New user-System Maintenance questions

Lou · Feb 12, 2022

re: WIN11 HOME Version 21H2

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

I'm real new to a modern OS having just retired my VERY old XP rig.
I've a simple question regarding system maintenance to ensure a healthy, properly running PC, over long term use.
I've included an attachment that details what I think I need to do monthly to ensure this can occur.
This is in addition to the automated maintenance Windows preforms.
My question is as follows--
Is what I've listed OK or am I over doing things or omitting something.
FWIW- My new PC is several weeks old, I log in with a LOCAL ACCOUNT, have disabled SEARCH INDEXING, ONEDRIVE and deleted WIDGETS
I've done a BUNCH of reading here and other sites. Still learning....
Sorry, in advance, for my simplistic inquiry.
Thanks-
LOU

Ghot · Feb 12, 2022

Hello Lou, welcome to Eleven Forum.

Your list looks pretty good. The only thing I would change is... use 3rd party backup software, like Macrium Reflect.
Microsoft is slowly, killing off Windows backup.

Macrium Reflect | Free 30-Day Trial

Macrium Reflect - Incredibly powerful software that allows you to create and schedule effective backups

www.macrium.com

Quickie Macrium guide...

Macrium Reflect User Guide...

https://updates.macrium.com/reflect/v8/user_guide/macrium_reflect_v8.0_user_guide.pdf

Macrium Notes:
1. A full OS image backup will be approx. 1/2 the size of the total "used space" on the C:\ drive.
2. Backing up takes about 60 seconds for every 20GB of "used space" on the C:\ drive.

Full tutorial...

Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect

How to Create and Restore a System Image Backup with Macrium Reflect

www.tenforums.com

Ghot · Feb 12, 2022

P.S. Well made thread and 1st post. And good job with the computer specs.

Also...

Windows 11 Tweaks - Leader Board.

These are tweaks I've seen asked for... many times. They are collected here for easy access. All of these and more can be found in the Eleven Forum Tutorials Make sure to read the "notes" in the various tutorials. App Removals Completely remove Recall...

www.elevenforum.com

Bree · Feb 12, 2022

Lou said:
This is in addition to the automated maintenance Windows preforms.
My question is as follows--
Is what I've listed OK or am I over doing things or omitting something.

Welcome to Eleven Forum.

Your...

8. DEFRAG D:(SATA Drive) Note- indexing OFF for both drives
TRIM C: (SSD)
Settings. Storage, Advanced storage settings, Drive Optimization

...is done as part of the automatic maintenance if you leave Scheduled optimisation turned on (which it is by default).

12. CLEAR EVENT LOGS

I never clear event logs. You never know when you may need to refer to them should you have problems, and an empty event log isn't going to be much help in debugging issues. Event logs will never grow too large. They have a fixed maximum size and the default is that they will overwrite the oldest events when they reach it.

13. SFC /SCANNOW
From RUN prompt: CMD CTRL/SHIFT/ENTER (to get into ADMIN mode)
AND
Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

DISM's StartComponentCleanup only needs to be run if SFC /ScanNow finds errors it cannot fix, so most times you can skip that.

I second Ghot's recommendation to make regular system images. I use Macrium Reflect to make monthly full images of all my machines.

Lou · Feb 12, 2022

THANKS for the input!
Will be looking at that 3rd party BACK-UP solution....

zbook · Feb 12, 2022

These are Microsoft suggested steps to improve performance in Windows 11:

Tips to improve PC performance in Windows - Microsoft Support

Learn how to improve Windows PC performance if your device is running slowly.

support.microsoft.com

On a routine basis I'd run on Windows 8, 10 or 11:
Tuneup_plus_log.bat ─ Click here to go to the BSOD batch repository to download and run this batch file.

https://www.tenforums.com/attachments/bsod-crashes-debugging/359284d1644394465-batch-files-use-bsod-debugging-tuneup_plus_log.bat

https://www.tenforums.com/attachments/bsod-crashes-debugging/359059d1644158079-batch-files-use-bsod-debugging-tuneup_plus_log.zip

There was a January 2022 Dell BIOS release > check to see if the BIOS is up to date

Dell XPS 8940 System BIOS | Driver Details | Dell US

www.dell.com

Code:

Fixes & Enhancements
- Firmware updates to address the Intel Security Advisory INTEL-SA-00527 (CVE-2021-0091, CVE-2021-0107, CVE-2021-0103, CVE-2021-0111, CVE-2021-0114, CVE-2021-0115, CVE-2021-0116, CVE-2021-0117, CVE-2021-0118, CVE-2021-0119, CVE-2021-0124, CVE-2021-0125, CVE-2021-0156).
- Firmware updates to address the Intel Security Advisory INTEL-SA-00532 (CVE-2021-0127).
- Firmware updates to address security vulnerabilities.
- Firmware updates to address the Intel Security Advisory INTEL-SA-00561 (CVE-2021-0145).

Ghot · Feb 12, 2022

Lou said:
THANKS for the input!
Will be looking at that 3rd party BACK-UP solution....

Most of us on these forums, use Macrium, so you can always get assistance.

If you Google around a bit, you will see that Microsoft themselves, recommend a 3rd party backup solution.
Windows Backup and Restore is no longer being maintained by Microsoft.

Lou · Feb 12, 2022

"...is done as part of the automatic maintenance if you leave Scheduled optimisation turned on (which it is by default)."
It seems I'm blind and a bit slow---
How do I verify this-I can't seem to locate this setting
PS- I haven't "touched" any settings of this sort

Lou · Feb 12, 2022

Never mind---FOUND it! and it's ON
Like I said-- I'm a bit SLOOOOOW at times!
PS- I've the latest BIOS installed

Bree · Feb 12, 2022

Lou said:
"...is done as part of the automatic maintenance if you leave Scheduled optimisation turned on (which it is by default)."
It seems I'm blind and a bit slow---
How do I verify this-I can't seem to locate this setting
PS- I haven't "touched" any settings of this sort

In this forum you can quote from another post by highlighting the text you want to reply to, then clicking 'quote' that appears beneath it. When you quote someone they will get a notification, so it helps alert them to your reply.

Shucks, and I had just taken a screenshot to show you where to look :wink:

Lou · Feb 12, 2022

Thank-you!

bobkn · Feb 12, 2022

zbook said:
These are Microsoft suggested steps to improve performance in Windows 11:

Tips to improve PC performance in Windows - Microsoft Support

Learn how to improve Windows PC performance if your device is running slowly.

support.microsoft.com

(snip)

Readyboost is on the list? I thought that had been retired a few OSes ago.

It's aimed at systems with limited RAM. Readyboost was intended to augment RAM in a way that is faster than virtual memory, back when VM was done using a spinning hard disk. A USB flash drive may not be fast, but at least it is random access.

I doubt that anyone uses it anymore. especially with 16GB of RAM, plus an SSD.

NavyLCDR · Feb 12, 2022

Wow. And to think I just do a Macrium Reflect backup image. After every major update (like every 6 months) I run a dism cleanup-image command and the command prompt command to do disk cleanup. My computers just run, they don't have any problems. Am I really supposed to be doing all that maintenance monthly?!?

zbook · Feb 12, 2022

It's good to know alternative or backup options when Macrium is problematic.

At times there are threads in which the opening poster reported problems restoring Macrium images (VSS errors)
For example: file:///C:/Users/a/Downloads/KNOW-TroubleshootingMicrosoftVSSerrors-130222-0359-35069.pdf

AdvancedSetup · Feb 13, 2022

Most maintenance is already automated and setup via scheduled tasks that Microsoft has built-in

Maybe add a new scheduled task to run a CHKDSK C: /F about once a month. It can fix minor issues before they become a booting issue.

Set up some type of non-Microsoft Backup. As said already Macrium Reflect Free is probably one of the best free solutions.

Try3 · Feb 13, 2022

Ghot said:
Most

Sorry but you have no evidence for using the word "most". "Many" would have been fine.

All the best,
Denis

Ghot · Feb 13, 2022

Try3 said:
Sorry but you have no evidence for using the word "most". "Many" would have been fine.

All the best,
Denis

Well, I had the choice of: all, nearly all, most, many, a lot.
So I chose: most ...cause it was in the middle. :)

AdvancedSetup · Feb 13, 2022

I'm sorry I didn't realize opinions were under the guise of scientific scrutiny here.

NavyLCDR · Feb 13, 2022

Ghot said:
Well, I had the choice of: all, nearly all, most, many, a lot.
So I chose: most ...cause it was in the middle. :)

A couple, a gaggle, at least three. "Up to a million" would be a good government answer! Up to a million members of this forum use Macrium Reflect Free - yeah that would be it! That way if even it is only 1 user using it, it is still a correct statement.

Ghot · Feb 13, 2022

NavyLCDR said:
A couple, a gaggle, at least three. "Up to a million" would be a good government answer! Up to a million members of this forum use Macrium Reflect Free - yeah that would be it! That way if even it is only 1 user using it, it is still a correct statement.

I'm still going with... most.