Can PC Tune Up Tools Delete Files?
PC tune-up tools have several diagnostic, repair, and clean-up features to help improve performance and keep Windows running efficiently.
As part of this process, it is expected that some files will be deleted. Let’s explore which files tune-up software might delete, and how you can prevent unwanted data loss.
What files are deleted during a tune-up?
Good PC tuners focus on so-called ‘junk files’ that are not needed by most users. These commonly include the following categories:
- Temporary files – These are files created by the operating system, applications, and software installations that are not necessary for normal system operation. They may include log files, cached data, and other temporary files that can accumulate over time and take up valuable disk space.
- Browser caches – Web browsers such as Chrome and Firefox, and Edge store web page data, images, and other information in their caches so it doesn’t have to be loaded fresh every time. However, the caches themselves can become bloated and slow down browsing. Deleting browser caches can free up disk space and improve browsing speed.
- Duplicate files – Over time, files may be accidentally copied or duplicated, taking up unnecessary disk space. Some tune-up software will detect and delete these to free up more space.
- Old downloads – Files from the internet, such as installers and media files, can accumulate in the browser downloads folder and take up valuable disk space. These are commonly flagged by tune-up tools.
- Corrupted system files – A good tune-up tool will detect corrupted and damaged system files and replace them with fresh copies to bring the PC back to life.
- Registry entries – Although not technically files, corrupted or empty registry keys may also be deleted to repair the registry and fix associated problems.
- Dangerous programs – Some tools will remove software that is dangerous to Windows or might act as Malware.
Can tune-up tools cause unwanted data loss?
It’s always possible that software aimed at cleaning your computer might delete files you really wish to keep. This might include files in the downloads folder or saved browser information like auto-fill in the address bar or login cookies you rely on.
Bad tools might also fail to replace vital system files or delete important registry entries, leading to crashes and system instability.
However, many PC tune-up tools have features that allow you to exclude specific files or folders from their cleaning processes to ensure that key files are not deleted.
It is also a good practice to create backups before using any optimization software, just in case something goes wrong.
It’s possible the software might crash during the system repair process, which can lead to data loss if it was in the middle of an important task. However, this is no riskier than if the same happened during a Windows update or boot repair.
Delete files safely with Fortect
Fortect is a great tool for safely cleaning up junk files and browser caches because it sorts everything into categories that you can browse and choose what to remove or keep.
It focuses on:
- Temporary system files.
- Browser caches (but spares the downloads folder).
- Leftover software keys and other unneeded registry entries.
- Potentially unwanted programs.
- Replace all damaged system files with clean copies from its up-to-date database.
All you have to do is:
- Download and Install Fortect on your PC
- Click YES to scan your PC, which takes a few short minutes.
- Freely browse the scan results, to see what files may be deleted.
- Click View & Fix to fix each issue or Start Repair (after product activation) to repair everything.
- A full repair on a very damaged PC takes no longer than 30 minutes.
PC tune-up tools can delete files as part of their optimization and cleaning processes. However, it is important to use reputable software like Fortect to avoid accidentally deleting important files or causing further damage to your system.
