Comprehensive cleaning guide for windows

There are dozens of other programs and dozens of other things you could do.

But "should"?

The correlation between "cleaning" and "performance optimization" is dubious.

I use several of the items you list in your post, but I do so largely because I have some obsessive tendencies, not because I can point to any improved performance.

I don't use even more methods only because my obsessive tendencies are somewhat under control.

You'll have to decide on the degree to which "could" means "should", using your own private dictionary. That's what it comes down to.

The whole thing is an attractive morass and everyone will have a different opinion on when enough is enough, with the opinions having more to do with confirmation bias than performance.

Cerawy said:

I usually clean and optimize my computer before i back it up with aomei backupper....

I do some of the same, backing up with Macrium Reflect. My aim is simple, to remove as much junk as possible before making an image. With some half dozen machines I need to keep each system image as compact as possible.

Windows disk check, with the event log to solve the problems.
No, I don't bother. If there were any disk errors Macrium would detect and report them, not continuing with it's backup until they were fixed.

Windows system file check.
No, at least not routinely. Once in a while I'll run SFC /ScanNow - it seldom finds anything.

Windows disk defrag, with auslogics diskdefrag for special ssd algorithm.
I use Windows defrag on my HDDs before making a Full image, but I never defrag my SSDs. For HDDs auto optimisation is turned off. A moved file counts as a 'difference' that has to be recorded in any subsequent Differential or Incremental image, so turning it off keeps down the size of further backups.

SSDs just need a Trim once in a while, auto-optimise takes care of that.

Windows disk cleanup.
Yes, run as administrator (or click 'clean up system files') then tick everything.

Wisecleaner, ccleaner, advanced systemcare and glary utilities for improved cleaning.
Just CCleaner, and then only to clean up the Internet caches and cookies for all browsers, and the temporary files Disk Clean up doesn't reach. Never, ever, clean up the registry.

Windows defender and super antispyware for spyware and virus.
Just Windows Security (aka Defender) with 'reputation based protection' enabled to prevent PUPs/malware. .

Windows update for the latest updates.
Yes, a full check for updates each Patch Tuesday, just prior to the clean up and making a new Full system image.

Slimdrivers for updating drivers.
Never found a need to keep updating drivers, Windows Update occasionally will find a new one, that's all.

Is there anything im overlooking...

Yes, potentially several GB that can usefully be cleaned up. Windows keeps backup copies of the latest cumulative updates in C:\Windows\Servicing\LCU. By default Windows keeps the three latest CUs in there. Running Disk Clean up to clean up system files will delete all but the latest one, but that alone is about 750MB currently. These backups can be safely deleted, as I and others have found. See...


LCU folder is LARGE-But what is it?.

ignatzatsonic said:

There are dozens of other programs and dozens of other things you could do.
But "should"?
The correlation between "cleaning" and "performance optimization" is dubious..

Couldn't agree more. My 'cleaning' is just to remove junk files, and I only clean what I feel is safe to remove. Defraging an HDD makes some small improvement, but only really noticeable on older slower machines.

All other claimed benefits of 'optimisation' are snake-oil in my opinion - particularly any form of 'registry optimisation'.

Although System Restore is disabled by default on Windows 10, it can still be enabled so if that happens to be your case, you could also decide to remove old Restore points you no longer need.

Also, this might help:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...-winsxs-folder

As for cleaning up temp files and disabling hiberfil.sys and whatnot... for making an image of my Windows partitions I use Acronis True Image, which, right off the bat, excludes them from the image being created so then, they don't actually even bother me anyway in the first place. I use Sandboxie to keep my Firefox Portable Edition cleaner than the room I'm in, and also use it for an added layer of protection. There will always be those who will continue to advocate using a Virtual Machine even when it's not warranted.

Finally, disk defraggers have always come in many flavors. But once you've tried Diskeeper, there is no going back. On a modern SSD with TRIM it shouldn't really make much of a difference, though. Back in the old days when a lot of people were jumping up and down about OCZ wih SandForce, I was among those who told everyone to shut their mouth and buy a Crucial, which didn't actually even need TRIM in order for it to not become slow as molasses. To each their own, YMMV, yada yada yada, and etc..

I found something else that might be useful. You can use this program to get rid of old, unused devices. It might be worth doing, before backing up windows.