Maintenance

Tasmania Green · Jan 28, 2025

I recently built my first pc. Any suggestions on how to perform routine maintenance on Windows 11 and my SSD?

bobkn · Jan 28, 2025

Not really.

SSDs may benefit from Trim. The default is to do that weekly.

Aside from that, checking Windows update occasionally and updating the drivers are something I do. I do it manually, rather than using a third party utility.

FreeBooter · Jan 28, 2025

Using these simple methods, you can bring down the number of times Windows accesses your SSD and as such your SSD will last much longer.

Tasmania Green · Jan 28, 2025

Thanks. I like to update Windows manually as well. And I'll review the video on SSD's. What about the internal workings of Windows? Kernals, registry, permissions, etc.? My knowledge of those is very limited, but would't those need to be analysed and corrected once in a while?

dacrone · Jan 28, 2025

you can run sfc scannow anytime. dism health checks. optimize drive (defrag for ssd)

Ghot · Jan 28, 2025

Tasmania Green said:
Thanks. I like to update Windows manually as well. And I'll review the video on SSD's. What about the internal workings of Windows? Kernals, registry, permissions, etc.? My knowledge of those is very limited, but would't those need to be analysed and corrected once in a while?

Use 3rd party backup software...

Macrium Reflect, AOMEI Backupper and Hasleo Backup Suite - GUIDES

How to use backup software... 1. When everything is working perfectly... make a full Windows backup. 2. Then, if something breaks... restore from the latest backup. 3. Then... try "whatever you were doing" a different way. If it still breaks Windows, then... go to step #2. 4. Repeat...

www.elevenforum.com

A lot of people-
-waste a bunch of time with “fighting.”
I try to skip that and go straight to
the “winning.”

bobkn · Jan 28, 2025

Tasmania Green said:
Thanks. I like to update Windows manually as well. And I'll review the video on SSD's. What about the internal workings of Windows? Kernals, registry, permissions, etc.? My knowledge of those is very limited, but would't those need to be analysed and corrected once in a while?

Nah.

I don't bother with trying to minimize SSD writes. I assume that the SSD will be obsolete long before I've consumed much of its write endurance.

I occasionally run the Registry cleaner tools in the free version of CCleaner, but many will tell you that is worse than useless. (I've never had it give me a problem, which would require restoration of the keys it removed.)

Running Disk Cleaner and the cleaner in CCleaner from time to time is also something I do. The downside is that I have to re-entre passwords for some Web sites.

I image C: at odd intervals, onto an 18TB HDD. I should copy those images onto an external drive more often than I do.

Fishmill · Jan 28, 2025

There's a setting in Window Update advanced settings where you can delay Windows Updates for 35 days. I use it to have greater control when the updates happen.

I set that to the most distant date possible. Today that would be around March 3.

Then circa March 1 (before March 3 for sure), I would make a new Macrium system image of all partitions on my boot drive.

After the Macrium image completes, I go to Windows Update and do a manual full update and then reboot a couple of times after the Update completes. If the Update has a bad outcome, I can restore the image I made a few minutes earlier.

Then I would reset the Update delay setting again to the most distant date possible, which would be around April 4 if I updated around March 1.

The only other thing I do regularly is Disk Cleanup including system files on C.

I occasionally run sfc /scannow and DISM commands...only when I think of it unless I am having problems.

I haven't done a clean install in 9 years.

I gave up on CCleaner and registry cleaners generally after deciding they had little to no point other than relieving obsessive/compulsive tendencies.

Tasmania Green · Jan 28, 2025

All of what you guys have said makes sense. My last dealings with computer storage was when hard disk drives were the norm and one had to do such things as defragment the drive. Yep. It's been a while. lol.

Tasmania Green · Jan 28, 2025

I remember hearing that Windows can create restore points. I found a YouTube video showing how to do that. But how reliable are restore points?

Fishmill · Jan 28, 2025

Tasmania Green said:
I remember hearing that Windows can create restore points. I found a YouTube video showing how to do that. But how reliable are restore points?

On Windows 7, I ran system restore fairly often....maybe 10 times a year. It was my first response whenever I got in a jam I couldn't quickly get out of. Usually software related.

It was quite helpful and usually resolved the issue. But it's short of an image restore. System Restore never caused any harm, but you have to be aware of its limitations.

Perhaps 1 time in 10, it failed to run to completion. I'd get an error message to that effect and would then have to use other methods of getting out of the jam. Typically a Macrium restore.

But...on Window 10, I just get in fewer jams, so I very rarely feel the need to run it. Probably less than once a year. It seems to be as effective as before, just a lot less necessary. Not sure why that is, maybe the improvement of Windows 10 over Windows 7. I just have fewer issues on 10.

I've used Macrium image restore perhaps once a year.

Winuser · Jan 28, 2025

bobkn said:
I occasionally run the Registry cleaner tools in the free version of CCleaner, but many will tell you that is worse than useless. (I've never had it give me a problem, which would require restoration of the keys it removed.)

I haven't used a Reg cleaner in years. When I did, I always took the time to read what was suggested to delete. I only deleted entries for programs that I knew for sure I had uninstalled. Just like you, I never had a problem. Now I use Revo Uninstaller when I want to uninstall a program.

Winuser · Jan 28, 2025

Tasmania Green said:
I remember hearing that Windows can create restore points. I found a YouTube video showing how to do that. But how reliable are restore points?

I've had more failures than success using System Restore. I turned it off on all of my computers. I use image backup programs instead.

Scannerman · Jan 28, 2025

System Restore works well for me but I make many restore points. Sadly, I often delete many restore points and sometimes for some reason it is done inadvertently and lo, and behold, I have ZERO restore points! That said it has worked for me more often than it has failed. Definitely not to be used as a backup replacement. Good to have in the event that it works.

bobkn · Jan 28, 2025

Tasmania Green said:
I remember hearing that Windows can create restore points. I found a YouTube video showing how to do that. But how reliable are restore points?

I wouldn't know.

I disable them, and rely on imaging C:.

One thing I neglected to mention: occasionally running the Windows system file checker (sfc /scannow) in a command line window with admin privileges. I'm not sure that it's useful, but receiving a result that no corrupted system files were found gives me a warm feeling. I have seen it do repairs after a Windows update, and have (rarely) needed to run DISM to permit SFC to do the repair.

pparks1 · Jan 28, 2025

I don't do anything special. I do tend to test most things that I'm experimenting with in a VM, hence the crap doesn't end up on my PC and thus require uninstalls and cleanups.

I take no extra precautions with my SSD's. My original 80GB Intel SSD from 2009/2010 still works, but it's 80GB and too small to really be of any use anymore, so it doesn't get used.

Tasmania Green · Jan 30, 2025

Thanks guys

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