Every operating system requires a minimum level of maintenance to ensure error-free and smooth operation. Knowing what is running on the PC or starting up automatically should be part of your regular checks. Unnecessary background processes slow down the system startup and hamper Windows’ overall performance.
Many programs, and Windows 11 itself, leave traces of user activity on the PC. These include temporary files, remnants left behind after uninstalling applications, history lists, and much more. It is also advisable to clear out these areas from time to time.
Another aspect to consider is Windows 11 features and services that place an unnecessary strain on the computer. What constitutes “unnecessary” in this context depends heavily on individual preferences.
Some users are bothered by the apps that come pre-installed with Windows by default but which they never use. If you wish, you can also remove most of these apps, which is possible using the tools mentioned below.
Create backups and restore points
Clean-up tools often make deep changes to the system. That’s why some offer the option to create a restore point before carrying out an action. If not, create a restore point manually.
In any case, familiarize yourself with the tool in question and find out about the effects of the changes on the system.
To prevent problems, you should create a full backup — this is advisable from time to time anyway. If you do not yet use a backup program, see PCWorld’s recommendations for best backup software.
Creating a restore point: A restore point is a snapshot of the system’s state, comprising important files, the Windows Registry, and drivers. It serves to reset the operating system to a previous, functioning state in the event of problems, without altering personal files.
Open the Settings app, search for “Restore Point,” and click on “Create a restore point.” The “System Properties” window will open with the “System Protection” tab. Click on “Create,” enter a description, and click on “Create.”
If you want to undo the changes made by a clean-up tool, press Win-R, type rstrui and click “OK.” In the “System Restore” window, click “Next” and select the most recently created restore point. Follow the further instructions in the wizard.
Backing up the registry: Most Windows settings are stored in the registry. You should also back this up regularly so that you can revert to the previous configuration if problems arise. To do this, use the Registry Backup tool.
Thoroughly clean up with Windows’ built-in tools
Windows 11 comes with a number of cleaning functions, which you can find in the Settings app (Win-I) under “System > Storage.” Under “Local Disk (C:),” you can see the current usage of the system drive.
It also shows how much space “Installed apps” are taking up. Clicking on this takes you to “Installed apps” in “Settings.” Here you can uninstall apps and desktop applications that you no longer need.
Storage usage: In the Settings app, “System > Storage” provides a quick overview. Clicking “Show more categories” reveals additional sections.
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Back in “System > Storage,” click on “Temporary files.” After a brief analysis, Windows displays a list of categories such as “Temporary files” and “Windows Update Cleanup,” along with the storage space each occupies.
If, following a Windows upgrade, the folder “C:\Windows.old” containing a backup of the previous version is present, you will also see “Previous Windows installation(s).” If you tick this box and remove the folder, it will not be possible to revert to the previous version. By clicking “Remove files,” you can delete everything in the selected areas at once.
Automatic cleanup: Windows automatically frees up space on the hard drive. You can set a schedule to specify when storage optimisation
should take place.
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But be careful: the box next to “Downloads” is not ticked, and you shouldn’t change that. Unless you actually want to remove all files and folders in your personal Downloads folder.
Switch back to “System > Storage” and click on “Show more categories.” Clicking on “Other” can be quite useful. Windows displays a list of particularly large folders. You can open the folders by clicking on them in File Explorer and then decide whether anything can be deleted.
Tip: The Windirstat tool displays the storage usage of drives and individual folders. In the graphical overview, the large blocks represent files that take up a lot of space. Clicking on one shows where the file is located.
Free up storage space on demand or automatically
Windows 11 automatically deletes temporary files when hard drive space is running low. This feature is enabled by default. The settings for this can be accessed via “System > Storage > Storage Sense.”
Under “Cleanup temporary files,” the option “Keep Windows running smoothly by automatically cleaning up temporary system and app files” is enabled. Windows will then remove the temporary files automatically.
Under “Automatic user content cleanup” you can set cleaning times. By default, storage optimization runs when there is little free space available.
However, you can also set it to “Daily,” “Weekly,” or “Monthly.” Below this, you can specify the time period after which files should be automatically deleted from the Recycle Bin. You can also automatically delete files from the “Downloads” folder that, for example, have not been opened for up to 60 days.
These options are not entirely risk-free. There is a particular risk of data loss with the Recycle Bin if you set too short a timeframe and only realize after a few days that a file you still need was in the Recycle Bin. To prevent this, it is better to set it to “Never.”
The option under “Locally available cloud content,” on the other hand, is safe. Content synchronized with OneDrive can be automatically deleted from the hard drive after a certain period, but remains in cloud storage.
Finally, click on “Run Storage Sense now.” If you want Windows to take action automatically when there is little free storage space, set the toggle switch next to “Storage Sense” to “On” under “System > Storage.”
Cleaning up the Winsxs folder?
When searching for particularly large folders, you will likely come across the directory “C:\Windows\WinSxS”. Windows Explorer usually displays a size of several GB in the “Properties.” This folder primarily contains program libraries (DLL files) in various versions, and in some cases also SYS and EXE files.
The WinSxS folder: Windows Explorer does not display the exact size. The actual size of the folder can be determined in PowerShell.
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However, the WinSxS folder is not as large as Windows Explorer suggests. Some of the supposed files are hard links, i.e. special file links that point to the corresponding files, for example under “\Windows\System32”. The actual size is usually a few GB smaller.
In PowerShell (version 7 or later) with administrative rights, the correct size can be determined using the following command line:
ls C:\Windows\WinSxS -Recurse -File -force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | ? LinkType -ne HardLink | Measure-Object -Sum {$_.Length/1MB}
As a general rule, you should not delete anything from the “C:\Windows\WinSxS” folder, so as not to compromise the stability of the system. Windows automatically removes unnecessary files from the folder anyway.
Easier tidying up with Microsoft’s PC Manager
Microsoft’s PC Manager does not essentially offer any new features, but brings together several important ones under a single interface. This means you no longer have to spend time searching for the built-in tools scattered throughout the system.
Among other things, PC Manager can delete temporary files, search for large files, and remove programs from the startup list. The “Health Check” provides a quick overview of everything that can be deleted or optimized.
Microsoft’s cleaning tool: PC Manager can delete temporary files, disable startup programs, search for large files and much more.
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Eliminating hard drive defragmentation
On a hard drive, large files in particular are rarely stored in a contiguous area. The drive’s controller always uses the next available blocks. If a file does not fit within a contiguous block, the next one is used, which may, however, be located far away (fragmentation).
The read/write heads then have to travel further, which reduces the transfer rate and increases access times. SSDs work differently, which is why fragmentation does not occur here.
The “Optimize Drives” tool in Windows Accessories (Win-R > dfrgui) performs defragmentation automatically once a week by default. The Windows defragmenter seems to do its job well, as it regularly reports a fragmentation level of “0%” for the drives. On PCs with average usage, this may even be more or less accurate.
However, there are scenarios where it makes sense to use a different tool for defragmentation. PC games, for example, sometimes install very large files that are deleted and recreated during updates.
Virtualization software also generates particularly large files. If these files are heavily fragmented, there is a noticeable slowdown in read and write operations.
Reorganizing files: Defraggler defragments hard drives, thereby optimizing file access. You can also defragment specific large files individually.
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If this applies, first ensure there is sufficient free space on the hard drive. Only then can a defragmenter work optimally. You can launch the Defraggler tool from CCleaner.
In the “Drive” column, select the hard drive and click “Check.” If the program indicates severe fragmentation, click “Defrag.”
As the process takes a very long time with large and full hard drives, you can also choose to defragment only specific files. Switch to the “File List” tab. Clicking on the “Fragments” column header sorts the list by highly fragmented files. Use the context menu option “Defragment Selected” to optimize the selected file.
Clean up and optimize Windows with Winslop
Slop refers to unnecessary, low-value system components that are added by default, consume resources, and restrict user control without offering any significant benefit.
Winslop frees Windows from bloatware and helps optimize system settings. The tool displays the functions it can modify in categories and a tree structure. If you need more information, right-click and select “Help” to access a webpage listing the functions.
If you launch Winslop without administrator rights, not all functions can be configured. You should therefore launch the tool in Windows Explorer by right-clicking and selecting “Run as administrator.”
Clean up and optimize: Winslop frees up space on your hard drive and disables unnecessary or annoying Windows features. You can also use it to uninstall apps.
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First, click on “Inspect system.” Winslop will then display the changes that should be made. Uncheck the boxes next to any features you wish to keep. Then click on “Apply selected changes.”
To undo a change, right-click the desired feature and select the “Restore” option.
Click on “Apps” if you wish to remove pre-installed programs. After clicking on “Inspect system,” tick the boxes next to the unwanted applications and click on “Apply selected changes.”
Removing Windows apps: O&O App Buster provides recommendations for potentially unnecessary apps. You can uninstall the apps either for the current user only or system-wide.
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Alternatives: O&O App Buster can uninstall apps and programs and provides recommendations on which apps you can safely remove. With Revo Uninstaller, you can uninstall desktop applications and Windows apps. The tool also allows you to disable autostarts and delete saved histories.
Check autostarts and reduce them if necessary
The cause of a slow Windows start-up is usually programs that configure themselves to start automatically during installation. A program may then, for example, check for updates or wait for events in the background.
None of the autostart programs are strictly necessary, but they can make things more convenient. You should therefore always weigh whether an autostart program is important to you and whether you are willing to accept a delayed system start-up as a result.
Sysinternals Autoruns identifies all autostart entries and can also display and manage extensions for Windows Explorer and Microsoft Office. After clicking “Start Autoruns,” a window opens where you can start the download. You can then use the program.
On the “Everything” tab, uncheck all the boxes for entries you do not need. This does not delete anything. If it later turns out that a program should be started automatically after all, simply tick the box again.
Tidying up autostart: The Sysinternals tool Autoruns lists what Windows starts automatically. You can disable individual programs and re-enable them.
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If you suspect that a program is malware, go to “Check VirusTotal” in the context menu. To test all programs in the list, go to “Options > Scan Options” and tick “Check VirusTotal.com.”
Tip: You can use Windows System Control Center (WSCC) to install and launch the Sysinternals tools. It downloads all or only the desired programs from Microsoft and also handles updates.
Tools for greater security and privacy
In the Settings app, under “Privacy and Security,” you’ll find several options that let you specify what data Windows sends to Microsoft and how it is analyzed.
O&O ShutUp10 offers quick and clear access to all privacy settings. For each option, the tool provides recommendations and descriptions explaining the function. Configuration is quick and easy via “Actions > Apply recommended settings only.” O&O ShutUp10 offers to create a restore point so that you can revert to the previous state if problems arise.
Improve privacy: O&O ShutUp10 displays all key privacy settings and provides recommendations on what can be enabled without any adverse effects.
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BC Wipe Privacy Guard performs similar tasks. You can selectively enable or disable individual options, or simply use the “Use Jetico recommended settings” toggle. Use the button in the top right-hand corner (“Go back to your original settings”) to restore the default settings.
AI, Copilot, and Snapshots
Microsoft is equipping Windows with more and more AI features. The Copilot button has been visible in the Edge web browser for some time, and Microsoft 365 Copilot is now available as a standalone app. Microsoft has also built AI features into the Windows Editor and Paint. Data processing takes place largely in the data center; nothing is stored on the PC, so there is nothing to clean up.
The situation is slightly different for Copilot Plus PCs. Some of the processing is carried out on the PC with the support of the NPU (Neural Processing Unit). At present, this mainly concerns the analysis or text recognition in screenshots that Windows creates via ‘Snapshots’ (‘Recall’). In the Settings app, under “Privacy and Security > Recall and Snapshots,” you can specify how much storage space should be reserved for this. The default is 150GB. You can also delete the snapshots here — either all of them or just those within a specific time range. If you wish to disable Recall, you can switch off “Save snapshots.”
You can also completely disable Copilot using O&O ShutUp10 . The options for this can be found on the “Copilot” tab. You can also delete the locally stored files here.
Alternatively, remove Recall via Win-R by calling up optional features. Uncheck the box next to “Recall” and click “OK.”
