It’s good to give your PC a fresh start
Q. I used the Avast Anti-virus program to protect my PC. It is suggesting that I delete a number of things to free up disk space. Can they be deleted without consequence to how my computer functions? It also told me to remove broken registry items to optimize system registry. Is this safe?
A. Programs like this generally look at temp files and registry items that may be left over from system updates or programs that you have installed or removed during the course of using your PC.
Generally speaking, there is usually no harm in taking this advice and going ahead and letting it do the cleanup.
You may or may not notice any change in the performance of your computer. But if you do, it will likely be a positive change rather than a negative change.
Windows is historically very bad at cleaning up after itself. When you install and uninstall applications, many files and registry entries are orphaned on your PC. I call this computer plaque.
A buildup of this kind of thing can have a negative impact on your computer’s performance and can cause the system to slow down over time.
In my experience, though, registry cleaners are generally not much help.
If your computer has started to slow down considerably over the years, the best option is to consider backing up your files and reinstalling the operating system and then installing your applications.
A fresh install of everything, while not necessarily convenient, can breathe new life into an aging computer and may allow you to postpone purchasing new hardware for a while.