Speeding up the laptop

ICIT2LOL · Jun 23, 2023

I have just watched tow videos and one detailed out a program called Tron and in the same video it used CCleaner to clear the clutter.
Now what I want to know is - is the softwares mentioned safe to use or are they just snake oil remedies. I ask because I used CCleaner right through the life of my Windows 7 and found it pretty good but as the folks who produced sold out to I think it was Avast I then found it rather nagging and I have not used it again when the software became rather intrusive for my liking.
So any thoughts on these two softwares please?

neemobeer · Jun 29, 2023

Besides minor performance improvements from tweaks you can't make hardware faster through software. There are some rare cases of web helper software that basically just cache sites you visit frequently to make it appear faster or local preemptive application loading but it's not really faster.

OAT · Jun 29, 2023

neemobeer said:
you can't make hardware faster through software.

Isn't that the truth!
Tough to fight the ongoing myths though.

pparks1 · Jun 29, 2023

Generally apps like CCleaner are just providing a 1 place UI to clean up a bunch of things you can clean up on your own , in multiple places, with built-in Windows tools. Overall, I don't think it's a bad application, but I hesitate to run certain parts like the registry cleaners. I think people get it in their heads that if 10/20 registry keys are left behind from an application uninstall, that it's going to really clutter up the registry and make things terrible on their pc. Imagine if you have a pile of dirt on your floor and you are going to use a shovel to scoop it up and throw it out. Let' say that i come by and add an additional 15 grains of sand to that pile, are you going to notice it when you shovel it up and toss it out. To me, that's what cleaning the registry amounts to.

Best advice I can give....don't install stuff that you want to experiment and play with onto your box in the first place. Run a virtual machine and test it out there. Run it on a spare machine you have lying around at home that you feel comfortable formatting and reinstalling from time to time. Install Windows onto a .vhdx file and play with it on this secondary system. All of these things, keep your original machine clean and running great and thus no need to try these other performance improvement tools.

Snowfan · Jun 29, 2023

My i3 1220P laptop seems twice as fast after upgrading SSD from 256 to 2 terabytes m2 2280 nvme. Also added 16 GB memory and it seems like a brand new super zippy.

ICIT2LOL · Jun 29, 2023

pparks1 said:
Generally apps like CCleaner are just providing a 1 place UI to clean up a bunch of things you can clean up on your own , in multiple places, with built-in Windows tools. Overall, I don't think it's a bad application, but I hesitate to run certain parts like the registry cleaners.

So pparks mate I stopped using the CCleaner quite some time ago because of the connection with Avast and the nagging to get the premium app so is it safe to use again??

TechnoMage2021 · Jul 2, 2023

As a laptop came off of the assembly line, it was FAST! Then as "Software" was added, it began to slow down.
The fastest OS ever, was MS DOS.
The more software you add, the slower it will run. So a secret to making a laptop run at it's optimum speed, is to seriously limit how much software it's running.
On an older laptop, maxing out the ram and installing an SSD, can greatly increase performance. I've done it several times and it really does work. It's still good to minimize what you have running, and what you are storing on the HD.

I can do my own "Tune Up" on the average laptop and effectively Double it's apparent performance. I've done it many times.
But, fail to perform common Maintenance on a timely manner, and that performance will slowly go away.
So, first comes the Tune up, and then the continued Maintenance to have a good running Laptop.

cereberus · Jul 2, 2023

The fastest OS was DOS?

What complete nonsense.

DOS used to run on 4.77 MHZ pcs. A modern pc is a thousand times faster and will run far more sophisticated OSs at zillions of times the speed.

Obviously maximising RAM and faster drives will improve performance to some degree but nothing can overcome a weak CPU.

ICIT2LOL · Jul 2, 2023

cereberus said:
Obviously maximising RAM and faster drives will improve performance to some degree but nothing can overcome a weak CPU.

I agree cereberus mate there seems to be a lot of claims that this and that will speed up a machine I just believe in keeping mine clean of old files etc by regular clear outs. Plus it goes to say that the more you use the machine and the more apps you need it goes before saying it will slow up the machine eh?

WAI · Jul 2, 2023

I no longer use CCleaner bc Microsoft has this built in since 10 within the settings/System/Storage

ICIT2LOL · Jul 2, 2023

WAI said:
I no longer use CCleaner bc Microsoft has this built in since 10 within the settings

Yes mate I gave it away when it was takne over by Avast I think it was because of the nagging ads.

WAI · Jul 2, 2023

ICIT2LOL said:
Yes mate I gave it away when it was takne over by Avast I think it was because of the nagging ads.

That and I don't use any AV besides Defender

Bree · Jul 2, 2023

WAI said:
I no longer use CCleaner bc Microsoft has this built in since 10 within the settings/System/Storage

That's fine as long as your only browser is Edge. Microsoft will not clean out temporary internet files for any 3rd party browsers like Firefox, CCleaner cleans them all. Also, in CCleaner you can whitlist any cookies you need to keep, such as the Eleven Forum login cookie.

WAI · Jul 2, 2023

Bree said:
That's fine as long as your only browser is Edge. Microsoft will not clean out temporary internet files for any 3rd party browsers like Firefox, CCleaner cleans them all. Also, in CCleaner you can whitlist any cookies you need to keep, such as the Eleven Forum login cookie.

View attachment 63894

LOL I use Firefox.. but I do use potable CC

ICIT2LOL · Jul 2, 2023

WAI said:
LOL I use Firefox.. but I do use potable CC

Well Wai I think you are a bit open to all sorts of attack and I would suggest you invest in a good AV suite such ESET which I use on all of my machines. As for a browser I find the Brave browser is very user friendly and has a low profile when it comes to saving resources.

wabbit · Jul 2, 2023

Bree said:
That's fine as long as your only browser is Edge. Microsoft will not clean out temporary internet files for any 3rd party browsers like Firefox, CCleaner cleans them all. Also, in CCleaner you can whitlist any cookies you need to keep, such as the Eleven Forum login cookie.

I use Firefox along with Edge. In Firefox, like Edge, you can whitelist cookies you wish to keep and clear the ones you don't want upon closing the browser. It just has to be set up in each browser. There are only a few cookies I wish to save or whitelist. It's been several years since I've used CCleaner.

glasskuter · Jul 2, 2023

IMO everyone should have some sort of cleanup routine, whether they use a "one stop" app like Ccleaner or manually cleanup temporary files, cache, cookies, empty recycle bin, etc. Yes, much can be cleaned up using tools built into Windows. Personally, I prefer the quick click one button method. I have used CCleaner for over 25 years. It wasn't even called CCleaner back then but was called Crap Cleaner. I do not use any of its advanced tools, just the cleaner. As far as it nagging me, I let it automatically update so the only nags I see are no more than once or twice a month a popup asks me to buy the premium version. I say 'no thanks' and go about my business. It is not intrusive at all.

Cromax · Jul 2, 2023

bleachbit is everything you need and its free

ICIT2LOL · Jul 3, 2023

glasskuter said:
I do not use any of its advanced tools, just the cleaner. As far as it nagging me, I let it automatically update so the only nags I see are no more than once or twice a month a popup asks me to buy the premium version. I say 'no thanks' and go about my business. It is not intrusive at all.

Ok Glasskuter I might give it a try again and there is no financial outlay eh?

Cromax said:
bleachbit is everything you need and its free

Ok mate I have used that when messing around in a Linux distro and I felt it was easy to use but on the same hand it felt very aggressive.

Cromax · Jul 3, 2023

ICIT2LOL said:
Ok Glasskuter I might give it a try again and there is no financial outlay eh?

Ok mate I have used that when messing around in a Linux distro and I felt it was easy to use but on the same hand it felt very aggressive.

if you know what you want to be cleaned its fine