Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →A project can feel dead because you have stopped working on it; that does not mean nobody still uses it. The reliable way to tell is to audit evidence of use, maintenance obligations, the effort of a possible next step, and whether you still want to own it. Repository activity can help, but no single signal—or universal inactivity threshold—settles the question.
What “dead” means in a side-project audit
“Dead” is often shorthand for a creator’s impression: no recent commits, no plans, or no attention. Those facts describe your activity, not necessarily the project’s. A quiet repository may still have visitors, clones, referrals, issues, forks, or downstream package use. Conversely, activity does not automatically mean the project deserves a revival.
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The evidence below is most directly applicable to open-source code repositories. It does not measure every kind of use, and it should not be treated as a complete audit method for private apps, newsletters, businesses, or other non-code projects.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteHow to audit whether anyone still uses a project
1. Check repository discovery and recent use
If the project is on GitHub and repository traffic is available for it, inspect the traffic graphs for visitors, full clones, referring sites, and popular content. GitHub counts full clones, not fetches, and its traffic display shows visitors for the past 14 days. That short window is useful for spotting recent activity, not for establishing long-term demand or proving that a project is unused. Availability depends on repository visibility and plan configuration. See GitHub’s repository activity documentation and its guide to repository traffic.
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Look at where referrals come from and which pages attract attention. A visitor count without context is weak evidence: interest in a README or release page may mean something different from repeated discovery of installation instructions. Treat each metric as a clue to investigate, not a verdict.
2. Look beyond commits
Review issues, pull requests, forks, and whether forks continue to change. For software distributed through package managers, look for package usage data where it is available. These signals can reveal use, contribution, or maintenance that a commit graph misses. CHAOSS discusses these kinds of indicators in its Practitioner Guide to Sunsetting an Open Source Project.
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Interpret signals carefully. An open issue may be a request, a bug report, or an abandoned thread; a fork may be experimental rather than evidence of an active dependency. Follow up where possible before concluding that a project has users—or that it has none.
3. Separate stable from abandoned
Some projects need few updates once they reach a stable state. A long stretch without commits therefore does not, on its own, establish that no one uses the software or that it needs new features. Ask separately: Is there continuing use? Is there an ongoing maintenance or security obligation? Is the project simply complete for its intended purpose? CHAOSS’s sunset guide emphasizes that activity should be interpreted in the context of users’ needs and a project’s state.
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4. Ask what the activity means to you
For a team project, CHAOSS recommends speaking with people involved and reviewing recent contributors’ work to understand why activity stopped. For a personal audit, the analogous questions are whether you want to remain responsible for the project and what would make continued work worthwhile. That is a practical adaptation for an individual creator, not a direct recommendation from CHAOSS.
How to decide what happens next
Compare every project using the same four considerations. They are a practical synthesis of guidance about use, maintenance, and response—not a published scoring formula. Use a common evidence window when comparing projects, and do not treat GitHub’s 14-day visitor display as a durable demand measure.
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| Consideration | Question to answer |
|---|---|
| Use or user need | What recent evidence suggests that someone relies on, discovers, or wants the project? |
| Maintenance and security burden | What responsibility would continuing to publish or support it create? |
| Smallest feasible next step | What limited action could test whether more work is worthwhile, and what would it cost? |
| Your interest | Do you want to own this work now, and does it still serve a goal you value? |
Possible low-cost experiments include fixing one clearly scoped issue, clarifying the project’s landing page, or asking identifiable users whether it still solves their problem. These are options, not steps that should be claimed as completed unless they actually were.
Choose a deliberate state
- Revive: There is a user need, a manageable next step, and a reason you want to continue.
- Keep it stable: The project works for its purpose, and you are willing to meet the maintenance obligations without adding features.
- Refocus: The evidence points to a narrower use or audience than the one you originally pursued.
- Archive: You want to make clear that active development has stopped while preserving the project’s record.
- Sunset: You intend to end the project and, where feasible, give users notice and time to migrate.
There is no universal period of inactivity that dictates one of these choices. GitHub’s 2023 announcement of its Stale Repos Action describes surfacing inactive repositories so maintainers can make informed decisions about archiving, reviving, or refocusing them; the inactivity period is configurable, not a universal rule. See GitHub’s announcement. CHAOSS also emphasizes users’ needs and, where possible, time to migrate before a project is sunset.
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Popularity is not the only reason to keep a project
Usage is evidence about a project’s impact, not the sole test of whether it was worthwhile. GitHub’s Open Source Guide notes that maintainers may value showing their work, transparency, or enjoyment, and that popularity is not everything. If a project has little visible use but still matters to you, keeping it stable—or choosing to stop—can both be reasonable outcomes. The decision should reflect the actual burden and your goals, not a popularity score. See GitHub’s guide to open-source metrics.
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