How to Clean Your Computer System

Whether you're here to learn how to “clean up” a cluttered or infected hard drive, or physically clean your computer's parts, read on for an easy, step-by-step guide. Basically this article will tell you how to clean software as well as hardware component of your system. It is a known fact that regular maintenance of your system can significantly boost your computer's speed and life. Cleaning system files is a software job for reputable system, utilities software that you can acquire on line by downloads.

Hard Drive, Software Cleaning

1. Keep your computer up to date. Mac OS and Windows both release regular security and stability updates for your operating system. What's more, they've set up your computer's existing OS so that it knows what updates it needs and how to get them, saving you the trouble of keeping up, in most cases. The programs that handle these updates have self-evident names (Windows Update and Software Update), and are set to run automatically by default. If you've disabled updates, or you aren't sure whether your computer is being updated, follow the steps given below to check:
   

   • For Windows users, go to the Start Menu and search for “Windows Update.” The appropriate control panel should appear in the search results. Click it to read the status of your updates and explore automatic update settings in the sidebar or tabs. You can click on the words “Important Updates” and “Optional Updates” to select or deselect updates before downloading them. You can set your computer to download and install updates itself or you can perform this job manually.
   • Mac users should open the System Preferences menu from the Apple menu, and then choose Software Update from the View menu. All available updates will appear in a list. You can select which updates you want to install before continuing.
   • Updates obtained through these channels are always official and can be trusted. Therefore, it's generally recommended that you leave automatic updating on, unless you have a good reason for doing otherwise. This option should be available through the menu you already pulled up.
2. 
   
   Clear Internet data. As you browse the Internet, your computer collects bits and pieces of information that can eventually build up to the point that they cause performance issues, especially on older and slower machines. The most basic way to do this is by using the tools that come with your Internet browser of choice. Microsoft Internet Explorer users on Windows can clear all temporary data by visiting the Internet Options control panel item and clicking the Delete button on the General tab under the Browsing History subheading.
   

   • If you're using IE on a non-Windows computer, simply open the Tools menu, choose Options, and select the data you want to clear.
   • To erase temporary files, cookies, and cache data from Firefox, open the Firefox menu and open the Options window (this may require selecting Options from the drop down menu and then selecting Options again from the menu that appears). Once there click the tab or button that says Advanced, and then choose the Network tab underneath that. Find the box that has Offline Web Content in its header, and click the Clear button to clear your data.
   • To clear data from Chrome, simply hold down Control and Shift, and type Delete (as opposed to the Backspace button). A new tab will open up with a simple menu. Select the data you want to erase, set the time frame using the box in the upper right, and click Clear Browsing Data when you're satisfied.
   • To reach this menu the old-fashioned way, click the button with three horizontal lines on it in the upper right corner of the browser, and choose Settings from the menu that appears. Scroll partway down the screen to find the Privacy heading, then click the “Clear browsing data” button right underneath it.
   • To clear Safari's browsing cache, go to the Edit menu and select Empty Cache. Confirm your decision when asked.
   • If you have not sufficient time to perform these tasks you can use some browser cleanup tool.
3. 
   
   Check for adware and malware. Adware and malware are types of programs that can compromise your computer's performance and create security weaknesses. There are specialized free programs designed to find and erase adware and spyware. Install and run the program (it's pretty straightforward) to find and delete offending files.
   

   • Mac users don't have many comprehensive options. The best-regarded overall is MacScan, which is powerful but costs money to use for more than 30 days. Fortunately, the cost for a home license is fairly low at just $39.99. Download the free trial first to be sure it'll work for you.
   • The best way to avoid adware and malware is to never download anything you're not sure of, and never agree to install anything extra that comes packaged with software you choose to install.
4. 
   
   Check for viruses and other immediate threats. The best way to defend your computer against truly malicious threats is with a powerful antivirus program. Both Mac and Windows users have access to good free options that work at least as well as paid brands. Install them and allow them to run in the background at all times. When you first install them, or if you suspect a virus may have been missed, you can run them manually as well.
   

   • Since new viruses are always being designed and released, it's very important that you allow your antivirus program to update as often as it needs to. Normally, this should take place in the background, without you having to do anything.
5. 
   
   Run maintenance on your hard drive. Most computers made within the last several years take care of these tasks automatically, but you're always free to take care of them yourself if you want. The key tools are (1) disk defragmentation, which organizes the jumbled bits of data on your drive so that they can be found more quickly, and (2) disk cleanup, which deletes duplicate files and unused temporary ones to free up space.
   

   • Since the location of these tools varies from version to version of Windows, it's best to use a Start Menu search to find them quickly. Simply open and run them from the search results to speed up your computer, if the tasks haven't already been scheduled to run automatically.
   • Mac and Linux users don't typically need to defragment their hard disks, as the process is ongoing and automatic in the background. Mac users can clean up their hard disks with the Disk utility, located in the Utilities folder (normally inside the Applications folder on OS X systems).
6. 
   
   Remove unwanted programs. If you have extra programs, you remove them easily on Windows by using the Programs and Features (newer) or Add/Remove Programs (older) control panel. Highlight a program to see available options, and click to completely uninstall it. This is preferable to simply deleting the application yourself, as it removes files the program may have installed elsewhere as well.
   

   • Mac users can generally get away with just dragging unwanted programs into the Trash, but the process to fully remove things like Preference files and other scattered pieces is considerably more complicated – too complicated to cover in this guide.
7. 
   
   Keep your system backed up. Once you've cleaned up your computer, it's time to preserve it in time so you can go back to a clean version if anything catastrophic happens in the future. This works quite differently depending on whether you're using a Mac or Windows, but the process is simple in either case.
   

   • Windows users should do a Start Menu search for “system restore,” and choose to create a restore point, which the computer can be rolled back to in the event of a disaster.
   • Mac users should set up Time Machine, a system preservation program, to run in the background. Time Machine allows you to roll back specific recent changes to rectify compatibility and other problems.
   • In either case, backing up to an external hard drive is recommended. Both methods require a lot of free space, and the external hard drive may be spared if the main hard drive has a mechanical malfunction.