PC Spring Cleaning Guide
Do some digital dusting this spring
The sun is out, the birds are singing and it’s about that time of the year where people become more aware of how dirty their windows are. So after you’ve polished every surface and decluttered your wardrobe, what next? Give your PC a spring clean this year using our handy guide.
Ensure your OS and Software is up-to-date
To help make sure your PC is working efficiently and safely make sure you have the latest versions of your operating system and software. In Windows 10 this can be done at a few clicks of a button.
First, open Windows Update by clicking the Start button, type Update in the Start Menu search bar and select Check for Updates. In the window that opens click the “Check for Updates” button then wait while Windows looks for the latest updates for your computer. If any updates are found, click “Install Updates”.
Clean up your Web Browser
Hackers use many methods to attempt to gain access to your PC or network. By using a backdoor or loophole created by outdated browser extensions and plugins they can put your system at risk. To avoid this make sure to remove all of your old browser extensions.
If you are using Microsoft Edge open your browser and right-click the Extensions Icon(puzzle piece) next to the address bar. Select “Manage Extensions” then select “remove” under the extension you want to remove.
Delete Superfluous Software
If you find that your PC is running slowly or you have many programs that you no longer use or have need of, then it’s high time to remove them.
In order to do so:
Open the start menu and go to the “Control Panel”. From here go to “Programs” then to “Programs and Features”. Locate the program you wish to remove and right-click it. Select “Uninstall” from the drop down menu.
Remove Unnecessary Files
By using your PC regularly you will amass a large amount of "junk" data that can slow down your computer’s performance. In order to remove this excess, head to “Settings” in the Start menu. From there go to “Storage” and click on “Temporary Files”. Within this window make sure that only the boxes you want to remove are checked and then click on “Remove files”.