Create a Windows 10/11 Maintenance Routine with Built-In Tools

Create a Windows 10/11 Maintenance Routine with Built-In Tools​

Difficulty: Beginner | Time Required: 20–30 minutes
Keeping Windows 10 or 11 healthy doesn’t have to mean installing lots of extra utilities. Windows already includes excellent tools to keep your PC fast, stable, and clean—if you know where to find them.
This tutorial walks you through a simple maintenance routine you can do once a month (or every couple of months) using only built‑in tools. You don’t need to be technical—just follow the steps in order.

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Prerequisites​

Before you start:

• Windows version:
  • Windows 10 (version 1909 or later recommended)
  • Windows 11 (any current version)
• User account: An account with Administrator rights (needed for some tools).
• Internet connection: For Windows Update and some troubleshooting steps.
• Backup recommended: If you’re cleaning up a very cluttered system, it’s always smart to have a recent backup of important files (e.g., to OneDrive, external drive, etc..

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Step 1 – Check for Windows Updates​

Keeping Windows updated is the most important regular maintenance task. Updates fix bugs, patch security holes, and improve performance.

Windows 10​

1. Click Start → click the Settings gear icon.
2. Go to Update & Security.
3. Click Windows Update in the left pane (if not already selected).
4. Click Check for updates.
5. If updates are found:
   • Click Download and install (if needed).
   • Let updates finish installing.
   • If prompted, click Restart now or schedule a restart for later.

Windows 11​

1. Click Start → Settings (or press Win + I).
2. In the left pane, click Windows Update.
3. Click Check for updates.
4. Install any available updates, then restart if asked.

Tip:
Do this at least once a month. On Windows 11, you can also enable Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available for quicker access to fixes.

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Step 2 – Clean Up Disk Space with Storage Sense / Disk Cleanup​

Removing temporary and unnecessary files keeps your system snappy and prevents your drive from filling up.

Option A: Storage Sense (Best for Windows 10/11)​

Windows 10​

1. Open Settings → System → Storage.
2. Turn Storage Sense to On.
3. Click Configure Storage Sense or run it now.
4. Under Run Storage Sense, choose how often:
   • Every day / week / month / or During low free disk space.
5. Under Temporary Files, tick:
   • Delete temporary files that my apps aren’t using
   • Set Delete files in my recycle bin if they have been there for over (e.g., 30 days).
   • (Optional) Configure Downloads cleaning with caution (you may want to leave this Off).
6. Scroll down and click Clean now to run it immediately.

Windows 11​

1. Open Settings → System → Storage.
2. Turn Storage Sense to On (under Storage management).
3. Click Storage Sense.
4. Choose how often it should run (e.g., Every month).
5. Set Recycle Bin and Downloads cleanup options as desired.
6. Click Run Storage Sense now.

Warning:
If you enable automatic cleanup of the Downloads folder, Windows may delete files you still need. Only turn that on if you actively manage Downloads or have everything important backed up.

Option B: Disk Cleanup (Classic Tool, Still Useful)​

1. Press Win + R, type cleanmgr and press Enter.
2. Choose the drive you want to clean (usually C:), click OK.
3. Wait while Windows scans.
4. Tick categories like:
   • Temporary Internet Files
   • Temporary files
   • Recycle Bin
   • Delivery Optimization Files
5. Click OK → Delete Files.

Tip:
If you recently installed big feature updates, click Clean up system files in Disk Cleanup to remove old Windows installations. Only do this if you’re sure you don’t need to roll back to the previous version.

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Step 3 – Uninstall Unused Apps and Bloat​

Removing apps you don’t use frees space and can reduce background processes.

Windows 10​

1. Open Settings → Apps → Apps & features.
2. Sort by Install date or Size to see what’s biggest or newest.
3. Click an app you don’t need → click Uninstall → confirm.
4. Repeat for other unused apps.

Windows 11​

1. Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
2. Change Sort by to Size or Install date.
3. Click the … (three dots) next to an app → Uninstall.
4. Confirm and follow prompts.

Warning:
Avoid uninstalling anything you don’t recognize that might be a driver, system utility, or security software. When in doubt, search the app name online or ask on the forum before removing it.

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Step 4 – Manage Startup Apps​

Too many programs starting with Windows slow down boot time and use memory in the background.

Using Task Manager (Windows 10 & 11)​

1. Right‑click the Taskbar (or press Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and select Task Manager.
2. If you see a simple view, click More details.
3. Go to the Startup tab.
4. Look at the Startup impact column (Low, Medium, High).
5. For apps you don’t need at startup:
   • Right‑click the app → Disable.

Common safe candidates (if you don’t rely on them constantly):

• Chat/messaging apps
• Game launchers
• Cloud storage apps (if you don’t need them immediately on boot)
• Updaters for standalone apps (Adobe, game updaters, etc.

Note:
Don’t disable antivirus, security suites, or essential drivers (touchpad, audio, display, etc.. If unsure, leave it enabled or look it up.

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Step 5 – Check Disk Health with CHKDSK (Basic Check)​

This step is optional but useful if you suspect disk issues (slow file access, odd errors, or after a crash/power cut).
We’ll run a read‑only check first; it’s safe and doesn’t modify anything.

1. Press Start, type cmd.
2. Right‑click Command Prompt → Run as administrator.
3. In the black window, type:
   chkdsk C:
   and press Enter.
4. Let it finish and review the summary.

If you see messages about bad sectors, file system errors, or if Windows suggests running a repair, you may want to schedule a full check:
chkdsk C: /f

• If prompted to schedule at next restart, press Y then Enter, and restart your PC.

Warning:
A full CHKDSK with /f can take a long time on large or nearly full drives. Only run it when you can afford the downtime and do not interrupt it.

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Step 6 – Run System File Checker (SFC) to Fix Corrupted System Files​

SFC scans for corrupted or missing Windows system files and repairs them automatically.

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator again (see Step 5, steps 1–2).
2. Type:
   sfc /scannow
   and press Enter.
3. Wait for the scan to complete (can take 5–15 minutes).
4. At the end, you’ll see a status message:
   • No integrity violations found – everything is good.
   • Found corrupt files and successfully repaired them – issues fixed.
   • Found corrupt files but was unable to fix some – you may need extra steps (see Troubleshooting below).

Tip:
Running SFC once every few months, or after crashes or failed updates, is good preventative maintenance.

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Step 7 – Optional: Create a Simple Monthly Maintenance Schedule​

To turn this into a routine:

1. Decide on a frequency:
   • Once a month is plenty for most users.
2. Pick a reminder method:
   • Add an event in Calendar (Outlook, Google, etc..
   • Create a Task Scheduler task (advanced users).
   • Set a recurring reminder on your phone: “Windows Maintenance.”
3. On maintenance day, quickly run through:
   1. Windows Updates
   2. Storage Sense / Disk Cleanup
   3. Uninstall unused apps
   4. Check startup apps
   5. (Optional) SFC and CHKDSK if PC has been unstable

Note:
The first time might take a bit longer. After that, you’ll mostly be clicking Check, Run, or Clean now, which goes pretty quickly.

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Tips and Troubleshooting​

If Windows Update Fails or Gets Stuck​

• Restart your PC and try Check for updates again.
• Run the built‑in Windows Update Troubleshooter:
  • Windows 10:
  • Settings → Update & Security → Troubleshoot → Additional troubleshooters → Windows Update → Run the troubleshooter.
  • Windows 11:
  • Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters → Windows Update → Run.

If SFC Can’t Fix All Files​

If SFC reports it couldn’t fix some files:

1. Open Command Prompt (Admin).
2. Run:
   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
3. When DISM completes, run:
   sfc /scannow
   again.

If You’re Low on Disk Space Even After Cleanup​

• Empty large folders manually:
  • Downloads, Videos, Pictures, old ISO or setup files.
• Move large personal files to:
  • External drive or cloud storage (OneDrive, Google Drive, etc..
• Use Settings → System → Storage → Show more categories to see what’s using the most space.

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Conclusion​

A consistent Windows maintenance routine doesn’t have to be complicated or time‑consuming. In about 20–30 minutes, and without any third‑party tools, you can:

• Keep Windows up to date and secure
• Free up disk space automatically
• Reduce startup clutter for faster boot times
• Check and repair common file system and system file problems

Once you’ve done this once, future sessions will go faster—and your PC will feel more reliable and responsive over the long term.

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Key Takeaways:

• Use Windows Update monthly to keep your system secure and stable.
• Turn on Storage Sense to automatically clean temporary files and old Recycle Bin contents.
• Regularly uninstall apps you don’t use and disable unnecessary startup programs.
• Occasionally run SFC (and CHKDSK if needed) to detect and repair underlying system issues.
• Set a simple recurring reminder so this 20–30 minute routine becomes a habit.

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This tutorial was generated to help WindowsForum.com users get the most out of their Windows experience.