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Give Your Windows 11 PC a Quick Tidy-Up

Oct 28
2 min read

If your PC feels a bit sluggish, or Windows keeps nagging you that you're running out of space, don't panic. Most of the time it isn't broken – it just needs a bit of housekeeping. Here's the routine I run through on customers' machines, and you can do every step yourself. Grab a cuppa and let's go.

1. Let Storage Sense clear the junk

Windows 11 has a built-in tidy-up tool called Storage Sense.

  1. Open Start, then Settings.

  2. Go to System > Storage.

  3. Click Cleanup recommendations to see temporary files and other bits Windows thinks you can safely remove. Tick what you're happy to clear and click Clean up.

  4. While you're there, switch on Storage Sense so Windows tidies temporary files automatically.

Prefer the old-school way? Type Disk Cleanup into the Start menu search and it still works.

2. Uninstall apps you don't use

Old games, trial software and apps that came with the PC all take up room.

  1. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps.

  2. Scroll through the list. If you spot something you don't use, click the three dots (…) next to it and choose Uninstall.

If you're not sure what something is, leave it alone – it's better to ask than to remove something important.

3. Trim your startup apps

Lots of programs sneak themselves into your startup, which slows down switching on.

  1. Go to Settings > Apps > Startup.

  2. Switch off anything you don't need the moment your PC starts – chat apps, music players and updaters are common culprits.

Keep your antivirus switched on, though.

4. Check for Windows updates

Updates fix bugs and keep you safe.

  1. Go to Settings > Windows Update.

  2. Click Check for updates and install anything waiting. Restart if it asks you to.

5. Empty the Recycle Bin

Deleted files sit in the Recycle Bin, still taking up space.

  1. Have one last look inside to make sure there's nothing you need.

  2. Right-click the Recycle Bin on your desktop and choose Empty Recycle Bin.

6. Give it a proper restart

Lots of people only ever close the lid or use sleep. A proper restart clears out the cobwebs.

  1. Click Start, then the Power button, then Restart.

That's it – half an hour of tidying and your PC should feel much happier. If anything looks confusing or your PC is still crawling along afterwards, just give us a shout at Gadget Guru and I'll gladly take a look.

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