1. Run the cleanup scan

The easiest way to put away with useless files is to scan the hard drive for them and then just delete everything you don't need. For this you can use a built-in Windows disk cleanup tool, but using special additional software will be a more powerful alternative. There are also disk checker tools that scan your disk for bad sectors and fix various system errors.

2. Remove log and cache files

To speed up access to web pages, your Internet browser creates cache files that store information about each page you visit. However, caching can have the reverse effect: while increasing the browsing speed, it slows down your PC. Therefore it's recommended to regularly clean up your browser's cache.
Similar to your browser, programs installed on your PC also create log files to load them faster. And again, it has a negative impact on your PC's performance.
Both cache and log files can be easily removed using special disk cleanup tools.

3. Get rid of unused programs

If you don't use a program, it still consumes a lot of RAM and other resources. In some cases even the program removal does not help much, as some programs tend to leave behind a lot of additional files. To avoid such issues we recommend using only specialized uninstalling software.

4. Remove viruses

Viruses can be harmful not only to your computer's hard drive but also to its health. Some malware programs can even steal your identity. Therefore Antivirus for Windows 7 is a must. Regular scans for viruses make your PC safer and more protected.

5. Perform disk defragmentation

With time large files on your PC's hard drive become fragmented (the system cannot find enough space to store a file as a single item and therefore puts the parts of the file between other files). Therefore it takes the system quite a lot of time to open such files. However, you can defragment such files using specialized defragmenting programs.