It isn’t a bad idea to optimize your PC from time to time. This holds especially true if your PC’s performance has dived recently. Luckily for you, the Windows operating system supports tons of tools that can help you clean out all the junk and nasty bugs and make your Windows light and efficient again.
So, to optimize your Windows, we’ll first gove over the in-built Optimize Drives app.
1. Optimize Drive
Optimize Drive, also called Defragment and Optimize Drives, is a free app from Microsoft that comes pre-installed on your Windows computer. Effectively, it’s an app designed to increase your PC’s data access speed by rearranging your files on a disk to occupy contagious storage; this technique is called Defragmentation. First introduced with MS-DOS 6.0, the app has been continued to Windows 11 as well, with a few modifications, of course.
To get started with Optimize Drives app, head to the Start menu search bar, type in ‘optimize,’ and select the best match. Once you’ve launched the app, select the drive you’d like to optimize and click on the Optimize button below.
Depending on the health of your drive, the Optimize Drive app will optimize your drive anywhere in a few seconds to minutes.
2. CCleaner
CCleaner is one the oldest and most famously known app for all things Windows optimization. Launched in 2004 by Piriform, a company part of the Norton group, the app has been known for cleaning up junk files while, at the same time, fixing your Windows registry and hard drive errors.
To get started with CCleaner, if you haven’t already downloaded the app, then first head to the official CCleaner website and grab the .exe file from there.
Launch the app when the installation gets finished. As you can see from the screenshot of the app’s menu, CCleaner offers a slew of tools; from optimizer and driver updater to health checkup and custom clean, the app packs all the tools under one hood.
To optimize your PC with CClearner, click on the Performance Optimizer option, and then click on Scan to begin the process.
After the scan is complete, you’ll get a list of apps you need to put to sleep; as soon you do this, you should see a considerable boost in your PC’s performance.
3. Total PC Cleaner
Total PC Cleaner is our third recommendation for an app to help fix your PC problems. To get started with Total PC Cleaner, head to Microsoft Store and grab the app from Microsoft Store by clicking on the Get in Store app button.
The app works by thoroughly scanning your PC and then optimizing your computer depending on your specific tool. For instance, the Total PC Cleaner app can handle the following functions all on its own:
1. System Caches
2. Office Caches
3. Downloads
4. Remove Ads
5. Duplicate Files
6. Application Caches
The app comes in many formats; to start the scanning, launch the app, head to the Junk Files section, and click on Scan. After the scan is complete, click on Clean to remove all the extra stuff on your app.
Moreover, if you have any additional files that you’d like to scan, click on Large Files, and then select Add folders to choose from specific files you’d like to add.
Finally, click on Select folder to choose the folder and then click on Scan.
4. AVG Tune Up
Designed by fairly popular antivirus companies Avast and AVG, AVG TuneUp is an optimization software made to configure, manage, and troubleshoot a Windows computer. The free app works by detecting any irregular items or bugs on your PC, fixing up the disk space, and making your PC fix its unexpected behavior in general.
Although you’ll have to purchase the app to enjoy all its features, you can still grab the free trial from its official website. After you’re done with the download and installation, launch the app and run the optimization tool.
Best free optimization apps for Windows 10 or Windows 11
Any machine can get a little rusty over a period of time. Windows is no different. However, as with most things Windows, there’s no dearth of apps that will help you tweak your Windows settings. Similarly, if you’re looking to optimize your Windows, choose from the above-given apps, and if there isn’t any different issue, your computer will be back to its usual best in no time.
