8. Identify any bloatware

When you buy a new computer, you expect to have a clean slate, with only programs you install to be running. Unfortunately, many computer manufacturers pre-load their machines with ‘bloatware’, which essentially is software that comes with your PC or laptop pre-installed.

A lot of pre-installed bloatware programs can be removed, speeding up your computer in the process. The best thing to do is to open up your Programs list (you will have already been here if you followed the steps above) and scroll through the list – if there are any at the very bottom which were installed around the time you bought the computer, it could well be unnecessary bloatware. Always ensure that you’re removing something you don’t need, but there could be some room for improvement here.