Replacing a hardware device such as a disk drive or a printer can leave configuration settings for the old replaced device that the user no longer needs. Similarly, uninstalling a software program can leave behind the configuration settings for the removed program under some circumstances.
- Because this information is stored in the Registry on your hard drive, Windows has this information available each time it boots up.
- The upgrade failure is likely to cause data loss, system file corruption, and so on.
- Software Distribution backup folder holds all temporary Windows Updates files, renaming the Software Distribution folder might fix Windows Update errors.
- The various optimizations in Windows 11 help it to run faster on weaker laptops, but you’re not giving up a ton of performance with Windows 10.
- Used together with file virtualization, this allows applications to run on a machine without being installed on it.
You can easily choose the files to free up space and delete them temporarily. This will help you scan the drive that you select and give you the details of the files that are consuming lots of space. This way the files will be permanently deleted and not sent to your recycle bin.
Tweaking’s Windows Repair
If your keyboard doesn’t have a PrtScn button, press Fn + Windows logo key + Space Bar instead. It’s possible that Startup Repair didn’t fix whatever problem you were having.
Changing a single value can change other values, which can affect service performance. If you are not certain about the effects of a specific value you are changing, be conservative about changing it. If you alter values beyond the recommended ranges, you should restart the service and monitor the effects closely before making any further changes. You should use the administrative tools in Internet Service Manager whenever possible. Use the Registry Editor to edit Registry values only when it is not possible to use Internet Service Manager. Changes made by using Internet Service Manager take effect immediately, while values changed with the Registry Editor are not updated directly.
Switch Between HKCU and HKLM in Registry Editor in Windows 10
Editing the Windows Registry is easy—so long as you move slowly. That means don’t add random registry files without checking, don’t mess with registry values you don’t understand, and always take a backup before making registry tweaks. However, you shouldn’t download and run any old .reg file. A malicious Windows Registry file could wreck your system settings with a single file or even be the basis for a malware installation. Before running the .reg file, right-click it and select Edit.
After completing the steps, the Windows Update components should start working again, and you can check for updates to verify. Temporarily uninstall third-party security software and low-level system utilities that can interfere with the upgrade. You can reinstall those programs after the upgrade is complete. Check for any recent driver updates, especially for network and storage hardware.
Basic options include how long the display stays on for when you’re inactive and how long before the computer goes into sleep mode. These won’t really affect your computer’s speed, but if you go into Change advanced power settings, you can make more adjustments that will have an impact. Click More details to find out information about the programs that are currently running on your computer. Just like our closets and drawers, our computers get cluttered. While you can’t really see it, you know it’s there, and it could be having a negative impact on your computer’s the program cant start because pcwum.dll performance. This is especially true if you deal with a lot of large files, such as high-resolution images, audio files, and videos, on a day-to-day basis.
