Unplug the power cable from your modem, and unplug the power cable from your router (if you have one). Wait about thirty seconds, then plug your modem back in. After the lights on your modem have finished turning on, plug your router back in. Your network should be up and running again in about a minute.
Windows 10 and 8 - Right-click on the Windows button and select “Control Panel. " Windows 7, Vista, and XP - Click the Start button and select “Control Panel” from the Start menu.
This would be a good time to remove programs that you do recognize, but no longer need. Old games, unused browsers, utilities that you used once and then never used again, and other legitimate programs can add to your computer’s bloat. Remove them to free up some space and potentially speed up your computer’s start-up time.
Internet Explorer - Click the Tools button and select “Internet options. " Click the “Advanced” tab and click “Reset. " Check the “Delete personal settings” box and click “Reset. " Chrome - Click the Chrome Menu button and select “Settings. " Click “Show advanced settings” and then scroll to the bottom. Click “Reset settings” and then click “Reset. " Firefox - Click the Firefox Menu button and then click “?”. Select “Troubleshooting Information” and then click “Refresh Firefox. " Click “Refresh Firefox” again to confirm.
Perform a web search for each program that you don’t recognize to see what it does and if it is safe.
Once you’ve downloaded the file, double-click it and drag Anti-Malware for Mac into your Applications folder. If you get a message saying that you can’t install the program since it’s not from the App Store, right-click (Ctrl-click) the downloaded file, select “Open,” then select “Open” again.
In Windows 10, you can find the Windows Update utility in the “Update & Security” section of the new Settings menu.
Open the Computer/This PC window (⊞ Win+E) and find your Windows drive (usually C:). This drive should have at least 20% free space available for optimum performance.
Check your Downloads and Documents folders to see if you’re stockpiling old files you don’t need anymore.
Open the Control Panel and select “Uninstall a program” or “Programs and Features. " Make your way through the list of installed programs and remove the ones you don’t use anymore. Highlight a program and click “Uninstall” to remove it. If you aren’t sure what a program is, look it up using a web search. A free program called “PC Decrapifier” can scan your computer for software that many people consider unnecessary. These unwanted programs typically come preinstalled on computers, and are referred to as “bloatware. " You can download PC Decrapifier for free for home use at pcdecrapifier. com. It doesn’t need to be installed, just run the program after downloading it and allow it to scan your computer. If it finds any bloatware, it can remove all of it at once.
Windows 10 and 8 - Press Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager. Click “More details” to expand it, then click the “Startup” tab. Select the items you want to remove from your startup and click “Disable. " If you aren’t sure what a program is or if its required for startup, perform a web search for it. Windows 7 and Vista - Press ⊞ Win+R and type “msconfig. " Click the “Startup” tab. Uncheck the box next to each item you want to disable. If you don’t know what one of the programs is, you can look it up online. Just type the “Startup Item” name into a search engine and the first results should let you know what it is.
Instead of using Norton as your antivirus, consider using Windows’ built-in Microsoft Defender. Avast and Bit-Defender are also two popular free options. See Turn On Windows Defender for instructions on using Windows Defender. If you use iTunes for your media, consider a program like foobar2000 or MediaMonkey, both of which support syncing your iOS device.
Open the Mac App Store and click the Updates tab at the top of the window. Review and install any available updates for your system and installed programs.
Uninstall old programs by dragging them from the Applications folder to the Trash. Check your Downloads and Documents folders to see if there are any old files that you can delete. Programs like CleanMyMac3, Disk Inventory X, and DaisyDisk can find and remove tons of old junk files from your computer. You can free up a significant amount of space using a file removal tool. Use Monolingual to remove unused language files. You can get it for free from monolingual. sourceforge. net/. Don’t remove the language you use or the English language, as this can cause problems with the operating system.
Click the Apple menu and select “System Preferences. " Select the “Users & Groups” option then select “Login Items. " Select an app that you want to prevent from loading at startup and click the “-” button. You may need to click the padlock and enter your admin password first.
Launch Disk Utility from the Utilities folder in the Applications folder. Select your hard drive in the left frame. Click the “First Aid” tab and then click “Verify Disk. " The scan will begin, which may take a while to complete. Click the “Repair Disk” button if the scan reports any errors.
Look for open-source alternatives, which generally will not have any adware in the installer. Avoid download sites like CNet or Tucows, as these will try to get you to use their ad-serving download manager programs.
See Install an Antivirus for detailed instructions on finding and installing an antivirus program.
You can purchase cans of compressed air or use an air compressor to remove most dust from inside the computer. See Clean a PC for tips on cleaning all of the dust out of your computer.
