Computers get bogged down with temporary files and other junk that we often don’t have time to clean. This is exactly why automatic cleanups exist, and you should start using them right away.
Benefits of Automatic PC Cleanups
PC cleanups do a lot for your system. For starters, they free up valuable space by removing any temporary files, cache data, and other digital clutter that builds up on your PC over time. These files pile up faster than you think, consisting of Windows update files, browser and app caches, temporary installation files, and system error dumps. They can end upconsuming gigabytes of precious drive storage.
Apart from saving drive space, PC cleanups can also significantly improve your system’s performance and responsiveness. When your storage drive is cluttered with unnecessary files, Windows has to work harder to find and access important files.
This means that regular, automated PC cleanups end up in performance benefits like programs launching faster, Windows booting up quicker, and a more responsive system that doesn’t lag or crash as much. The benefits are more visible on laptops, where you might even gain a battery life boost.
To be clear, automatic PC cleanups aren’t a magical way of extracting more performance out of your system. Instead, they’re a way of maintaining system performance and longevity. This is a part of basic PC maintenance you should regularly perform to keep your system in top shape. It won’t make your PC run any faster than the hardware you have, but it will keep it running longer and without as many issues.
How to Set Up Automatic Cleanups in Windows
Windows has a couple of built-in tools to keep your PC automatically clean and optimized. These include Storage Sense, automatic disk cleanup with Task Scheduler, and some built-in automations that keep Windows lean.
Storage Sense
Storage Sense is the easiest Windows automatic cleanup tool to configure. Just follow these steps:
Once you’re done setting everything up, I recommend clicking theRun Storage Sense nowbutton at the bottom of the screen to start the automatic cleaning cycle instantly.
Automatic Disk Cleanup With Task Scheduler
Storage Sense is convenient to set up, but doesn’t offer you a lot of control over what gets cleaned up. If you don’t mind getting a little technical, you may set up automatic disk cleanup with Windows Task Scheduler:
From this point on, the selected files will automatically be deleted as per your schedule, with no further interaction required.
Built-in Windows Automatic Maintenance
Apart from tools, Windows also runs automatic maintenance on your PC by default. Generally, Windows automatically configures this to run daily at 2 AM on your system, but you’re able to change these settings in the Control Panel:
This tool doesn’t do a lot, but it’s better than nothing, which can make a difference over extended periods. Additionally, it can wake your computer to perform maintenance tasks, then send it back to sleep. So even if you shut down your PC every night, this maintenance still happens.
Other Automatic Cleanup Methods You Can Use
If Windows' built-in tools aren’t cutting it for you, there are third-party alternatives you can use too. These tools often offer more control and flexibility in the cleaning process. Some even provide additional features like software and driver updaters, and show a clearer picture of overall system health, all in one place:
The biggest catch when using third-party programs to automate PC cleanup is that you’ll likely have to pay for a license (except BleachBit) to get the most use out of them. The free versions or trials of these utilities are often quite limited and easily replaced by built-in Windows tools.
Part of ensuring your PC runs at peak performance for as long as possible is good system maintenance, for both of hardware and software. Thankfully, Windows has quite a few options—built-in and third-party—to help fix the problem.
