If some Windows functions aren't working or Windows crashes, use the System File Checker to scan Windows and restore your files. Though the steps below might look complicated at first glance, just follow them in order, step-by-step, and we’ll try to get you back on track.

For more information see How to back up and restore the registry in Windows. There are two ways to open Registry Editor in Windows 10: In the search box on the taskbar, type regedit, then select Registry Editor (Desktop app) from the results. Right-click Start , then select Run.

Learn how to use the taskbar features in Windows. Hide the taskbar, pin an app, change the location, and more with taskbar settings.

Windows 10. Use System restore to make restore points when you install a new app, driver, or Windows update, and when you create a restore point manually. Restoring won’t affect your personal files, but it will remove apps, drivers, and updates installed after the restore point was made.

Windows 11 Windows 10. System File Checker is a utility in Windows that checks for problems with files on your computer. To run it, follow these steps: Make sure you've installed the latest updates for Windows, and then restart your machine. To find out more, read Update Windows.

Windows 10. Optimizing your drives can help your PC run smoother and boot up faster. To optimize them: Select the search bar on the taskbar and enter defrag. Select Defragment and Optimize Drives. Select the disk drive you want to optimize. Select the Optimize button. Defragment your Windows 10 PC.

Windows 10. Select the Start button and scroll to find the app you want to run at startup. Right-click the app, select More, and then select Open file location. This opens the location where the shortcut to the app is saved. If there isn't an option for Open file location, it means the app can't run at startup.

Troubleshooter for repairing Windows Update system files and settings - Microsoft Support. This article describes the problem addressed by the troubleshooter, what it does to mitigate them, and the conditions that can cause it to run. For more information about troubleshooting, see Keep your device running smoothly with recommended troubleshooting.

To help you keep your device secure, Windows Security monitors your device for security issues and provides a health report, which appears on the Device performance & health page. The Health report alerts you to common issues in four key areas and offers recommendations to remedy them.

For more on freeing up space on your PC, see Free up drive space in Windows. Learn how to run a disk cleanup in Windows including deleting temporary and system files to free up disk space.