Solved I tried this free Microsoft cleanup tool to see if it'd speed up my Windows PC - here's the result

• PC Manager scans Windows for clutter, startup issues, and system settings.
• The tool bundles cleanup, performance checks, and utilities in one app.
• Microsoft positions PC Manager as a built-in alternative to third-party tools.

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Available for Windows 11 and 10, the free PC Manager has been around since 2022 but has largely flown under the radar, as Microsoft has not done much to promote it. But based on its product page, the tool offers a variety of fixes to apply if Windows is not running up to snuff.

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I have and regularly use this tool. I'm not sure about it making my computer run like new, but it does clean up clutter with a click.

I am not sure if it is that one, but I have also used a similar tool. I didn't notice any improvement in performance. Maybe a very little faster, but not a big difference. Another similar tool is CCleaner. Have also used it on other computers, again just for cleaning junk and fixing Registry errors. I didn't notice any improvement in performance. These tools are really speeding up the computer if it is a total mess and removing junk and fixing Registry errors does indeed makes it faster. Otherwise is it just placebo. Not real benefit in performance.

It looks to me like CCleaner and REVO combined.
And unlike CCleaner and REVO, PC Manager will put MS's desires first.

I'll stick with my 3rd party solutions.

Also to make any PC faster:

1) Make sure you install the official chipset and graphics drivers. It makes a huge difference in performance compared to Windows Update core-functionality drivers. You also have access to nVidia/AMD control panel to further tweak performance. Windows Update doesn't install the Control Panel, in fact ir removes it if you let Windows Update replace your official drivers!

2) Disable all useless startup applications and non-Microsoft services, such as Google Update and other updaters/reminders. Disable browsers and other apps running at startup and drain resources. You can manually launch them any time you need them.

3) If you have an older computer disable all visual effects (transparency, animations, fades), leave only the theme and shadows under the cursor and text. It is a great performance boost, especially for onboard graphics.

I just use Disk clean [aka Clean disk, CleanMgr].
Disk Cleanup - ElevenForumTutorials

Some years ago, somebody ran some comparative tests of the effects of CleanMgr & third-party Registry "cleaners" and found that CleanMgr achieved just as much as the others did.
See Fred Langa's results [Table 3] comparing speed of booting improvements from use of Disk cleanup & two popular third-party tools - Putting Registry/system cleanup apps to the test - Fred Langa (WebArchive)
- Fred's results indicate that CleanMgr does the job as effectively as third party tools [which also indicates that the slower responses, that make people turn to these tools, are caused by temp files].
You might also like to see MS's statements on the subject -
Microsoft support policy for the use of registry cleaning utilities KB2563254
Are registry cleaners necessary - MS (WebArchive)


All the best,
Denis

spapakons said:

Also to make any PC faster:

1) Make sure you install the official chipset and graphics drivers. It makes a huge difference in performance compared to Windows Update core-functionality drivers. You also have access to nVidia/AMD control panel to further tweak performance. Windows Update doesn't install the Control Panel, in fact ir removes it if you let Windows Update replace your official drivers!

2) Disable all useless startup applications and non-Microsoft services, such as Google Update and other updaters/reminders. Disable browsers and other apps running at startup and drain resources. You can manually launch them any time you need them.

3) If you have an older computer disable all visual effects (transparency, animations, fades), leave only the theme and shadows under the cursor and text. It is a great performance boost, especially for onboard graphics.

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That's probably the best thing you can do, a check to see what is running in the background that don't need to run every time you start the PC/Lappy.

It's amazing when you get a new PC how many programs launch automatically, programs that don't need to be running, unless you actually use them all the time. If you don't, then you can delete them from start up & manually launch them when needed.

I use 3rd party cleaners, mostly CCleaner, Wise Disk Cleaner & Revo for when I do an uninstall to make sure to delete all the reg entries of proggies no longer needed. I haven't tried this tool yet, but despite claims made by most programs, it won't make your PC much much faster like they claim.

I remember the early days of the internet there were a slew of proggies that claimed to "speed up your internet speeds," to faster the 56K. You can guess how those worked out.

And yes, being it's a MS program, I am wary of what it might do as @Ghot mentioned.

I remember some friend using a utility that combined two 56K modems together to connect at 112K speed! It worked, but you then had to pay for two landlines, not very smart... Also 56K was in fact about 40K. Only ISDN 64K and higher was close to the nominal speed. PSTN modems never reached the maximum due to many factors.

For an even faster PC run an older version of Windows, such as Windows XP or even Windows 98! Just kidding... However, assuming that with some magic way Windows 98 could run on modern hardware and had an updated antivirus, it would be lighting fast. For a comparison download Android-x86 ISO, create a bootable USB and boot to try it without installation. Since it is intended for mobile devices that generally have much weaker hardware than an average PC, it feels like you have a super computer! The performance in games is amazing, provided of course the GPU runs natively with hardware acceleration, not in VESA mode (without acceleration).

Tried it several times, nothing special features wise - just another tool which offers quick access to integrated Windows settings. On the other hand, and this is quite ironic (taking into account - it's also meant to clean left behind junk and such) - it's a real mess in the way it updates (leaving the past version behind - instead of replacing it with the new version) - in case you intend to remove it in the future (leaves so many traces - so many past installers behind). Only with PowerShell and multiple cleaning commands which remove orphan files - can remove its junk safety. Revo Uninstaller (or any other - for that matter) - will only uninstall/remove the last installed version.

Another "drawback" of these utilities is that they run in the background themselves spending resources. Not big deal, but you use them to free resources and speed up the computer.

Tried it once or twice, but then i was like i can handle the cleanup of Windows files myself, and didn't really need it installed, so uninstalled it. But probably have traces of it still left, as i'm sure it updated a few times in the time i was checking it out.

Well i'll fix that with a system cleanup clean install after June 2026, and system will be all good then

Meanwhile system is running very stable wise, and no need to rush a clean install as yet