Ways to clean Windows 10

Cleaning the operating system of temporary files is a habit that has been preserved since the popularity of XP and earlier versions of Microsoft OS. With Windows 10, the situation is somewhat different, but the idea of ​​removing everything unnecessary from the working system, which is firmly entrenched in the minds of users, is difficult to eradicate.

Basic moments

Does the “ten” need cleaning and how can it be carried out more competently? Let's figure it out. What kind of extra load can the system be freed from? Usually we are talking about:

• deleting temporary files of the OS itself;
• destruction of remnants of third-party programs (most often browsers);
• clearing the registry of errors;
• trying to free up disk space by removing “garbage”;
• way to speed up your computer using the same method.

Windows 10 is Microsoft's new and, to some extent, most advanced operating system. Theoretically, it should be smarter than outdated versions and make sure that junk files that accumulate during its operation do not slow down the system. The company employees themselves, in one of the interviews, reacted extremely negatively and with concern to one of the most popular third-party programs for cleaning the registry and temporary files, citing the fact that dubious utilities should not be allowed to “encroach” on data, and especially on the registry.

These words are not so empty and are not an attempt to protect your brainchild from “leftist” applications. Indeed, some “tweakers” can lead to instability in Windows 10, and some of them are simply blocked during installation. The situation has reached the point where some small system setup utilities that have long become familiar may lead to the need to reinstall the system.

What Microsoft itself offers

Therefore, the first step is to evaluate the built-in capabilities of the OS, with the help of which the system partition can be cleaned. You cannot access the registry on the recommendation of the creators of the operating system. All that remains is to clear temporary files and free up drive C from them so that there is some space for something more useful. Windows 10 itself offers an interesting and quite informative tool that was not available in older OSes - “Storage”.

1. Press the key combination Win+I...
2. In the window that opens with all OS parameters, open the “System” section.
3. Here select the appropriate tab:

As you can see, here you can visually examine the contents of your hard drive or SSD and understand whether cleaning is needed. By clicking on any of the drives, you can get accurate information regarding the number of files of a particular type. At the very bottom of the list there is always a “Temporary files” item, as well as a button for emptying the Recycle Bin as a nested option. By using them, you can free up a specified amount of space on the storage medium.

The second way to clean up a disk in Windows 10 is to right-click on the disk icon and select “Properties”. Here, on the main tab, it’s hard not to notice the “Disk Cleanup” button.

Clicking it by itself will not lead to irreversible changes - Windows 10 will only scan the media for anything that can be safely deleted. At the end, it will display a list in which you can select those items where you need cleaning.

Be careful: what if you need it from a previous installed system (if there is one), because without unchecking the “Previous installations” checkbox, you can immediately lose this folder. Although over time it will disappear on its own.

Here are two main methods by which you can clear your system of excess accumulated junk.

Third Party Applications

As mentioned above, installed programs should be used only at your own peril and risk: only you are responsible for the performance of Windows 10 after they “pass” through the system partition. CCleaner remains the most popular utility since Windows XP. This is exactly what Microsoft programmers don't like. The application has a simple and intuitive interface:

The “Cleaning” and “Registry” items are the most treasured ones for those who want to clean their Windows 10 of junk. But before you rush to temporary files, carefully monitor the checkboxes:

Without doing this, you may lose important data. For example, in the screenshot just above, there is a checkmark next to the Trash files, as well as passwords and forms saved in the browser. After clicking the “Analysis” button and then the “Cleaning” button, the browser will return to its initial state, only bookmarks will be saved. Therefore, be careful.

This concludes our brief tour of system cleaning capabilities. Use only proven and reliable methods and avoid little-known, suspicious applications and utilities.

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