If you have been in possession of a desktop or laptop for a period of months and years, it is natural to see a slowing down of performance if the system is left unchecked. Like any item of yours, there is a degree of maintenance and conditioning that must take place to ensure that it runs smoothly, and that applies to the hard drive.

When internet web browsers take minutes to load and the overall speed of navigation is deteriorating, that does not mean you have to buy a whole new computer. All that is required is to run through a series of essential steps to tackle the issue and clean the drive. This will deliver optimum performance to extend the product’s lifespan.

Disk Cleanup

One of the most important initial steps to take with the hard drive practice is the disk cleanup. This works to cut out and eliminate files that have no use to the system in any shape or form. This is an option that should be discovered under “properties” as this operation will scan for items that can be manually discarded once you see what is actually sitting on this drive and taking up valuable space.

Uninstall Unused Applications and Programs

Whilst the individual data files can be strewn around various folders and lurking on the desktop, there will be programs and applications that are serving no purpose. Locate them and uninstall. If you are doubtful about a program that might be integral to the computer without your knowledge, then leave it and source a second opinion. Should you be aware of an application you installed that no longer is of value, uninstall every time.

Defragment Data

When you have undertaken the disk cleanup, the end result might produce a scary looking listing of data that is broken up and scattered across a variety of folders and locations. This is perfectly normal because this fragmentation will necessitate defragmenting. An application like this can be located organically on your computer under “System Tools” in most cases, although this should not be carried out for a solid-state drive (SSD).

Update System

Whether you possess a Windows or Apple system, there should be an update function for your computer. This is designed to regularly run checks and a diagnostic to ensure that the customer isn’t undertaking all of the heavy lifting. Even if this update is done once a week or fortnight, keep this process regular to ensure that the system has ironed out those needless deficiencies.