Windows – How to clean it up – The real way
This is a guide for beginners and maybe even for advanced users it just shows the way I clean up PCs when it comes to removing bloatware and other “crap”.
===STEP 0===
First Download Both of these Apps
(1) PC Decrapfier
GOOD LINK – HIT BLUE DOWNLOAD NOW BUTTON:
AND
(2) CCleaner
GOOD LINK – HIT DOWNLOAD LATEST VERSION ON TOP RIGHT:
===STEP 1===
INSTALL CCLEANER
Make sure when you install any app that you watch out for 3rd party items trying to install
with them. If during the install it asks “Install <some garbage software>” uncheck it, and
all of the similar items. You only want to install the above 2 mentioned apps and none of
the bloat ware that might be added on by the site your downloading from. I included two
good links for the 2 apps I want you to use for this process, as far as I know these are
good links and bloatware free.
Note: No neeed to install PC Decrapfier it just “runs” without the need of installing it.
===STEP 2: Optional===
Go to Safe Mode – Turn off your Computer and hit F8 Continously until a menu comes up and
Select Safe Mode with Networking (or without networking it doesnt matter). In Windows 8 the
procedure to go to safemode is different.
You can also choose to skip this step and do it from regular windows mode, For a severe
clean up procedure I would seriously consider doing this step.
===STEP 3====
RUN CCLEANER
When it open it brings you to the “Cleaner” Tab just hit RUN CLEANER. Then wait a few
minutes and it will clean up all the unwanted garbage – be aware all your saved passwords
in your browsers might be cleared as well so make sure you know them. (Either way you
should never rely on a browsers password memory – instead have a password manager like
you always have access to your passwords – Its secure and uncrackable)
After the Regular “Cleaner” job finished go to the next tab down called “Registry” and run
that. Hit “Scan for Issues” and give it a minute to find all the wierd registry issues on
your computer. All the issues it finds come up checked and ready to be fixed/deleted with
“Fix Selected Issues” BUT WAIT go through the list and uncheck any of the firewall registry
rules that you might of placed (Windows Firewall puts edits into the Registry, so I always
make sure to uncheck it since I mess with my Firewall all the time) and then click “Fix
selected Issues”. It asks to save a file, I strongly recommend to save this file – its a
unfix to all those issues, basically if your computer runs wierd afterwards due to the
Registry Cleaning, you can double click on that file and it will fix it by editing the
registry to how it was before.
===STEP 4===
RUN Pc-Decrapifier
Its probably in your default Download folder, remember no need to install it, it just runs
off the downloaded file.
Its a really easy cleaner app, all you do is check checkboxes and hit Next. Its basically
like a Windows Program Uninstaller but it lets you do alot of uninstalls at once which
makes it an amazing tool. Note with the regular Program Uninstaller you find in Control
Panel you can only uninstall one app at a time.
When asked to make a restore point, its a good idea to make one, so if you uninstall the
wrong thing you can go back.
When it asks you to install some toolbars, always uninstall all those – those are bloatware
you installed on accident or snuck into your Operating System using other sneaky methods.
When the big list comes up with all of your installed apps, make sure you only select the
bloatware looking apps, ask yourself “Do I need this?”, “Do other apps need this?” If your
not sure its probably best to not uninstall it (so leave the checkbox unchecked). So only
check the items/apps that you answered NO to both of those questions to. Any how when you
click next the uninstaller of everyone of those apps that you deemed to uninstall will come
up and populate the screen. Make your way through the train of windows and when your done
PC Decrapifier will notify you of success and its probably best to Reboot the pc.
===STEP 5===
Hit Start Run and Type “Uninstall a Program” – or find your way to that through Control Panel. Uninstall any other apps that PC Decrapfier did not find. Here you can only uninstall apps one at a time. PC Decrapfier should of made the rest of this process alot less annoying since it got rid of most of the annoying apps.
===STEP 6===
Reboot the PC
and when it comes up run CCLEANER one more time – repeating the instructions in step 3 for both “cleaner” and “registry cleaner” procedure.
===THE END===
GOOD LUCK 🙂
If something doesnt work after that: Try Restoring from restore point or running those
registry file saves from the Registry part of Ccleaner.
Note: Out of the thousands of times that I used CCLEANER cleaner and registry cleaning, it
has never messed up my computers – its a good tool – And in regards to those times when in
the Registry cleaning part: 90% of the time I just select delete all the other 10% I just
dont delete the Firewall rule