite an urgent one. These are just a few examples but they should support the point:

• Every time you launch and run any application or web browser these actions create temporary files. For example, when you listen to some songs from Spotify the program will create dozens of temporary cache folders. Over time your system can get clogged by all these files.
  When you do an update of your operating system this action also creates files like a backup of your old system files. Taking into consideration the fact that, for example, Microsoft releases new versions of Windows 10 every six months the amount of unnecessary data stored on your device can be too much;
• Often users have various programs on their computer that they for different reasons don’t use anymore. Sometimes those installed programs can install other programs and the thing is when you don’t use them they still consume your resources by updates or other. Unused software only leaves open doors for possible malware attack;
• Some users don’t realize it but one of the reasons your computer started to work slowly with the given tasks is because the hard drive has fragmented files. This means when you start to work with, for example, a certain Word file hard drive starts to pull all the related files together for work but if the parts of this file are not placed in the same space on the hard drive it might take some time to access different parts of the file in different places;
• Some users can have too many startup programs, the thing that also needs to be checked and dealt with because the amount of RAM those programs will consume can significantly lower the productivity of your computer and the startup process as well. Some people also keep certain files at their startup meaning they also run every time users start their computer which again slows everything down on the machine.

What Are The Benefits Of Cleaning Up My Computer

Keeping up to regularly doing some cyber hygiene things certainly will give you a positive result.

Many specialists often compare cyber hygiene to one’s hygiene and it’s true because such hygiene practices also help to prevent and mitigate computer health risks.

Among the most obvious benefits you can have from actively exercising cyber hygiene we can name such:

• Your software works properly.
  Sometimes when one of your programs on the computer doesn’t work properly it can be because it uses old cache files instead of the current ones it should. Such a thing happens when new data can’t overwrite the old cache and as a result, certain programs won’t work properly. Not only programs, but websites won’t be opening or systems will be experiencing frequent freezes or crashes;
• You can have more disk space.
  If you haven’t done a thorough cleanup of your computer for a while, you might free up some more gigabytes when doing one. You will have more disk space for something more important for you and your work than unnecessary, old, and unused data.

Does It Speeds Up My Computer After Doing Clean Up

First of all you have to understand that your computer may run slow because programs don’t have enough space to create new temporary files for their proper work. And as a result, you have nonfunctioning applications.

When you delete old and unnecessary files you simply free up some space for the installed programs to work properly. Old junk data doesn’t use your computer’s resources and it could not be the reason for your computer’s slow, it just clogs up the needed space for your software.

How Can I Know I Need To Clean Up My Computer

It’s not generally recommended to bring your computer to a state where you know “for sure” it’s time to make a clean up. Instead from now on make yourself a schedule of your cyber hygiene routine and try to keep to it.

Nonetheless, if you’re experiencing one of the next symptoms you may need to do a real thorough cleanup of your computer:

• Your computer started to work slow or frequently crashes;
• You can’t save any data or program on your hard disk anymore;
• You started to have Low Disk Space” notifications.

What Other Type Of Cleaning Up My Computer I Can Do

Don’t also forget about hardware on your computer because it can get even dirtier sometimes. Cooling fans inside can be clogged up with dust, a thing that often leads to overheating of the processor or graphics card. Overheating of the elements results in slowed down performance of your computer and even crashes.

Open your laptop or computer at least once a year to give it a nice dusting. Be careful not to damage any parts and elements. To clean the dust you should use a lint-free cloth or can of compressed air to clean it from all dust filters or any places of its assembly.

The post Reasons to Start Cleaning Your PC Right Now appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.