Performing a Tune-Up isn’t complicated. All you need are the right tools. In this article I will show you which tools to use and how to use them.
By the time you are finished, your computer should be running much better!
OK – here are the best tools I would recommend for performing a PC Tune-Up.
The more files these scans have to deal with, the longer the scans will take. Given that you will want to remove a lot of the temp files and other leftover files at some stage during the tune-up, it makes sense to remove them as near to the start of the job as possible. This will allow the scans to finish much quicker.
This is where CCleaner comes in. It is a great tool for removing all of the temp files and leftover rubbish that programs can leave behind. It also has a really safe Registry cleaner and a start-up program disabler.
I have a separate post which deals with CCleaner in detail, but you will definitely want to run the file cleaner and registry cleaner features of the program, as well as checking for programs to un-install and start-up programs to disable.
MalwareBytes Anti-Malware – You might not think that your computer has any viruses or malware, but quite often malware can be missed or ignored by anti-virus programs. MalwareBytes Anti-Malware is the tool of choice for detecting and removing these files.
Regardless of whether you think malware could be on your PC, download and run this tool – You might be surprised at what it could find!
Please read my article on MalwareBytes Anti-Malware for full details on where to get this free toll and how to use it.
Anti-Virus Scan – If you have an anti-virus program installed (and I recommend that everyone has) you might find that it is not even setup to run regular scans. If it is not running a full virus scan regularly, it’s quite possible that there are viruses or spyware lurking on your PC that you did not know about.
So open up your anti-virus program and click the button to run a Full Scan.
If you do not have an anti-virus program, or you are not sure, common ones for home users are Norton, AVG, Kaspersky, Avast, NOD32 or Microsoft Security Essentials.
JKDefrag – Most people will be familiar with the concept of having to defrag your hard disk every now and then. As your hard disk fills up, the amount of free space reduces.
What tends to happen is that files then get broken up into smaller chunks and spread all over your hard disk rather than being in one large chunk. This is called being fragmented. Running a defrag tool re-organises your hard disk joining up all the fragments and putting files back together again.
Although Windows has a built-in tool for running a defrag, there is another free alternative that I would highly recommend. JKDefrag is a great tool for running a defrag and it will reorganise your files in a highly optimised layout. Read more about where to get JKDefrag and how to use it.
I will be the first to admit that I know nothing about computers. This was very helpful for me to know what to do for my computer. They are a lot of money so I want to take good care of it! I guess it would be a good idea to get a PC tune up.
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