The Truth About 'PC Optimisers' (and What Actually Speeds Up a PC)

You've seen the ads: 'Your PC is slow — download SpeedBooster Pro to fix 3,472 errors!' We remove these apps from customers' machines every week. Here's the honest truth about what they do.

What 'optimisers' actually do

• Registry cleaners: fix problems that don't cause slowdowns. Windows doesn't slow down from 'registry junk' — that's a 2005 myth.
• 'Error scanners': invent scary numbers ('3,472 issues!') to pressure you into paying for the full version.
• Driver updaters: often install the wrong drivers and break things that worked fine.
• Many run constantly in the background — themselves becoming a source of slowdown.

What actually speeds up a Windows PC (all free)

1. Add an SSD if you still have a spinning hard drive. Single biggest real-world speed-up, every time.
2. Free up space — keep at least 15% of the drive empty.
3. Trim startup apps: Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Startup tab → disable high-impact items you don't need.
4. Install pending Windows updates and reboot fully.
5. Run the built-in tools: 'Disk Cleanup', and in an admin terminal, sfc /scannow.
6. Add RAM if you routinely use more than 80% (check Task Manager → Performance).

For Macs

The same applies — skip 'Mac cleaner' apps entirely. Use built-in Storage management, quit runaway processes in Activity Monitor, and keep macOS updated. That's genuinely all most Macs need.

The one 'optimiser' worth paying for: a human

A proper professional tune-up does what no app can: it diagnoses the actual bottleneck (disk, RAM, heat, malware, or a failing component) and fixes that specific cause. That's why our $79 flat-rate tune-up reliably works where a $40 'optimiser subscription' doesn't.