How To Keep A Computer Running Smoothly and Properly

Thanks Marc :wink:

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Hey Marc, I’m still showing up to date with 1803.
Using the update assistant I see I can manually install it.
Is it safe to assume you’ve installed it and not having any sort of issues with it?
Have you noticed any performance improvement with it?
Thanks,
Randy

Hi Grandy,

Yes I have installed 1903. It was a smooth upgrade and I didn’t experience any issues. Since I’ve installed it my system has been working fine without any problems.

I have noticed my system is running slightly faster when booting up and when opening programs since I did the upgrade.

-Marc

Good deal…thanks for being our guinea pig :grin:

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I use a series of .BAT files, so I make ( or get made) my own.
Tedious to say the least, but at least I can read the code and know what it’s doing.
It cleans temp, IE stuff. What I don’t know or have then I use ccleaner, ( yes I have read the warnings, OK).
I can no longer find the writers of these BAT files, as they come from various forums, but maybe programmers here can write a few on request ?
AV issues, I will download, set it up, run it, usually no issues, then uninstall it cos it slows my PC down with that background BS, bells and whistles etc. I just want a clean mean lean PC.
It also depends where one goes on the net.

For those of you who perhaps have limited space on your “C” drive or just don’t need the windows.old folder that the upgrade leaves, this is how you remove that folder (Windows.old) on Windows 10 machines.

(Firstly … I should mention that I always do a complete backup of my “C” Drive before upgrading so that I can always re-install my old version in case of problems with the older set up), I recommend that you do this as a safeguard!. OR simply wait until you are 100% sure that the new Windows version works without problems.

Remove the Windows.old folder

The following method is versatile and can be used to remove the Windows.old folder, not only for the Windows 10 versions of the OS but also for older versions.

Using a combination of «Win + R» Open the “Run” and type “cleanmgr” and in disk selection dialog you will need to select the system partition, “Drive C», and press «OK».

After the scan finished, “Disk Cleanup” window appears, select “Clean up system files” and then “Disk Cleanup” will appear again. Select “Disk C» and click «OK» and after a brief scan open “Disk Cleanup”, check folder “Previous Windows installation(s)”. Click «OK» and wait until it will be cleaned up.

Remove

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What year is this?

2019 :zipper_mouth_face:

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Hi everyone,

In case you don’t know already, Microsoft released Windows 10 version 1909 last week. This update isn’t a major update and was very fast to download and install (Only took my Laptop 8 minutes in total time from download to rebooting to the desktop.)

The 1909 update is like a Service Pack update (From the Windows XP days) it contains bug fixes and a few minor feature updates.

Going forward it looks like Microsoft will now release 1 major OS update a year that will be released in the spring and in the fall they’ll release basically a Service Pack update with bug fixes and a few minor new features.

Also this is a little off topic from this post but If your still using an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) I highly recommend upgrading to a SSD (Solid State Drive) they are a lot faster, they’re quiet and generally will have a longer lifespan then an HDD. When I got my new Laptop in August that has a SSD I couldn’t believe how fast everything was and still is. On my old Laptop running a HDD it takes almost 2 minutes for the computer to boot up and load the desktop. On my new Laptop it takes about 10 seconds.

I hope this computer advice is helpful!

-Marc

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Hi everyone,

I’ve just found out the antivirus company Avast has been secretly collecting and selling an excessive amount of data from it’s users and many of those users did not consent to them collecting data. I’ve stopped using Avast a few years ago and I suggest you do the same and use an alternative like Malwarebytes. Below is a link to the news article about the investigation into Avast’s data collection:

I think I’ll soon write an updated version of this post with more modern tips on how to keep a computer running smoothly and properly.

-Marc

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Bump to the top! Thanks, Marc.

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Again!

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Hi everyone,

It’s been a few years since I initially wrote this post so today I figured I’d write an updated guide to this post on keeping your computer running smoothly and properly. As I said in my first post I’m not a professional computer tech and all advice is based on my own experiences with the programs I use. Also I use Windows 10 so if your using an older version of Windows or a different Operating System some programs or advice may not work on those Operating Systems.

Antivirus:

Malwarebytes - This is a great program that has been around for years designed to detect and remove Malware.and I believe now it also removes viruses. This program has a free version and paid version. If you use the free version I recommend running a scan at least once a week. The time it takes for a scan to complete depends on your computer and how much stuff is on your computer. If you have an older computer with a lot of programs and files on it I recommend running the scan when your not going to be at your computer for a little while that way by the time you return it should be completed.

Windows Defender - This is already built into Windows 10 and should be scanning your computer automatically. Along with Malwarebytes this should be enough as far as Malware and anti virus protection goes and no other third party programs should be needed.

Junk Remover / Cleaner :

Windows 10 has a built in cleaner called Storage Sense. You can access it by typing in Storage Settings in the Windows 10 search then when your in the storage settings click on ‘Configure Storage Sense or run it now.’ Storage Sense has removed and freed up several GB’s on my SSD. It can take a while to run and clean out all the junk files depending on how much it wants to clean on your system so be patient while it runs. They’re are options to run it automatically daily, weekly & monthly. I personally have it set to run automatically monthly. There are no need for third party programs like CCleaner anymore if your using Storage Sense.

The other advice I have is to keep your computer no matter what Operating System you use up to date. Recently support was dropped from Windows 7 meaning no new security updates will be released which makes the Operating System more likely to virus attacks and potential hacks. Please be careful if your continuing to use Windows 7.

On Windows 10 you have the option to pause updates for up to 30 days so you can run the updates when it’s convenient for you. You can pause updates by going to the update settings in Windows 10.

I hope this updated post helps you with your computer!

-Marc

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Microsoft has released the latest feature update to Windows 10 called Windows 10 2004. It features a few updates to some main features like Cortana as well as other feature and security updates.

The update should roll out to you through Windows Update. If you’d like the update right away you can download it trough the Windows Update Assistant.

-Marc

Thanks Marc, that’s good info for a noob like me…lol

The Microsoft Windows October 2020 update is now available. No real major new features in this update. A few slight changes to the start menu and a few updates to other apps as well as well as security updates. The update should roll out to you through Windows Update or if you want it right away you can use the Windows Update Assistant to get it.

-Marc

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It appears Windows 11 will be releasing soon.

This is interesting because back when Windows 10 was released Microsoft said that Windows 10 would be “The final version of Windows…”

Apparently plans have changed and here’s what we know so far.

Microsoft has been teasing Windows 11 over the last few weeks with an upcoming “Windows Announcement” taking place on June 24th at 11am.

Microsoft has given Windows 10 an “End of Life” date of October 14th 2025.

Yesterday, a build version of Windows 11 leaked online and it seems Microsoft has acknowledged the leak in the Tweet below:

Screenshot 2021-06-16 101359

Windows 11 will likely be released this October and will likely have a similar upgrade path like Windows 10 had. Files within Windows 11 indicate the upgrade to Windows 11 will be free If you have Windows 10, 8.1 or 7.

Here’s a video from a tech guy I watch on YouTube where he takes a look at the leaked Windows 11 build and the features it has that we know of so far:

-Marc

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I recently discovered a tool that allows you to customize your Windows Operating System. The tool is called Winaero Tweaker. Below is the video review I’ve done on it.

NOTE: If your not tech savvy don’t go into the program and adjust settings that you have no idea what it does as it could potentially damage your Operating System.

-Marc

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@Marc978 . Marc, when or how will i know if my computer will run the new Windows 11 operating system that come out in the fall ? I’m running Windows 10 creators edition right now.

Hi Craig,

Microsoft released a tool that let’s users check to see if their system is compatible with Windows 11. The tool is called PC Health Check. Below is a link to the tool:

PC Health Check Tool (Located at the bottom of the page) - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11 the page also lists minimum system requirements for Windows 11.

If your PC is compatible with Windows 11 you’ll see this screen when you run the tool:

I also made a video showing users how to run the tool:

-Marc

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