{"id":31908,"date":"2026-04-19T08:31:48","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T12:31:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/?p=31908"},"modified":"2026-04-19T08:31:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T12:31:48","slug":"its-time-to-do-some-spring-cleaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/its-time-to-do-some-spring-cleaning\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s Time to Do Some Spring Cleaning!"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s Time to Do Some Spring Cleaning!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s springtime around these parts, folks.<\/span> And I\u2019m not hemisphereocentric (I love making up words) either. I realize some of you live in that hemisphere down south, where the water goes down the drain backward, and where winter is summer and spring is autumn, so this will be autumn cleaning for you. <\/span>So, if you live in Oz or NZ, please substitute the word \u201cautumn\u201d for \u201cspring\u201d and keep on reading (and cleaning).<\/span><\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need any special tools to do your spring cleaning; you can accomplish everything on this shortlist without downloading or installing anything. But we\u2019re going to mention some tools that might make your job easier, but they are not necessary to accomplish your spring cleaning mission.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll assume most of you (hopefully all of you) have Emsisoft<\/a> or some other good antivirus\/anti-malware installed that helps protect you from the ravages of malware and PUPs. If your security software does not have adequate malware \/ PUPs protection, all the spring cleanings in the world won\u2019t help much. We\u2019ll assume you have a good antivirus and anti-malware that protects you against malware and pups \u2013 if you don\u2019t, you can read about Emsisoft here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

OK, let\u2019s get cleaning!<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 1: Remove unused programs<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the things people ask us most when we\u2019re doing Cloudeight Direct Computer Repair sessions is: \u201cWhat programs should I remove? I don\u2019t even know what half of them are or what they\u2019re for!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We think this is pretty typical of everyone \u2013 including us. We all install programs that sound good or interesting at the time, but then we never use them. We don\u2019t know many who don\u2019t do this \u2013 we\u2019re especially guilty of cluttering things up with a bunch of programs that we never use.<\/span><\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to download anything or install anything to clean up those unwanted or unused programs. Windows 10 and Windows 11 allow you to remove programs right from the Start menu. Really! Didn’t you know that? Sure, you can. If you see something there you don\u2019t recognize, there\u2019s a good bet you don\u2019t use it, and you don\u2019t need it. If you don’t use it and don’t need it, why have it? So, go through your start menu right now. If you see something you don’t use or even recognize, then right-click it and choose “Uninstall”.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you’re geeky and want a more thorough cleaning experience, you can use the uninstaller in Reg Organizer<\/a> (not free) or HiBit Uninstaller<\/a> (a Cloudeight freeware pick).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And remember… removing unused programs isn\u2019t going to speed up your computer or increase its performance (unless you\u2019re running very low on hard drive space), or you are a believer in some of those other goofballs who write tech newsletters, who make almost everything sound like something that will make your computer run faster. Hey, they are trying to get readers! We are too, but we try to be very truthful with you – even if it means we go broke in the process. We’re darn near there now!<\/span><\/p>\n

Anyway, \u00a0you should remove unused\/unwanted programs as a matter of good housekeeping. If you do a good job, I\u2019ll send EB around with her Good Housekeeping Seal, which you can proudly display on your desktop \u2013 or not.<\/span>
\n<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Cloudeight<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Step 2: Clean out your Documents and Downloads Folders<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Lots of things end up in your Documents folder. Go on and take a gander. What a mess, eh? If you don\u2019t want to get rid of stuff, at least organize it. My grandmother always told me to wear clean underwear in case I got hit by a car. It\u2019s the same thing with your Documents folder\u2026do you want people to think you\u2019re a disorganized slob like me, do you? Of course, you don\u2019t! So take some time to rummage through your Documents folder, delete what you don\u2019t need, and organize the stuff you think you do need by making folders for similar types of documents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your downloads folder is probably full of installers you\u2019ve downloaded over time and have 1lready installed. Most of these installers are now useless since the program is probably installed, and most of these old installers are out-of-date anyway, so why not get rid of them? You can delete everything in the download folder without losing anything important \u2013 the only exception being if you have a portable app in your downloads folder that runs from that folder. If you do, and you remove it by mistake, big deal! You can re-download it in a minute or two anyway. There is no sense in hanging on to installers you\u2019ve already used to install programs. Clean it up, I tells ya!<\/span><\/p>\n

Again, cleaning up your Documents and Downloads folders isn\u2019t going to make your computer faster \u2013it ain\u2019t going to turn it into a screaming machine any more than wearing clean underwear is going to keep you from getting run over by a car, but it\u2019s good housekeeping, and you do what EB’s seal don\u2019t you?<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 3: Optimize your Windows Start-up programs<\/span><\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/em><\/span>
\nDo you really need Co-Pilot, iTunes, Corel Paint Shop Pro, Megan’s PDF Wonderbar, Aunt Jenny\u2019s Greeting Card Maker, QuickTime, Adobe this, Adobe that, or stuff like that starting with Windows? NO, you don\u2019t. You\u2019re not that lazy, I know you\u2019re not. Cut the programs starting with Windows down to very few. Use taskbar, start menu, and\/or desktop shortcuts to launch the programs you use often. Very few programs need to start with Windows.<\/span><\/p>\n

Everything you allow to start with Windows runs in the background, sucking up your system resources like a sponge soaking up water. Programs often set themselves up to start with Windows because they think they\u2019re so important. Do you use Skype or iTunes, or Megan’s PDF Wonderbar all of the time?\u00a0 No, I tells ya! You don\u2019t. You don\u2019t need them running in the background all the time, just in case you might want to use them once a day, or once in a while, or once in a blue moon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Windows 10 and Windows 11 have a startup manager. Did you know that? They do. And the Windows startup manager does a decent job, too. If you can turn a switch on or off, you can use the Windows 10 or Windows 11 startup manager.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Windows<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Windows<\/span><\/p>\n

If you can flip a switch, you can use the Windows startup manager. You’ll also see under the switches terms like High impact, Medium impact, Low impact, or Unknown. This shows you the level of impact these programs have on your Windows startup. High-impact items (apps)\u00a0 impact your startup times more than low-impact items.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another nice feature of the Windows startup manager is that it won’t let you turn off Windows startup items that you really need to start up. You still have to think a little before flipping the switch. For instance, you don’t want to turn off OneDrive if you use OneDrive to back up your computer. If you use any 3rd-party backup program, you won’t want to shut that off either. And don’t shut off your antivirus protection. I mean, that’s just common sense, right?<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want even more control over your startups (and you know pretty much what you’re doing, you can use the startup manager in Reg Organizer<\/a> (not free), the startup manager in HiBit Uninstaller <\/a>(free), or Sysinternals’ (Microsoft) AutoRuns.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Here’s more about SysInternals AutoRuns.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Autoruns gives you a complete picture and description of what starts with Windows, and you\u2019ll be able to disable unnecessary start-ups quickly and easily. But here\u2019s the thing: don\u2019t go messing around with all those tabs you\u2019ll see on AutoRuns. The only one you have to worry about is the \u201cLogon\u201d tab. See?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"AutoRuns<\/span><\/p>\n

You just untick the box for the item you don\u2019t want, starting with Windows. If you right-click an item, AutoRuns tells you what it is and where it\u2019s installed so you can make an informed decision about whether to allow something to start with Windows or not. When in doubt, leave it alone. As a general rule, if it\u2019s printer-related, antivirus\/anti-malware related, or if it has the word Microsoft in it, follow Paul McCartney’s advice and Let It Be! “Oh, let it be… speaking words of wisdom, let it be…”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Now, of course, if you\u2019re an advanced user or you\u2019re crazy and love to see what will happen if you click this or that, AutoRuns is a great tool for tweaking things. If you\u2019re not computer savvy, just stick with the Logon tab. Or better yet, just use the Windows startup manager. It’s better to be safe than sorry, my grandma always told me. In case you forgot, you can download Autoruns free from here.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Optimizing your Windows start-ups will increase your computer’s performance!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike the first two cleaning tips, optimizing your start-ups will make your computer start up and shut down faster. It may also increase your computer\u2019s performance, since what starts with Windows runs in the background, eating up valuable computer resources.<\/span><\/p>\n

I hope you all enjoyed this article and that every one of you will earn EB\u2019s Seal of Good Housekeeping. <\/span><\/p>\n

She won\u2019t give me one \u2013 she says I\u2019m a slob. Takes one to know one, EB!<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s Time to Do Some Spring Cleaning! It’s springtime around these parts, folks. And I\u2019m not hemisphereocentric (I love making up words) either. I realize some of you live in that hemisphere down south, where the water goes down the drain backward, and where winter is summer and spring is autumn, so this will be autumn cleaning for\u2026 Read More »<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22147,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1678,4353,3948,4221,4299],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31908"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31908"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31908\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31909,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31908\/revisions\/31909"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}