Is it possible to clean my computer without reinstalling Windows 10?
Most IT professionals will tell you that the best way to speed up your computer without upgrading the hardware itself is to wipe (format) its drives and reinstall the system. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. Sometimes there are important files that we can neither delete nor transfer to any other media, sometimes we have too little experience to carry out such an operation ourselves. Fortunately, there is a way out - there are ways to “ventilate” your computer without reinstalling the system and without formatting.
Reinstalling the system without formatting the disks
Windows 10 has a factory reset feature that does not affect files and programs installed on the computer. This is the best way to clean your computer without completely reinstalling Windows 10.
Although Keep My Files is a selectable item when you reinstall Windows, it is a kind of "soft reinstall." All system files are then reinstalled, but the installer retains all of the user's personal belongings without intervention. This actually makes life much easier, since there is no need to reinstall all applications and all utility software, which, for example, in the case of games, can take a lot of time.
To launch this feature, type "Reset your PC" into the search box on the taskbar, then select "Get Started" and then "Keep My Files."
Removing redundant software
On many computers, the amount of bloatware installed far exceeds the threshold at which the system becomes sluggish and loses performance. This is especially true for laptops, which are often supplied by the manufacturers themselves with dozens of completely unnecessary corporate and often advertising applications. Most of this type of software is Viruses, which will never be used by the average user.
Unfortunately, some people are unaware that these programs can be disabled or uninstalled, thereby speeding up their computer or even battery life. Thus, for years they consume valuable computer resources without returning anything in return. To remove these unnecessary programs from the disk, just enter “Applications and Features” in the search bar on the taskbar and follow the link of the same name. Then from the list of applications, select to remove those that are not used.
"Recovery" feature in Windows 10
Windows 10 has a very interesting and useful feature of restoring the system to one of the saved points in time. It is called "restore point"and it lies in the fact that from time to time - at a time chosen by us, the computer copies all the contents of selected system folders and files and creates a “restore point” to which the computer can be returned manually if any problems arise.
It happens that the computer manufacturer creates a restore point that hardware buyers can use later. This point is designed to restore your computer to its factory default settings, so you can update your computer without reinstalling Windows.
The disadvantage of this solution is that to use it, you must first enable the restore point feature, which may be disabled by default on the system (as it uses a lot of disk space).
Windows Registry Cleaner
After removing unnecessary programs, unfortunately, they do not completely disappear from the system, at least not all of them. Windows contains a kind of reference database called the registry. It contains information important to the system about installed programs and features. Although uninstalling a program should theoretically remove that program's registry entries, this is not always the case. A registry full of such “remnants” of deleted programs and functions will eventually become a drag on the entire system. It is best to delete these entries using appropriate applications, because deleting them yourself can lead to serious system failures.
However, here you need to be extremely careful every time, since even specialized programs for restoring the registry can make mistakes. Be sure to back up all important files before cleaning the registry.
Programs in autostart
Sometimes, even after removing unwanted programs from your computer, some performance issues may occur. The key symptom here is that Windows starts up slowly. If this is the case, it's most likely because there are too many programs trying to run at startup, consuming resources (such as RAM) and delaying the entire process.
To prevent some programs from starting at startup and thereby overloading your computer, open the Startup panel by entering the word Startup in the search field on the taskbar, and then go to the application of the same name. A list of programs will be displayed there. These are applications that load when you turn on your computer. In fact, all of them can be disabled without worry. If we need them, they can be launched while the system is running.
Removing unused devices
In the Windows 10 Control Panel we can find the “Devices and Printers” section. Very often there are devices that we have not used for a long time. They are worth removing because this will lead to greater order in the system, and unnecessary drivers will also disappear. This won't have a big impact on your computer's overall performance, but it will make it easier for us to find devices when we search for them.
