Hello (again) advice need (again). My computer is running slow and I’ve taken a look at Programs and Features from the Control Panel and strangely it has updated while I’ve been away with Chrome and Adobe Acrobat Reader plus a Backup and Sync from Google and a Google Drive, which it wants me to sign into. Do I actually need these things? Or can I delete the lot?
I do not have anything to do with Google and even selectively adjust cookies for You Tube, which is all part of Google, so I’m the wrong one to advise you about that side of your question.
Now as to your computer’s slowness, do you regularly clean it up and also delete all of the Windoze update footprints? Over time, all those updates will add to the data held on your hard drive and slow your progress down. I like to keep all of my PCs as fast as possible by deleting everything not essential for my progress around the www.
Windows gets slower as (a) more programs (aps) are started up and are running (often uselessly) in the background, and (b) if your hard drive is getting filled up.
I, usually, look at start up programs first as we don’t always get told when they get put on the pc or when they they are running, in the background, and using up precious resources.
(You can often see some of these as the programs running in the background often show in the bottom right of your screen - each of the icons shows something running, something running uses all the bits of your PC.)
There is some guidance, on how to clear this up, here:-
How to Disable Startup Programs in Windows (howtogeek.com)
Bear in mind that, most of them, are unnecessary. Turn some (or all) of them off as it says in the link, and turn back on if you don’t see any improvement.
Hope this helps
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@Tedc has given some good advice.
As long as you back up your data elsewhere there is no need for Google’s backup & sync onto their Drive (cloud), and backing up can slow a system down too so if you don’t rely upon it for backup then yes you’re quite safe to get rid.
Google are becomming increasingly insistent about accounts to use even common things like Google search in web browsers, but there are ways to restrict their data harvesting with lots of instructions available on how to do that on the web.
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Thank Tedc and others for your replies. I’m just beginning a look. I got Windows 8.1 and Task Manager shows which programmes open on startup and which have a high impact - those include CCleaner (which I use from time to time); and iTunes helper (which I use rarely). The programmes shown as “not measured” are HP Coolsense; Java Update scheduler; and an Epsom programme because I recently installed a new printer, so I guess I have to have that one!
Can I disable all those with high impact…but still use them when I want?
Google drive is shown as Low impact…but can I still get rid of it and still use Chrome?
TIA
Epson are devils for installing loads of unnecessary stuff which as well as being intrusive can also often slow a computer down.
Yes you can usually disable them safely because they will still switch on when you need them.
If any do cause problems from being disabled @ startup, you can always turn them back on - but it is unlikely that you will need to.
And yes you can get rid of Google Drive and still use Chrome safely.
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Brilliant, thanks very much.
Zaph,
You’ve seen me say it before, but, for others, I’d like to repeat my dislike of using “Cloud”!
The reason is, firstly, and as you say, we don’t know where the stuff is going to be put and how long it can be safe there, but also, they don’t, always make it clear that pricing will click in, at some stage, and it might not be easy to get out cleanly.
Here’s what Google say:-
"If you have a Google account (eg, if you’re a Gmail user), you can use Google Drive to store and access files wherever you are. Google accounts are free to create.
What you get for free: 15GB of free storage. This allowance is spread across three Google services – Google Drive, Gmail and Google Photos (though it currently gives free unlimited storage for lower-quality photos and videos, this will end next year – full info in the Google Photos unlimited storage ending MSE News story).
" If you pay: Plans range from £1.59/month for 100GB to £79.99/year for 2TB – full range on the Google One site. Compare this with others.“”
In other words, pricing will click in at some point!
15GB seems a lot, but depends what we leave there!