How do you tune up a pc?

[breebreebran31]

I can never successfully do it.
I have a desktop.
Windows 8 professional.
3.10ghz dual core CPU.
8GB of RAM. 500GB hard drive. Not SSD.
But every computer gets slow over time. So I try to take the necessary steps to bring it back to its great condition. Like over time all the cache files and junk and bloat ware and installs all pile up and slow down the computer. So it's like 1/2 of its potential speed.
So it's time to tune up right? Well this is where I'm lost. Every time I try to tune up my pc I'm never successful.
What I do:
I download ccleaner to get rid of cache files and temp and everything else ccleaner cleans. Besides the registry. I don't use registry cleaners.
Then I defrag. I usually defrag every week. But then I forget about it and it becomes a monthly thing.
Then I get MBAM and I use my default AV which is avast, and I run scans. Because malware usually causes a slow pc. But these two programs never pick anything up.
I check my startup. It's bare minimum. I have like 4 entires max in my startup. iPod service. Java updater which I usually disable anyways. Realtek Audio hd. And igfx tray from intel.
Simple right?
So after defragging, running AV scans, having a minimal start up, cleaning out the actual desktop enclosure with an air blaster, I run chkdsk for errors, I delete almost all software I've downloaded, and I keep windows up to date, and I sfc /scannow for errors.
After doing all of this, my computer is still running at 1/2 of its potential speed.
So my last resort is just to reinstall a clean copy of windows.
And I'm just confused. Is reinstalling windows the only way to put it back at 100% speed? That seems like such an inefficient way to revive your system.

 

[BK_123]

Give the http://www.computerforums.org/forums/cyber-safety-computer-security/pc-cleanup-toolbox-219988.html a bash except for the blackviper tools as that's for advanced users and anything could go wrong...

 

[evan.briggs]

why do you use registry cleaners? ccleaner works great! also, an AV would slow your computer down a little bit. I know it sucks but with all of its services that need to run it just does.

 

[BK_123]

Don't trust those stupid paid registry cleaners as they are garbage and like briggs&straton said ccleaner is an excellent registry cleaner that everyone will recommend.

 

[breebreebran31]

I avoid registry cleaners because last time I used the one that comes with Advanced System Care it screwed everything up. The shortcuts on my desktop were all broken.
Nothing would ever save. Like if I moved recycle bin to the Top left corner of my desktop. I would log off and next time I come back everything would be put back to its previous state.

 

[evan.briggs]

hmm, well ive never had a problem with ccleaner.

 

[BK_123]

hmm, well ive never had a problem with ccleaner.

Same for me..

 

[mastertech]

Out of all the registry cleaners cCleaner I will attest is safe. I have used it on systems from really screwed up XP to Windows 8 and it has never created a problem and actually solved a lot of them...I am not a lover of registry cleaners either and will tell you not to use them without hesitation. But there are some tools out there that are industry standard tools for different things and cCleaner is one of them that most techs use religiously.

 

[~mr mixx~]

I have used CCleaner , and stand behind the program. It's also one of the top most popular good programs out there that is a free.

 

[mastertech]

There are a lot of different things that cause computers to slow down. Among them like everyone knows are viruses, malware, and adware. Another is all of the overhead that gets loaded into the registry and in the start up sequence that never gets cleaned out even by the most reputable of software.

To really get a computer as clean as you can without reinstalling Windows from scratch try the following first...

Autoruns Autoruns for Windows

This one is a little tricky as you have access to everything that loads and runs in the background. A lot of it most people will have no idea whether it is something to leave a lone or to get rid of. It does have a convenient right click context that allows you to do a google lookup of everything. Disabling the things that are no longer installed or that are not needed will definitely speed up not just the start up process but regular running conditions as well.

Viruses and More:

Reboot your computer into safe mode with networking

Get a couple rootkit detectors and cleaners, I recommend rkill Downloading RKill and tdsskiller TDSSKiller Download

Use Vipre Rescue VIPRE Rescue - VIPRE Computer Recovery Solution

This is a rescue scanner that will scan in windows. You may be confident in your antivirus but believe me there is nothing out there that catches 100% of the thins 100% of the time.

Eset Online Scanner: Free Virus Scan | Online Virus Scanner from ESET

Another scanner to be able to double check antivirus effectiveness, no matter what you use this is a necessity to do.

Next of course is to check for malware and adware. Believe it or not most antivirus programs are not as proficient at this as a couple of the programs specifically designed for it. Of course there is the industry standard Malwarebytes Malwarebytes : Free anti-malware download and the second is Emsisoft's Antimalware Emsisoft Anti-Malware for best protection - Free removal of Viruses, Bots, Spyware, Keyloggers, Trojans and Rootkits just like malwarebytes comes with a paid and free version...once you have run these two and cleaned whatever they have found run JRT (Junk Removal Tool) Junkware Removal Tool Download

Under most circumstances this will have the computer pretty clean if not totally depending on how much was actually in it, if it is to messed up I would definitely recommend a professional, sorry but that is just the case.

What most people forget is the removal of add-ons and any proxies in their browsers, not just one of them but all of them that are installed. You can do this manually like I usually do or you can download and use Avast's Browser Cleaner that does a pretty good job at http://files.avast.com/files/tools/avast-browser-cleanup.exe

Once this is all done then rebooting your computer into regular mode and doing the standard maintenance like sfc /scannow running chkdsk, and a few other standard things are going to have you cleaned up and working about as well as it is going to, that is unless say things like sfc come up with errors that it can't fix and then it gets a bit more complicated.

You did good in your cleaning you just forgot a couple of steps that could be making a world of difference