Cleaning an older PC
Cleaning an older PC
BFG-9000... is anyone else using a different cleaning tool besides CCleaner?
Is CCleaner considered a solid choice for clearing up older PCs?
Perhaps I should give it another shot, though the fact that it was purchased by Norton makes me feel uneasy—I wonder if they might try to hide an antivirus installation.
Well, that would be nice, but please be aware these are old PCs from my parents, grandparents, siblings—and my wife's family. If I did a full reset, I’d really risk opening up some trouble and headaches. They don’t remember old passwords or where they stored their software. So it’s not like me or you cleaning your own machine and knowing exactly what you want there, remembering all those old passwords... a fresh start would honestly scare me about the time and effort involved.
I think using something like CCleaner (or another tool) and giving them as few instructions as possible is the best approach. Even if I did a full reset on more than ten machines, the issue would likely return within a year or two.
You should not have untrained users with the power to install anything. Their machines are theirs, and I can’t really set strict rules like this. I could make some demands or an ultimatum, but honestly, I’m trying to be helpful and support them, even though I’m getting tired of it and want them to learn on their own.
I mean essentially enforcing a password for any installation. If these are admin accounts, anything can install with full authority. I’d configure them as regular users and set UAC to medium. Explain the pop-ups simply – if they appear without you trying to install something, contact me right away.
I’m also willing to share my experience: I faced a similar problem with my mother’s older laptop. It slowed down tasks and made updates difficult. Buying her a new W11 helped a lot.
I hope you’re doing well with this situation, as it can be quite frustrating.
It would be useful to understand the precise specifications of the machines. This ensures they are fully utilized. If they play a lot, it will wear down the drives faster. The best way to prevent this is by following these steps:
1. One drive is reserved for the operating system.
2. Another drive is dedicated solely to gaming.
This helps because it reduces the number of writes on the main drive, keeping it healthier.
Use tools like Crystal Disk Info: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/xp8k4r...n-gb&gl=US to monitor drive health.