Happy New Year! Here are Some Ways to Clean Up
Happy New Year! I hope you don't have a several days hangover, that you got everything you wanted for the holidays, and that you don't currently have a huge credit card bill coming in a month that you are dreading. This being a new year, I have resolutions, like almost everyone. Instead of sharing that, in keeping with a previous article I posted, I believe that an important thing to do at the beginning of the year is cleaning up. Make everything easier to find. A purge!
I just rebuilt my PC, as stated a few weeks ago. It was so simple it kind of amazed me. I will post a more detailed post on that, but for now, I have a PC with a fresh install of Windows 10. This is what led me to writing this post. Here are a few ways to "clean up and speed up" the things you use the most and give you a little boost:
Fresh install of your PC operating system
Yes! A PC is like our bodies with weight gain: you don't really notice it until you are cursing yourself, thinking and swearing you could do more, that you were faster, more efficient. And you're right, you were! You could! It's the same with your PC. It is why a fresh install on an Intel i3 could outrun a three year old install on an Intel i7. Depending on how long it's been since you've started your current build, is how much of a pain in the ass it will be to reinstall. Here are some tips on the process(some of these won't be overly detailed, as it would take too long):
Back up your files on an external hard drive. By this, I mean just things like pictures, documents, music, videos, etc. Not apps or programs. Those you should re-install. It takes time, but because it takes time, you will figure out what you really need to keep, and what you can live without.
If you have a branded Windows PC, like a Dell or HP, your system has a System Restore feature. This restores your PC to the same state as it was when you booted it up the very first time. Once you back up your files, run your System Restore, then transfer your files back. Reference your manual for instructions on System Restore.
If you built your PC yourself...you should already know how to re-install. If not, go to the Windows web site, download the Windows Media Creation tool, and install it on a USB Flash Drive with at least 8GB. Re-build.
Fresh install of your Smart Phone OS
Deja Vu. Indeed, the same applies to your Smart Phone, probably more so. I vehemently believe that you should NEVER run your phone for more than one year without a fresh install. Phones are even worse than PCs. If you don't keep your phone OS fresh, your phone not only slows down, your battery life also takes a hit. Don't fall for the ploy of needing to upgrade because "you need to". If you do a fresh install on your phone and it's STILL slow, then it might be time to upgrade. Reference your manufacturer website/manual for instructions on this. For photo back-ups, I heavily recommend Google Photos. It will back up all your pictures, and you have at least 2GB of free storage.
Delete games on Xbox, PlayStation 4, Switch
Yeah...this is a thing. While a performance hit may not be very apparent, I'm certain there is some detriment that to your experience by having your console hard drive almost to capacity. Especially since certain games grow like a tick over time. Halo 5, Destiny, Battlefield 1, the list goes on. You won't even realize it, then one day, you see that you don't have enough room for a new game. Halo 5 was more than 60GB I believe at some point. Keep an eye on that. Especially on the Switch, with it's limited ass storage.
Clean out your email inboxes
This is one I'm guilty of. God knows how bad it would be without Gmail's filters. I understand though. The one time you delete an email, is when you end up needing it a few months down the line. People like me need baby steps. Start from the back. I did this recently, and I had emails from 2004...yeah...also, did you know emails count towards your entire Google online storage? Odds are, if it's more than four years old, you probably don't need it...unless it's related to your taxes. Do a search for taxes before you start purging.
If you think of any others, please email me. I wish you all a happy, new, and successful new year. I really feel that now that I have my Desktop PC built, I will be a better resource to all of you.
Get boning!
