It’s a familiar tale: your once-fast Windows computer begins to feel like it’s wading through mud. Before you reach for your wallet, be aware that there are numerous efficient ways to significantly improve the performance of your computer without having to buy any new hardware. The main idea here is to make the most of what you already have, increasing the efficiency of your computer instead of pushing it to its limits.
The main cause of a slow piece is frequently a cluttered digital environment. Think of it like a disorganized desk: everything takes longer and it’s more difficult to find what you need. Remove any programs that aren’t in use. This may be the easiest step to follow. Examine your installed apps and remove any that you don’t use or don’t even remember installing.
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These programs frequently consume important resources by launching with Windows, running background processes, and taking up disk space. How to do it. Use the Windows key + I to open Settings.
Select Apps > Features and Apps. Look through the list. Click on anything you don’t use, then choose Uninstall.
Follow the uninstallation wizard if prompted. Pro Tip: Sort the list by “Size” to start with the worst offenders or “Install date” to find recently installed programs you might not need. Regularly clear out disk space. Your hard drive serves as your operating system’s workspace in addition to being storage. When it fills up too much, Windows finds it difficult to complete simple tasks quickly, which causes slowdowns.
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Temporary Files: Applications, web browsers, and Windows generate temporary files that should be removed but frequently aren’t. Navigate to Storage under Settings > System. Select “Temporary files” under “Local Disk (C:)”. Decide which categories to eliminate (e.g. (g).
Downloads, Delivery Optimization Files, Temporary Internet Files, and Recycling Bin). Use caution when using “Downloads” if you have important files there. To remove files, click. Big Files: Find the big files you no longer require and delete them. While still in Settings > System > Storage, select “Other.”. Large media files, ISOs, or old project files you may have forgotten about can occasionally be found in this way.
To look for big files, you can also use File Explorer. Locate your C: drive in File Explorer, type size:gigantic or size:huge into the search bar, and watch for results. Recycling Bin: Remember to empty the recycling bin. Up until they are permanently erased, files sent there continue to take up disk space. Control the clutter in the browser.
One of the programs that uses the most resources is probably your web browser. It may be slowed down by excessive extensions, a long history, and persistent caches. Examine the extensions and add-ons that are installed on your browser.
Many are convenient, but they have a performance cost. In the address bar of Chrome, type chrome://extensions. Enter about:addons in the address bar of Firefox. Enter edge://extensions in Edge’s address bar.
If you don’t use them frequently, disable or remove them. Clear Cache & Cookies: A clean cache can fix loading problems & free up a little bit of space, but it won’t significantly increase speed. To access the clear browsing data menu in the majority of browsers, press Ctrl + Shift + Delete. Decide on a time frame (e. A g.
Check “Cached images and files” & “Cookies and other site data” (select “All time”). The “. Windows frequently puts a rich visual experience ahead of raw performance by default. A few adjustments can alter this. Adapt visual effects to the performance.
Although they look good, intricate animations, drop shadows, & transparent windows use a lot of graphical processing power. Disabling some of these can have a noticeable impact on older or less powerful machines. How to do it. In the Start menu, look for “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows” and click on it.
Click “Visual Effects” and choose “Adjust for best performance.”. As an alternative, you can select “Custom” and uncheck effects such as “Show shadows under windows,” “Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing,” and “Fade or slide menus into view.”. The secret is to strike a balance that suits you.
Turn off any startup programs that are not needed. Even if you don’t need them right away, a lot of programs insist on opening with Windows. Each one increases the time it takes for your computer to boot up and uses RAM and CPU cycles. How to do it. Choose Task Manager with a right-click on the Taskbar, or hit Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
Go to the tab for Startup. Look over the program list. Take note of the “Startup impact” column. Click on any program and choose Disable if you don’t want Windows to launch it. Although Task Manager typically conceals important system components, be cautious not to disable them.
Chat apps, cloud storage clients, and printer utilities are common offenders. Control background apps. Many programs run in the background even after Windows has started, using resources even when you’re not using them. How to use Windows 10.
Go to Privacy > Settings > Background apps. Turn off the “Let apps run in the background” toggle completely, or disable specific apps from the list if you don’t want them to run in the background. While many communication or utility apps don’t need to be active all the time, some apps, like weather or news feeds, might be acceptable. How to do it in Windows 11. Go to Settings > Apps > Features & Apps.
Choose “Advanced options” after clicking the three .s next to an application. The “. Select “Never” from the dropdown menu under “Background app permissions.”. For every single app, you will have to do this. Maintaining your computer on a regular basis helps keep it operating efficiently.
These are essential, but they aren’t showy tricks. Keep your drivers and Windows up to date. Stability problems, security flaws, & performance bottlenecks can result from outdated software and drivers. Microsoft frequently releases updates with bug fixes and performance enhancements. Update your Windows system.
Go to Settings > Windows Update (Windows 11) or Update & Security (Windows 10). Install any updates that are available by clicking “Check for updates.”. When prompted, remember to restart your computer. Driver Updates: Drivers are programs that enable communication between Windows and your hardware.
Problems may arise from outdated network drivers, chipsets, or graphics cards. Graphics Drivers: Get the appropriate utility software (GeForce Experience, AMD Radeon Software, Intel Driver & Support Assistant) for NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel graphics. These programs will find & install the most recent drivers automatically. Other Drivers: Go to the support website of your PC’s manufacturer for motherboard chipset or other peripheral drivers (e.g. (g).
Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, MSI) or the webpage of the component manufacturer. To locate the right drivers, enter your particular model number. Steer clear of generic “driver update” programs since they frequently install malicious or inaccurate drivers. Use Disk Defragmenter (only for HDDs).
Files may become fragmented—that is, portions of a single file may be dispersed throughout various physical locations on the disk—if your computer uses a conventional Hard Disk Drive (HDD) instead of a Solid State Drive (SSD). This slows down the drive head’s search & reading of them. For quicker access, defragmenting rearranges these parts. It’s important to avoid defragmenting an SSD. Because SSDs don’t have any moving parts, defragmenting them can shorten their lifespan without improving performance.
Here’s how to do it with HDDs. Locate & launch “Defragment and Optimize Drives” from the Start menu. Choose your C: drive (or any other HDD).
Click “Optimize” to finish the process. If you would like, you can program it to run on a schedule. Check for malware and viruses. In addition to jeopardizing your security, malware, spyware, and viruses can seriously impair computer performance by interfering with legitimate software, running malicious processes in the background, and using up resources. Built-in Protection: Windows Defender, formerly known as Windows Security, is an effective antivirus program built right into Windows.
Locate and launch “Windows Security.”. Select “Virus & Threat Protection.”. The “.
For a more complete scan, select “Quick scan” or “Scan options.”. Third-Party Scanners: Although Windows Security is good, you can find things that Windows Defender might overlook by occasionally adding a scan from a reliable free anti-malware program like Malwarebytes Free. Make sure you only download these from the websites that are authorized. These methods can produce positive outcomes, but they require a little more delving into Windows settings. Modify the Power Plan Configuration. Windows usually aims to strike a balance between power consumption and performance.
When necessary, you can override this to give performance priority. How to do it. Open the “Choose a power plan” option by searching for it in the Start menu. Choose “Ultimate Performance” if you have enabled it & have Windows 10 Pro or higher, or “High performance” if it is available. Click “Show additional plans” if “High performance” isn’t visible.
Click “Create a power plan” and select “High performance” if it’s still not present. The “. Note: Using “High performance” will result in higher power consumption, which is acceptable for desktop computers but will drastically shorten laptop battery life. Use ReadyBoost (for USB sticks & slow HDDs).
ReadyBoost can use an extra USB flash drive (at least 1GB, preferably 4GB+) to cache frequently accessed files, functioning as a pseudo-RAM extension, if you have an older computer with little RAM and a very slow HDD. It can offer a slight speedup in certain situations, but it isn’t a miracle worker, especially with contemporary SSDs. How to do it.
Put a USB flash drive into the pc\.. Launch “This PC” (or “My Computer”), then choose Properties with a right-click on the USB drive. Go to the tab for ReadyBoost. After choosing “Dedicate this device to ReadyBoost” or “Use this device,” make any necessary adjustments to the space slider.
Press Apply and OK. If you don’t often search, turn off search indexing. To speed up searches, Windows’ search function creates an index of the files on your drive. Disabling this service can free up some background resources if you use third-party search tools or Windows search infrequently.
Keep it enabled if you frequently search for files, though, as turning it off will result in much slower searches. How to do it. Open “Services” by searching for it in the Start menu. Go down and locate “Windows Search.”.
The “. Click “Windows Search” with a right-click, then choose Properties. Choose “Disabled” from the “Startup type” dropdown menu.
A “. Click Stop under “Service status.”. Press Apply & OK. If your computer is still slow after attempting everything mentioned above, a clean Windows installation might be the best solution. Registry errors, leftover files from uninstalled programs, and other digital clutter can build up in Windows over time and are nearly impossible to manually remove.
With a fresh start, all of these problems are eliminated and you are left with a flawless, quick operating system. The advantages of a new beginning. Eliminates all bloatware: This eliminates any pre-installed software from the manufacturer of your computer that you have never used. Clears corrupted files: Clean versions of any hidden system files that were causing problems will be installed in their place. Optimal performance: If you download only the necessary programs afterward, the operating system will run as efficiently as possible. Things to Think About Before Beginning.
Backup everything: This is very important. Everything on your C: drive will be deleted during a clean install. Make a backup of all of your important documents, images, videos, music, and other files to an external hard drive, cloud storage, or another partition. Software licenses: If you need to reinstall any paid software, be sure you have the product keys or login credentials.
Drivers: Since you won’t have internet access right away following a fresh install, download the most recent network, graphics, and chipset drivers for your particular PC model from the manufacturer’s website before you begin the installation. Time commitment: Installing a clean system requires time. Reinstalling all of your necessary software, preparing the backup, and completing the installation can easily take an afternoon or evening. How to Make a Clean Install.
Make Installation Media: To make a bootable Windows installation drive, you’ll need a USB drive with a minimum capacity of 8GB. Download the “Media Creation Tool” for Windows 10 or Windows 11 from the official Microsoft website. Create your USB installation media by launching the tool and following the instructions. Start up via USB.
Place the USB drive inside your device. Restart your computer and repeatedly press the key (usually F2, F10, F12, Del, or Esc; refer to your PC manual) to access your BIOS/UEFI settings or boot menu. Configure your computer to boot from the USB drive in the BIOS/UEFI.
Save your edits & close the window. Pay attention to the installer. Windows will start to set up. Select “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)” when prompted for “Which type of installation do you want?”. A list of the partitions will appear. Click Delete until your entire drive is displayed as “Unallocated Space” after selecting each partition associated with your primary drive (typically starting with “Drive 0”) for a clean install.
The “. Choose “Unallocated Space” and press Next. The required partitions will be automatically created and installed by Windows. After the installation. After installing Windows, complete the initial setup, connect to the internet, install your saved drivers, and then start reinstalling your backup files and necessary software. Even though a clean install requires a lot of work, it’s frequently the best way to get a very slow system operating at its peak.
It’s a reset button that can revitalize your computer without requiring the purchase of new components.
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