In the guide that follows we will show you the most effective solutions for avoid problems on Windows with a global discourse that does not concern specific automatic tools but general support considerations that apply in every area.
READ ALSO -> How to restore Windows with fresh installation without losing personal data
1) Regular Windows Maintenance
Windows maintenance is essential to avoid system blockages and instability. On Windows 11 and Windows 10, maintenance is performed automatically every time the PC is turned on and unused, as also seen in the guide to scheduled and automatic maintenance).
If we want to perform manual maintenance, all we have to do is open the Start menu, type Maintenance and open the entry Perform recommended maintenance tasks automatically. In the window that appears, click on Forward and we follow all the instructions to be able to carry out a complete maintenance of the operating system.
Alternatively, we can schedule system maintenance at a specific time by opening the Start menu, looking for the Control panel and taking us on the path Control Panel System and Security Security and Maintenance. In the new window we expand the entry Maintenance and press on Change maintenance settings.
2) Maximum attention to programs and connected devices
The number of programs installed or the number of hardware devices that have been plugged in can cause problems on your computer. This means that, not only should you not install anything suggested by friends or dubious sites but, above all, it is not advisable to abuse with USB components.
In fact, if a program can be easily uninstalled, a hardware component leaves traces (in the form of drivers) that are not easily recognizable and removable, as also seen in the guide on how remove outdated drivers and unused devices.
If the program contains adware or additional advertising components, the slowdown of the computer is assured. In this case we can restore the speed of the system by starting the programs that clean adware and spyware from your computer.
In another article I recommended removing pre-installed programs on new PCs, trial or trial versions. It is also important not to install duplicate programs, i.e. those that do the same things as others already present on Windows, as seen in the guide to programs that should never be installed on your computer.
3) Install only certified drivers
Another thing we have to pay close attention to are the drivers: if they are not certified they can lead to frequent freezes and restarts of the computer and it is very difficult to identify the driver that is causing the problem. When buying a new device we check if there is a certified driver on Windows Update, without installing all the programs included in the supplied CD and without the need for external management programs.
The only drivers that should be downloaded from the Internet are the video card driver or i printer driver, as they often require updated drivers from the parent company to function properly.
4) Review the blue error screens
The latest versions of Windows hardly ever freeze at all, unless the power goes out during a major update or reboot after installing a driver. As seen in the article on Windows crashes and blue screens, problems are almost always caused from something outside of Windows, like external programs that act on peripherals, updates and driver.
It is not uncommon for a Windows problem to be due to poorly written software or poorly developed or incompatible hardware drivers. The most common problems within Windows are caused, in order, by:
- Old, outdated, or poorly designed device drivers
- Programs with errors in them
- Old and out-of-date security software
- BIOS corruption
Without getting into BIOS corruption (very difficult these days), the other types of errors can easily be avoided by installing only certified drivers and downloading the programs we need from the Microsoft Store, a true benchmark on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
5) Avoid the domino effect
Some problems can cause what is called a Domino effect, in which an event triggers a series of other events causing the situation to precipitate. For this reason it is always advisable to diagnose and repair problems as soon as possible as soon as they occur, especially if it happens several times in a short period of time (2 or 3 days).
An uncontrolled error can lead to others because processes, services and drivers are often shared by multiple applications or Windows components. If we let errors pile up on errors, at some point Windows will be so corrupted and damaged that it needs a system restore from external disk to get back to work.
6) Avoid internet connection errors
The main reasons why a computer no longer connects to the internet they are numerous and we have listed them in another article.
There are common errors such as 619, error 800 and many others that can be solved automatically as written in the article on limited or absent connectivity.
7) Avoid errors on system files
To correct the error for which Windows cannot find a specific file we can try restoring all system files with the internal tool System File Checker (SFC). To use it we open the Start menu, look for the command prompt, right click on it and press on Open as administrator.
In the window that opens, type the command:
sfc /scannow
This command will start scanning and restoring or replacing corrupt or lost system files. On older versions of Windows it was necessary to have the installation CD handy, but on Windows 11 and Windows 10 the installation files are present on the computer and can be used to restore corrupt system files.
8) Recovery after continuous reboots
If the computer begins to reboot continuously we don’t have to worry: on Windows 11 and Windows 10 the third forced restart will start the recovery console by itself, where you can both use a restore point and restore the system settings.
Also from the recovery console we can also access the Safe mode and proceed to system restore.
To learn more, we can also read our guide on how enter Safe Mode on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
9) Investigate high CPU and RAM consumption
When the computer slows down even if you are not doing anything and you don’t have any programs or windows open, you should understand what’s going on. With Activity management (right click on the Start menu) we can check which process is consuming CPU, with other programs it is possible to check in more detail what the computer is doing.
Important, if the CPU is used by the svchost.exe process, understand what lies behind it and, if possible, disable the services responsible for slowdowns.
10) Defragmentation and TRIM of the disks
The last thing we can do to avoid blockages and problems on Windows is to always keep the system disk tidy and fast, be it an old mechanical disk or a latest generation SSD.
On old records we have to use defragmentation at regular intervals, while on SSD disks it is necessary to run the TRIM command, which frees unused cells and restores maximum speed.
If the computer is too slow with the mechanical disk it is better to immediately evaluate the replacement with an SSD, keeping both personal files and programs already installed.
Conclusions
Windows can at any time let us down due to an unexpected error, but we can minimize this risk by performing regular system maintenance and avoiding the scenarios proposed above, as they all significantly increase the risk of freezes and problems on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Also the reasons why Windows is slow have been reviewed in several articles:
- Optimize Windows and make it go faster
- make your computer turn on faster
- Clean the pc, registry keys and defragment the disk
To learn more, we can also read our guide to free fixes to the usual PC errors.