How to clean your computer of ads, remove junk and speed up Windows

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Almost all users, sooner or later, are faced with the fact that the computer begins to shamelessly slow down and behave very strangely. The life hacker figured out why this is happening and how to deal with it.

In the very first lines, I want to warn you that the article discusses only the simplest and most affordable methods that even children can reproduce, if necessary. So I ask all the cool hackers not to worry and save their valuable advice for another occasion.

How to clean your computer from ads

So, you've recently bought a brand new computer or laptop. There is no limit to your joy: programs start, music plays, sites open. However, a little time passes, and not a trace remains of the former speed. It takes ten minutes to load the operating system, some advertising windows fall out from everywhere, new programs appear on the computer by themselves, some sites stop loading or look somehow strange.

If you are familiar with these symptoms, then the diagnosis is clear: your computer is infected with adware. In pursuit of profit, some unscrupulous companies supply their products with a whole bunch of different ad modules that behave like viruses on the victim's computer. At the same time, they are not viruses in the literal sense of the word and therefore seep through all security systems.

It can be difficult to remove these malicious programs on your own. Their creators deliberately discourage this and use various sophisticated technologies for masking and automatic recovery.

However, there is an excellent utility that can save you a lot of problems in just a couple of minutes. It is called AdwCleaner and is distributed free of charge.

Download and run AdwCleaner. The program does not require installation, so you just need to double-click on the downloaded file.

After agreeing to the terms of use, you will see a window like this.

Click on the "Scan" button. After a short wait, the utility will present the search results for ad modules on your computer. Please note that AdwCleaner is capable of detecting and neutralizing not only independent malicious utilities, but also those that parasitize in the browser. For example, they replace the start page, install their own search service, display sponsored ads, and so on.

If you don't want to bother analyzing each record in the report, just click on the "Clear" button and wait for the program to finish its work. Please note only that you may have to close all programs and restart your computer, so save all the necessary data in advance.

You should feel the changes right after the reboot. After getting rid of numerous parasites, your computer can finally breathe freely and start working like new. Just remember to do the above procedure from time to time to keep your operating system in top condition.

AdwCleaner →

How to clean your computer from junk

In addition to adware and spyware, the speed of your computer can be hampered by the cluttered nature of the operating system. Over time, Windows can accumulate a lot of temporary files, remnants of deleted programs, duplicates and other debris.

You can get rid of it in two simple ways. First, run the built-in system hard disk cleaning utility. To do this, type cleanmgr into the Start menu search bar and click on the first result you get.

You will see the "Disk Cleanup" window. The program will search for files unnecessary for the operation of the operating system and offer to delete them. In the next window, you just need to check all the boxes and click on the "Clear system files" button. After a short wait, the operating system will free itself of all the trash accumulated during its operation.

In some cases, the above measure may not be sufficient. Then you should resort to the second method: use the popular CCleaner utility. Just start this program and click on the "Analysis" button. CCleaner will give you a list of files and folders that you can safely delete.

After that, it remains only to click on the "Clean" button. In just a few seconds, your operating system will be cleaned of debris that slowed it down. Perform this operation at least once a month and your computer will run like new.

CCleaner →