I’ve been there: sitting in front of the PC, frustrated, waiting for it to boot up or open an application that used to be much faster. It’s a common issue that with time, computers slow down due to accumulated temporary files and installed programs. In this guide, I’ll show you how to use TidyOS to significantly improve your computer’s speed and efficiency, turning a tired machine into a powerhouse.
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TidyOS is a brilliant portable application that doesn’t require any installation. It allows you to review and toggle many system settings to optimize Windows, all from a single, easy-to-use panel. It’s like decluttering a messy shelf to find what you need more efficiently.
We’ll also tackle privacy, as system updates can sometimes activate settings that make our digital life a little less private. TidyOS helps you regain full control over your data by managing those privacy-eating options scattered throughout the system.
🛡️ First Step: Create a System Restore Point
Before making any changes with TidyOS, it’s crucial to create a safety net. I always make a restore point just in case a modification causes instability. This simple step allows you to revert your computer to a previous state if anything goes wrong.
Here’s how I do it:
- In the Windows search bar, I type “Create a restore point” and open the System Properties panel.
- I make sure protection is enabled for my system drive (usually C:). If it’s off, I select the drive, click “Configure,” and turn on system protection.
- Finally, I click the “Create” button, give the restore point a descriptive name like “Before TidyOS optimization,” and complete the process. For more details on Windows recovery, you might find this guide on creating a recovery drive useful.
🚀 Optimizing Performance and Privacy
With our safety net in place, it’s time to optimize. TidyOS is divided into sections, but we’ll focus on Customizing and Debloating. In the ‘Customizing’ section, under the ‘Ads’ subsection, I recommend disabling all advertising options to clean up the user experience. This includes things like ads in File Explorer, on the lock screen, and personalized ads based on your advertising ID.
For gamers, the ‘Gaming’ subsection has valuable tweaks. I suggest disabling Game DVR, which records gameplay in the background, and Power Throttling, which can limit CPU performance to save energy. Disabling these can free up resources and ensure your CPU is always running at maximum speed.
Privacy is another key area. In the ‘Privacy’ section, I always turn off telemetry data collection and disable activity history to prevent Windows from recording my app usage, files opened, and websites visited. You can get more tips on securing your system in this guide to Windows 11 privacy settings.
🧹 Debloating Windows for a Lighter System
Bloatware, the preinstalled software you never use, can significantly slow down your PC. The ‘Debloating’ section in TidyOS is perfect for this. It provides a list of non-essential Microsoft apps that you can safely remove.
From my experience, apps like Bing Weather, GetHelp, Microsoft 3D Viewer, and the Solitaire Collection can all be uninstalled without any risk. I also recommend removing YourPhone if you don’t use it to link your computer and smartphone.
After using TidyOS, I always perform a final disk cleanup by typing “Disk Cleanup” in the search bar, selecting the system drive, and deleting all temporary files. This ensures the system is as clean and efficient as possible.
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