Programs to fix PC errors for free

In the past few weeks, has your trusty PC become particularly unstable and frequently displays error messages? How about, then, if we try to cope with it together, resorting to the use of some software designed specifically for the purpose in question? You probably don’t know, but many of them are already included on your computer.

If you want to know more, read this guide and try the software that you find reported below, which in my opinion represent some of the best programs to fix free PC errors on the square. Clearly do not expect “miracles”: given the large amount of problems that can afflict a computer, I cannot offer you universal solutions that are suitable for all cases, but by following my indications you will certainly be able to improve the general situation of your system (in case of hardware failure, however, I’m sorry, but there you will have to contact a technician, there is no program that takes!).

Having said that, therefore, take five minutes of free time, concentrate on reading this guide and try to identify which of the programs to correct PC errors proposed below is more for you. I wish you a good read and I wish you a big good luck for everything!

Index

• Programs to fix PC errors for free: Windows
  • Integrated tools
  • BleachBit
  • Other solutions to fix PC errors for free
• Programs to fix PC errors for free: Mac
  • CleanMyMac X
  • OnyX
  • Other solutions to fix Mac errors for free

Programs to fix PC errors for free: Windows

Let’s start this guide by analyzing together what, in my humble opinion, represent the best programs to correct errors in Windows and / or the programs installed on the latter.

Integrated tools

The first solution I would recommend is to use the troubleshooting tools built into Windows . Although quite “hidden”, they are present in all versions of the Microsoft operating system and allow you to identify the most common problems related to the operation or settings of Windows itself, providing, most of the time, the possibility of solving them completely automatic.

To use it, if you use Windows 10 or a later edition of the aforementioned operating system, right-click on the Start button (the Windows flag located at the bottom left of the taskbar), select the Settings item (the icon of the ‘gear ) from the menu that appears and, when you reach the new window, click on the Update and security button , then on the item Troubleshooting .

Now, if Windows has already identified (and reported) any malfunctions, they will appear in the list below the wording Recommended troubleshooting : therefore click on the first of the problems identified, in order to start the dedicated troubleshooter and carefully follow the instructions that receive on the screen, answering precisely the questions you are asked.

In most cases, the troubleshooter will be able to scan your computer for the exact problem and notify you of any action to be taken to resolve it, often by clicking on a given button. If necessary, repeat the operation for any problems detected automatically.

If you do not see anything in the list of recommended troubleshooting steps, you can manually call each of the Windows utilities: to do so, click on the Additional troubleshooting tools item and press on the category most relevant to the type of problem you are experiencing ( eg Audio playback ).

Finally, click on the Run the troubleshooter button that appears next to the chosen box, wait for Windows to analyze the relevant settings to detect the “hitch” and, when necessary, answer the questions you are asked and put into practice any recommended solutions.

If, on the other hand, you use Windows 7 or another dated edition of the Microsoft operating system, you can access the integrated resolution tools by opening the Control Panel (located in the Windows System folder of the Start / Start Screen menu), clicking on the System item and security and then on the link Troubleshoot common computer problems , located on the next screen.

Although aesthetically different, the utilities in this section work in a quite similar way to what was seen for Windows 10.

BleachBit

If the problem you encountered does not concern the operating system but a specific program, which is excessively slowed down or even no longer functional, you can try to restore its functioning to normal by deleting any damaged and incomplete cache files, using a solution like BleachBit .

If you had never heard of it, it is a completely free and open source “cleaner” , able not only to delete the files on the disk in absolute safety, but also to delete caches and other temporary elements connected to the various software, which could prevent it from functioning correctly.

To download BleachBit, connected to its main page , click on the Download Now button and then on the Windows link located on the next screen. Then, click on the BleachBit installer.exe link and wait for the download of the installation file to complete.

Once you have obtained the file, open it, click on the OK and Next buttons and accept the license by clicking on the appropriate box; now, press the Next button again twice in a row and finish the setup by clicking, in sequence, on the Yes , Next , Install and Close buttons .

At the end of the installation, the program should open automatically; if this does not happen, you can use the icon that has been created in the meantime on the desktop and in the Start menu.

The home screen of BleachBit contains the list of programs and Windows components on which it is possible to intervene, proceeding with the elimination of temporary or cached data: therefore, expand the elements you want (eg. Windows Defender , System , Google Chrome and so on) and put the check mark next to each category of files to delete ( Cache, Temporary Files, Recent Files, Clipboard, Trash, and so on).

Clearly, the categories are not always the same, but vary according to the type of element chosen; then clicking on the name of each program or component of Windows, you will see a complete explanation about the files that can be deleted.

In this regard, I advise you to delete only the bare minimum and exclusively for the “problematic” elements: intervening on certain files could further compromise the functioning of the Windows component or of the program on which you are about to operate. Then don’t say I didn’t warn you!

After selecting all the elements to “clean up”, click on the Preview button visible at the top, to obtain the list of files that will be deleted following the operation (and the total space that will be freed); to proceed with the cleaning, which I remind you is irreversible , click on the Clean and Delete buttons and, if prompted, restart the computer at the end of the procedure.

Other solutions to fix PC errors for free

Have you carefully followed the paths I have proposed so far and, although the situation has improved considerably, you continue to encounter some errors on the computer? Don’t give up, you still have several options to consider.

First of all, I urge you to be wary of third-party programs that promise to miraculously solve computer problems in a single click: with rare and proven exceptions, these are only red herrings, which often slow down the operating system by inserting themselves into the list of programs starting automatically and downloading, in turn, other (useless) bundled software. Moreover, such applications can also carry spyware and adware , jeopardizing the privacy and security of the data on the computer.

In cases like this, I advise you instead to carry out an antimalware scan using well-proven utilities, such as Windows Defender , Bitdefender or other antivirus dedicated to Microsoft operating systems : in some cases, detecting and eliminating viruses and other active computer threats can solve problems and malfunctions related to Windows and / or the programs running on it.

If, on the other hand, the errors you encountered concern the computer hardware and the tools integrated in Windows have not been able to provide you with a complete solution, you can carry out targeted tests to identify the nature of the problem and possibly solve it: in this regard, you my guides on how to test the RAM , how to test the hard drive , how to test the video card , how to test the motherboard , how to monitor the temperature of the computer, and how to locate and troubleshoot the wireless card will certainly come in handy .

Still no improvement on the horizon? In this case, you may need to consider restoring Windows to an earlier state, using Restore Points , or completely resetting it to its initial settings (even without losing any data, if you’re using Windows 10 or later). I know, this is a drastic solution, but almost always decisive: to find out more, I refer you to reading my tutorials on how to restore Windows 10 , how to restore Windows 8.1 and how to restore Windows 7 , full of useful information about it.

Programs to fix PC errors for free: Mac

The possibility of running into errors caused by the operating system or by running applications, on macOS , is lower than what happens on Windows, but certainly not equal to zero. So, if the operation of your Mac has actually become problematic, you can groped to cope with it using the tools that I am going to show you below.

CleanMyMac X

CleanMyMac X is one of the best known and most appreciated programs dedicated to cleaning, security and optimization of the macOS operating system.

This software allows you to completely eliminate the residual traces of installed programs, reset file permissions, remove malware and other threats and perform many other maintenance and troubleshooting operations, all in complete safety (although it is still recommended to perform a backup of the Mac , before doing anything).

The program can also be downloaded and used for free, with the limit of being able to free up only 500 MB of space: to bypass it, you need to purchase the full version of the software which has prices from € 29.95 / year. Alternatively, you can take advantage of the program by subscribing to Setapp .

If you had never heard of it, Setapp is a platform that, for $ 9.99 / month (with a free 7-day trial), gives you access to a wide range of paid applications for macOS, including CleanMyMac X, without having to buy them individually. To find out more about this possibility and the programs included in the subscription, you can take a look at my dedicated guide .

Having clarified this, to download CleanMyMac X on your computer, connect to the program home page and click on the download button dedicated to the free version , or on the one to buy the program, if you intend to access its version without limitations. In the latter case, you will have to choose the subscription plan you prefer and complete the transaction by specifying your email and the payment method you prefer, among those supported (VISA, mastercard, American Express and PayPal).

In any case, once the software download is complete, open the .dmg package obtained and drag the CleanMyMac X icon into the Mac Applications folder , using the transfer window that appears on the screen. Next, open the program you just copied, respond affirmatively to the security warnings that appear on the screen, and accept the program’s Terms of Service and Privacy when prompted.

If everything went well, you should now see the initial screen of the program: to perform a smart scan and leave CleanMyMac X to find and solve the problems connected to the computer, click on the Smart scan item located at the top left , press the Scan button that appears in the center of the screen and wait for the computer analysis to be completed. Finally, follow the instructions on the screen to remedy any errors or malfunctions detected.

If you want to use each of CleanMyMac X’s features individually (e.g. Optimization , Maintenance , Malware Removal , etc.), click on the relevant item visible in the left sidebar, analyze the proposed solutions or analysis options and, after selecting those to apply, press the Start button to proceed. For more information, I refer you to reading my guide on how CleanMyMac X works .

OnyX

If you are knowledgeable enough on the subject and need a tool that allows you to quickly perform some optimizations on macOS, in order to improve its functioning (and fix any errors), you can consider a program like OnyX .

In detail, it allows you to check the structure of the file system, rebuild the database of data and indexes, empty the system caches and perform a large number of other, even delicate, operations. For this reason, you should use this program with caution and only after making a backup of your Mac , to restore where something goes wrong.

In any case, to download OnyX, connected to the main page of the software and click on the download button corresponding to the version of macOS installed on the computer (eg macOS Big Sur 11 ). When the download is complete, start the .dmg file obtained, click on the Agree button and use the transfer window to drag the OnyX icon into the Mac Applications folder .

Now, start the program, click on the OK button and proceed with setting the permissions necessary to run the software: open the System Preferences by clicking on the gear symbol visible on the Dock , click on the Security and privacy icon and then on the symbol of the locked padlock , located in the lower left corner of the window that appears.

Now, type the password of the Mac and click OK , then click on the item Full disk access and put the check mark next to the item related to OnyX . Once this is done, restart the program, enter your Mac password again and wait for its main screen to fully load.

The OnyX window, initially very small, is divided into sections: the Maintenance tab contains the tools dedicated to cleaning the cache and rebuilding the database for the indexes; the Utility tab contains the tools dedicated to the maintenance of file systems, processes and applications; the File tab allows you to intervene on volumes, folders and files, consulting their index or eliminating duplicate ones; Finally, the Parameters tab contains some tools to adjust the advanced settings of the system programs.

I recommend, if you don’t know where to put your hands, limit yourself to performing only relatively harmless operations, such as cleaning the cache and residual files of the programs, otherwise you could seriously damage the operating system: I warned you!

Other solutions to fix Mac errors for free

Using the applications I reported to you earlier you should have been able to successfully fix any Mac errors related to programs or some incorrect operating system setting.

If, however, you continue to encounter some malfunctions and you do not have the faintest idea of ​​the element from which it comes, you can download and use a software like Unexpectedly , which allows you to “translate” the error files generated by macOS into readable information and interpretable with relative ease: after taking a look at the reports, you will most likely be able to trace the precise nature of the errors you keep seeing, increasing the chances of solving them.

If your Mac’s malfunction appears to be of a hardware nature (e.g. sudden volume increase / decrease, unexpected changes in screen brightness or resolution, battery running out extremely quickly, or the like), try performing an NVRAM reset and SMC , often decisive in such situations.

How do you say? Have you tried them all, but the Mac still keeps having a tantrum? In this case, I recommend that you reinstall macOS , thus returning the operating system to its initial settings: fear not, installing a new copy of the operating system using the macOS Utilities console will leave your personal data and settings unchanged. In extreme cases, you can also format the Mac by deleting everything, without forgetting that, in the absence of backup, any information on the disk will be irretrievably lost.