How to Run a PC Tune Up Using Windows or Third-Party Tools

Everyone that uses their Windows PC a lot will eventually run into performance issues. Perhaps booting up takes longer than usual, everything takes longer to open, or error messages start to pop up.

In this scenario, a system-wide tune-up is more than recommended. As of Windows 10, there are more than enough native utilities to get things running smoothly again. However, third-party tune-up tools still have their advantages.

Run a third-party PC tune-up tool

For most people, running third-party tune-up software is much more efficient than going through each Windows tool one by one. Furthermore, software like Fortect has the advantage of cleaning and repairing the Windows Registry.

If you want to do this via Windows itself, you must use the Registry Editor (regedit), which is too complex for the average user. It also risks damaging the registry further, rather than improving its performance.

To run Fortect:

1. Download and Install the software on your PC.
2. Launch Fortect and run the system scan, which takes just a couple of minutes.
3. View each area to fix or click Start Repair to fix all Windows problems in one go.
4. If prompted, restart your PC.

Most tune-up tools follow a similar process of scanning, showing results, and allowing you to choose what to tweak or perform all the actions in one go.

Common features include:

• Deep junk file and cache removal.
• Diagnostics like recently crashed programs and hardware statistics.
• Scanning for malware and potentially malicious programs.
• Repair and replace Windows system files.
• Repair the Windows registry.
• Manage installed programs and startup programs.

How do I perform a tune-up on Windows 10?

Unfortunately, Windows still does not have a single tune-up utility that can perform all the important tasks on autopilot. You still need to run individual programs yourself. However, once you get into a routine, it’s not difficult to get rid of junk and repair errors.

By relying on Windows, you’re also safe from some of the more questionable software that might delete the wrong thing or go overboard with tweaks.

1. Defragment your drive (only for HDD)

One tool that many third parties don’t have is the disk defragmenter.

When data is stored on a hard drive, it is often scattered across the disk in small fragments, rather than being stored in contiguous blocks. Over time, as files are added, deleted, and modified, this fragmentation can become more severe, leading to slower access times and reduced performance.

Disk defragmentation works by rearranging the data on the hard drive so that related files are stored closer together, and so that there are fewer empty spaces between files.

To do this on Windows, search for defrag in the Search bar and open the Defragment and Optimize Drives app.

Click Analyze on the drives that haven’t been defragged before and optimize on drives to run fresh defragmentation. We remind you that this operation is recommended on HDDs not on SSDs.

2. Use Storage Sense

The storage sense feature is unique to Windows. It can automatically free up space by deleting temporary files, unused files, and items that have been in the Recycle Bin. It does this on a set schedule or when your hard drive is low on space.

Storage Sense can also move files from the local hard drive to OneDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage service, to free up space on the local hard drive. This can be especially useful for users with limited storage capacity on their devices.

Search Storage Sense in the search bar to quickly bring up the app.

3. Use Task Manager

The Task Manager is still a valuable app for controlling your PC’s resources. Beyond real-time processes, the important tab is ‘Startup’. This lets you quickly disable any programs you no longer wish to run on startup, which will improve boot time and means you no longer have to frantically close apps whenever you turn on your PC.

You can even sort by ‘start-up impact’ to see exactly which programs are hogging all the resources.

To open the Task Manager, simply right-click on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen and select it from the list. You can also use the Ctrl + Alt + Del keys.

4. Scan your computer using an antivirus

Windows now has a very robust antivirus suite, which you can find under the parent Windows Security app. ‘Virus & threat protection’ lets you scan for all types of malware and viruses, while real-time protection blocks incoming threats.

This is a relief for those on a budget, though third-party antivirus software can still often find threats that Windows missed.

Tune-up tools also come with varying degrees of malware detection, so run both to ensure you’re protected.

5. Other useful Windows utilities

Some other useful Windows tools that go hand-in-hand with tuning up your PC include:

• System File Checker – Helps replace corrupted system files.
• Device Manager – Manually update hardware drivers.
• Disk Cleanup – The classic hard drive cleaner.
• Add & Remove Programs – Easily uninstall unwanted software.

Conclusion

Running a PC tune-up is no longer a laborious task. Windows continues to improve and expand its native utilities, while third-party tools like Fortect can accomplish the same and more from a single-user interface.