Your Windows PC Isn’t as Secure as You Think: 5 Things to Check

If you think your Windows PC is secure because nothing bad has happened yet… spoiler alert.

I’m not talking about viruses. I’m talking about things already sitting on your system that you’ve probably never checked — browsers that keep running after you close them, extensions you forgot you installed, saved logins, and a Windows Update screen that says “You’re up to date” when it isn’t.

None of these take long to check. Most people just never do.

Prefer to watch instead of read? Here’s the full walkthrough — or skip it and keep reading below.

Check 1: Is Your Browser Still Running After You Close It?

Close your browser, then press Ctrl + Shift + Esc and look at Task Manager. Depending on your settings, you may find it still sitting there — using memory, running extensions, and able to use the network — after you “closed” it.

Microsoft Edge: open ⋯ → Settings → System and performance and turn off:

• Startup boost
• Continue running background extensions and apps when Microsoft Edge is closed

Google Chrome: open ⋮ → Settings → System and turn off Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed.

Don’t assume. Verify. When you close the browser, it should actually close.

Check 2: Browser Extensions You Forgot About

How many extensions have you installed over the years? Most people honestly don’t know.

Type edge://extensions or chrome://extensions in the address bar and look. Extensions can read the pages you visit and change what’s on them. Some haven’t been updated in years. Some have been quietly sold to new owners. Some were shady from the start.

Remove anything you don’t actively use. Disable anything you’re unsure about. Keep only what you need.

Check 3: What Has Windows Saved for You?

Windows keeps a vault of saved sign-ins that most people have never opened. Go to Control Panel → User Accounts → Credential Manager, then open both Web Credentials and Windows Credentials.

You may find saved logins for network shares, old devices, remote connections, and apps you stopped using years ago. Anyone who gets onto your PC while you’re signed in may be able to use them.

Remove anything old or unrecognized. It’s not a reason to panic — it’s housekeeping. And don’t click “remember my credentials” on everything just because Windows offered.

Check 4: Is Windows Update Actually Working?

Most people glance at Settings → Windows Update, see “You’re up to date,” and move on. That message isn’t always the whole story. Updates can be paused, stuck, or failing quietly for months.

Click Update history, expand Quality updates, and look at the date of the most recent update that says Successfully installed. Microsoft releases security updates on the second Tuesday of every month, so that date should be within the last month or so. If the last success was back in the spring, something’s wrong — and here’s how to fix it: Windows Update Keeps Failing? Do This Instead.

Check 5: Is Your Drive Quietly Filling Up?

A nearly full drive doesn’t just slow things down — it’s one of the most common reasons updates fail, which circles right back to Check 4.

Open Settings → System → Storage and look at how much space is left. Click Temporary files to see what Windows can safely remove (read the list first, and leave Downloads unchecked unless you’ve looked in there). Then turn on Storage Sense so Windows cleans up temporary files on a schedule. The full walkthrough: C Drive Full? What’s Eating Your Storage.

The Question Most People Get Wrong: Do You Have a Real Backup?

If your PC died right now, what would you lose?

Most people think they have backups. Often they have one external drive that’s always plugged in, or they’re counting on OneDrive — which syncs deletions and ransomware damage just as happily as it syncs your files.

A real backup follows the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of your data, on two different types of storage, with one copy somewhere other than your house. At least one copy should be disconnected when you’re not using it. And test it — open a few files from the backup and make sure they work.

The Short Version

1. Make sure your browser actually closes when you close it.
2. Remove extensions you don’t use.
3. Clean out old saved logins in Credential Manager.
4. Check Update history — not just “You’re up to date.”
5. Keep free space on your drive and turn on Storage Sense.
6. Have a real 3-2-1 backup, and test it.

Want to go further? Here’s the full layer-by-layer version: How to Harden Windows Without Going Overboard.

Stay grumpy.