If Windows seems slow, you can restore good performance by using these simple techniques. Here's how to speed Windows and make your laptop or PC faster
When you get a new laptop or PC, it always starts and responds quickly. But as you install applications, games and complete the hard drive with music, documents, and photos, this can slow down and even take a few minutes to boot. There are many things that can slow down Windows, but you should be able to restore most of its original speed without spending money.
But if your laptop or PC has a traditional hard drive rather than a modern SSD, it's well worth spending money and buying an SSD: it's always the most powerful performance upgrade Effective for most people.
Whatever the hardware of your computer, there are various things you can do to speed up Windows, and here are our best tricks.
Part of the reason that well-used PCs take so long to start is that of all the applications and utilities that you have installed. Many work automatically when Windows starts, but most of them do not need to use and only use resources when you need to use them.
On the right side of the taskbar, click the up arrow to display the notification icons. Each is a loaded program with Windows. Some are essential - for example, antivirus software, but others may not. Right-click on each and if there is a Settings menu, select it and turn off the option to automatically start with Windows. Some programs, such as Google Drive, can be started manually when they are needed instead of running all the time.
To disable all other programs and help applications that start with Windows, tap Windows + R and type MSConfig and click OK. Select the Services tab, check 'Hide all Microsoft services' and see what's left. There may be services you can live in and clean the checkbox that prevents them from working. For example, Firefox works perfectly without the Mozilla maintenance service.
On the Startup tab (use Task Manager - right-click on the taskbar and choose Task Manager in Windows 8 and Windows 10 to find this), many programs start with Windows. Knowing what to disable is not easy, but you can use Google to search for objects and see if they are needed, useful or not. Windows 10 tells you how much each program impacts on performance:
Recent versions of Windows automatically defragment the disk, but the Microsoft tool is basic and there are better defragmenters that further increase performance.
Programs including O & O Defrag are good, but IObit's Smart Defrag 5 is almost as good and free. Do not forget that you should only use one of these if your PC has a traditional mechanical hard drive. If it has an SSD, do not use these utilities, but if you have both, use only one hard drive on the hard drive.
It is recommended that you run a system scan to make sure there is no erroneous software that is causing damage and slowing down your machine. If you rely on Windows Defender for your security, you will need to go to the Start menu> Settings> Update and Security> Windows Defender, and then in the right pane, scroll down until you see Open Windows Defender.
Click this, and then in the next window on the right side, there are options to run a quick, full or custom scan. Make sure that you will not need your PC for a while and that you opt for the full version.
Then click Scan Now. If Windows finds something unpleasant, it will inform you and suggest ways to solve the problem.
If you are using another antivirus package, such as AVG, Norton, McAfee or similar, you will need to run the program and find the option to perform a system scan. They are usually very easy to discover.
Another quick fix for a slowed PC allows Windows to use more virtual memory. Follow our way of adjusting the amount of virtual memory used by your system to solve this common problem.
Windows 10 is a fairly simple operating system, with various animations used everywhere. Although these visual effects offer a sense of style, they can also be a source of reflection on machines that are a little older. Fortunately, they are easy to disable.
Open the Windows Start menu and type advanced system settings and select the highest result. In the window that appears, there is a section called Performance, with a button for the parameters.
Click on this topic and a list of different visual effects will appear. You can either deselect those that you think are problematic or simply select the Fit for better performance at the top. Do not forget to click OK to save the changes.
The maximum acceleration technique is to reinstall Windows. This removes unwanted software that slows down the PC, removes adware and other malicious software, removes unwanted files, and so on. For details, see How to Reinstall Windows.
A Windows disk is required for older versions of Windows, but Windows 8 and 10 have a built-in refresh option that makes it easy to work. In Windows 8, open the Charms bar on the right side of the screen and click Settings, Change PC Settings.
Click Update and Recovery, and then click Recovery. Under Refresh your PC without affecting your files, click Start.
In Windows 10, click the tooth icon on the Start menu to display the new Settings application. Click Update and Security, and select Recovery from the menu on the left. You will see the option 'Reset this PC' to the right.
You can choose to keep personal files - photos, music and documents - and this method is really worth trying because it is automatic and easy.
A more powerful option is to completely reinstall Windows, but you must copy the files you want to keep onto another drive, such as a removable USB drive or a NAS.
Disconnected drivers, programs, and Windows may cause the computer to run slowly. Defective drivers, for example, shut down Windows or cause a slower startup. Video card drivers are often updated to fix bugs and increase performance, and it is always recommended to verify that you have the latest version.
Even if Windows updates are automatic, go to Windows Update in Control Panel and check for updates manually. Only essential items are installed automatically and there may be optional options available.
Drivers are programs that allow Windows to access hardware components such as video, sound, printer, scanner, webcam, etc. The update is a pain and you must identify the hardware, drivers and version numbers, the hardware manufacturer's website and the download page.
Take a shortcut using a free tool such as SlimDrivers Free or Driver Booster Free. They do all the work for you and they are like Windows Update for drivers. They identify current drivers, check for updates, then download them and install them for you.
The hard drive of your computer slows down as it fills up and the uninstaller helps free up space to give more space to Windows to run faster. Disk space can be freed in different ways, and we've written a complete guide to finding and removing large and duplicate files.
You can delete files manually or install a utility (we recommend some in this guide) to perform a more thorough search and make the work faster and easier. However, there is a good way and a bad way to use these programs.
Simply select a few items and clean them, making sure the application saves the changes. If the PC is working properly, go ahead and clean up other items, but if it does not, restore the backup. Do not clean everything up at once because if something goes wrong, you will not know where the problem lies.
Many PCs are obsolete with applications, games and other software. Chances are that you do not use more than one of them and that they can be uninstalled to free up disk space (and improve startup times).
You can access Control Panel, open Programs, and features, and uninstall software that you have not used in the last six months (or more). Check out the best free Windows uninstallers for more information.
Some programs install a lot of files in Windows and they can have a detrimental effect on performance. To keep Windows clean and fast, you should avoid installing anything.
Of course, you need software, but there are many portable applications that do not need to be installed. A good source of software is portableapps.com. Click Get Applications and you will find desktop software, graphic designers and photo editors, utilities, the internet, music and videos, and more. This is not the only place to find portable software, but it's a good place to start.
Sometimes it is possible to improve performance by installing better software. For example, if you are still using Internet Explorer, try uploading Google Chrome or one of these other better web browsers
Smaller and lighter programs are often faster than large, full-featured applications. Do you really need Word or WordPad is it enough for your writing tasks? For example, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 requires 3 GB of disk space, but LibreOffice only uses a few hundred megabytes and is almost as good.
You need 4 GB of disk space to install Adobe Photoshop Elements, but only 40 MB for Paint.NET and 150 MB for GIMP (it seems dodgy, but it's not). They could be all you need for editing photos. Use alternativeto.net to find alternatives to popular software.
The speed at which games work depends heavily on the resolution of the screen and the special effects used. Some games offer options to select the screen mode and to disable certain effects requiring the processor and video card. This can make a slow play more playable by increasing the frame rate. For details, see How to Speed Games.
All the techniques discussed so far to accelerate the PC will only lead you until now. They restore the performance of the original PC, but this may not be enough. An old PC may not be able to run the last game or other software you want to use. A five-year model will struggle with the latest games, applications and operating system. For this reason, a hardware update may be required, which will increase the performance of the computer beyond its original specifications and narrow the gap between your current and the latest PC.
Many old PCs suffer from too little memory. Consider 4GB the absolute minimum these days, if not more, but note that 4 GB is the maximum used by 32-bit versions of Windows, so upgrading to 64-bit is a good idea. Adding RAM is the second thing to do after installing an SSD (which we mentioned at the beginning).
Crucial memory providers have tools on their website that identify the type of RAM you need. This shows the maximum that the PC or laptop can take and this is the best upgrade you can perform. Before buying a memory, look at your PC or laptop as some are easy to upgrade, but others are difficult. Buying RAM online and installing it yourself is the cheapest option, but if you're not confident in your DIY skills, local computer stores can do it.
A solid-state disk drive (SSD) is the best way to improve the performance of many older computers and laptops. If you have a laptop, you must clone the old disk drive to the new SSD before installing it. This is achieved by plugging the SSD into the PC's USB port (some are supplied with the necessary adapter, others do not then buy the correct version) and then run a cloning program on the PC Times. Which is usually included in a PC 'SSD Upgrade Kit', but never with 'naked' drives).
Upgrading the graphics card is a great way to speed up games, but the benefits for other software are limited. The high-end video cards are excellent, so before ordering the latest Nvidia or AMD model, make sure that this will match the transaction. Space, PC power sizes, and other factors limit your options and full-height / double slot video cards are for big PCs with plenty of space, and low-profile smart cards are For compact PCs.
When you get a new laptop or PC, it always starts and responds quickly. But as you install applications, games and complete the hard drive with music, documents, and photos, this can slow down and even take a few minutes to boot. There are many things that can slow down Windows, but you should be able to restore most of its original speed without spending money.
But if your laptop or PC has a traditional hard drive rather than a modern SSD, it's well worth spending money and buying an SSD: it's always the most powerful performance upgrade Effective for most people.
Whatever the hardware of your computer, there are various things you can do to speed up Windows, and here are our best tricks.
Get rid of startup programs
Part of the reason that well-used PCs take so long to start is that of all the applications and utilities that you have installed. Many work automatically when Windows starts, but most of them do not need to use and only use resources when you need to use them.
On the right side of the taskbar, click the up arrow to display the notification icons. Each is a loaded program with Windows. Some are essential - for example, antivirus software, but others may not. Right-click on each and if there is a Settings menu, select it and turn off the option to automatically start with Windows. Some programs, such as Google Drive, can be started manually when they are needed instead of running all the time.
To disable all other programs and help applications that start with Windows, tap Windows + R and type MSConfig and click OK. Select the Services tab, check 'Hide all Microsoft services' and see what's left. There may be services you can live in and clean the checkbox that prevents them from working. For example, Firefox works perfectly without the Mozilla maintenance service.
On the Startup tab (use Task Manager - right-click on the taskbar and choose Task Manager in Windows 8 and Windows 10 to find this), many programs start with Windows. Knowing what to disable is not easy, but you can use Google to search for objects and see if they are needed, useful or not. Windows 10 tells you how much each program impacts on performance:
For programs that have a high startup impact, you can right click and disable them.
Degeneration
Recent versions of Windows automatically defragment the disk, but the Microsoft tool is basic and there are better defragmenters that further increase performance.
Programs including O & O Defrag are good, but IObit's Smart Defrag 5 is almost as good and free. Do not forget that you should only use one of these if your PC has a traditional mechanical hard drive. If it has an SSD, do not use these utilities, but if you have both, use only one hard drive on the hard drive.
Check for malicious software and other dangerous products
It is recommended that you run a system scan to make sure there is no erroneous software that is causing damage and slowing down your machine. If you rely on Windows Defender for your security, you will need to go to the Start menu> Settings> Update and Security> Windows Defender, and then in the right pane, scroll down until you see Open Windows Defender.
Click this, and then in the next window on the right side, there are options to run a quick, full or custom scan. Make sure that you will not need your PC for a while and that you opt for the full version.
Then click Scan Now. If Windows finds something unpleasant, it will inform you and suggest ways to solve the problem.
If you are using another antivirus package, such as AVG, Norton, McAfee or similar, you will need to run the program and find the option to perform a system scan. They are usually very easy to discover.
Adjust the amount of virtual memory used by Windows
Another quick fix for a slowed PC allows Windows to use more virtual memory. Follow our way of adjusting the amount of virtual memory used by your system to solve this common problem.
Reduce visual effects
Windows 10 is a fairly simple operating system, with various animations used everywhere. Although these visual effects offer a sense of style, they can also be a source of reflection on machines that are a little older. Fortunately, they are easy to disable.
Open the Windows Start menu and type advanced system settings and select the highest result. In the window that appears, there is a section called Performance, with a button for the parameters.
Click on this topic and a list of different visual effects will appear. You can either deselect those that you think are problematic or simply select the Fit for better performance at the top. Do not forget to click OK to save the changes.
Reinstall Windows
The maximum acceleration technique is to reinstall Windows. This removes unwanted software that slows down the PC, removes adware and other malicious software, removes unwanted files, and so on. For details, see How to Reinstall Windows.
A Windows disk is required for older versions of Windows, but Windows 8 and 10 have a built-in refresh option that makes it easy to work. In Windows 8, open the Charms bar on the right side of the screen and click Settings, Change PC Settings.
Click Update and Recovery, and then click Recovery. Under Refresh your PC without affecting your files, click Start.
In Windows 10, click the tooth icon on the Start menu to display the new Settings application. Click Update and Security, and select Recovery from the menu on the left. You will see the option 'Reset this PC' to the right.
You can choose to keep personal files - photos, music and documents - and this method is really worth trying because it is automatic and easy.
A more powerful option is to completely reinstall Windows, but you must copy the files you want to keep onto another drive, such as a removable USB drive or a NAS.
Updating Drivers and Applications
Disconnected drivers, programs, and Windows may cause the computer to run slowly. Defective drivers, for example, shut down Windows or cause a slower startup. Video card drivers are often updated to fix bugs and increase performance, and it is always recommended to verify that you have the latest version.
Even if Windows updates are automatic, go to Windows Update in Control Panel and check for updates manually. Only essential items are installed automatically and there may be optional options available.
Drivers are programs that allow Windows to access hardware components such as video, sound, printer, scanner, webcam, etc. The update is a pain and you must identify the hardware, drivers and version numbers, the hardware manufacturer's website and the download page.
Take a shortcut using a free tool such as SlimDrivers Free or Driver Booster Free. They do all the work for you and they are like Windows Update for drivers. They identify current drivers, check for updates, then download them and install them for you.
They solve many problems. There are also paid options, such as the updated Driver Utility.
Free disk space
The hard drive of your computer slows down as it fills up and the uninstaller helps free up space to give more space to Windows to run faster. Disk space can be freed in different ways, and we've written a complete guide to finding and removing large and duplicate files.
You can delete files manually or install a utility (we recommend some in this guide) to perform a more thorough search and make the work faster and easier. However, there is a good way and a bad way to use these programs.
Simply select a few items and clean them, making sure the application saves the changes. If the PC is working properly, go ahead and clean up other items, but if it does not, restore the backup. Do not clean everything up at once because if something goes wrong, you will not know where the problem lies.
Many PCs are obsolete with applications, games and other software. Chances are that you do not use more than one of them and that they can be uninstalled to free up disk space (and improve startup times).
You can access Control Panel, open Programs, and features, and uninstall software that you have not used in the last six months (or more). Check out the best free Windows uninstallers for more information.
Some programs install a lot of files in Windows and they can have a detrimental effect on performance. To keep Windows clean and fast, you should avoid installing anything.
Of course, you need software, but there are many portable applications that do not need to be installed. A good source of software is portableapps.com. Click Get Applications and you will find desktop software, graphic designers and photo editors, utilities, the internet, music and videos, and more. This is not the only place to find portable software, but it's a good place to start.
Install faster Browser
Sometimes it is possible to improve performance by installing better software. For example, if you are still using Internet Explorer, try uploading Google Chrome or one of these other better web browsers
Smaller and lighter programs are often faster than large, full-featured applications. Do you really need Word or WordPad is it enough for your writing tasks? For example, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 requires 3 GB of disk space, but LibreOffice only uses a few hundred megabytes and is almost as good.
You need 4 GB of disk space to install Adobe Photoshop Elements, but only 40 MB for Paint.NET and 150 MB for GIMP (it seems dodgy, but it's not). They could be all you need for editing photos. Use alternativeto.net to find alternatives to popular software.
The speed at which games work depends heavily on the resolution of the screen and the special effects used. Some games offer options to select the screen mode and to disable certain effects requiring the processor and video card. This can make a slow play more playable by increasing the frame rate. For details, see How to Speed Games.
Upgrade your hardware
All the techniques discussed so far to accelerate the PC will only lead you until now. They restore the performance of the original PC, but this may not be enough. An old PC may not be able to run the last game or other software you want to use. A five-year model will struggle with the latest games, applications and operating system. For this reason, a hardware update may be required, which will increase the performance of the computer beyond its original specifications and narrow the gap between your current and the latest PC.
The RAM
Many old PCs suffer from too little memory. Consider 4GB the absolute minimum these days, if not more, but note that 4 GB is the maximum used by 32-bit versions of Windows, so upgrading to 64-bit is a good idea. Adding RAM is the second thing to do after installing an SSD (which we mentioned at the beginning).
Crucial memory providers have tools on their website that identify the type of RAM you need. This shows the maximum that the PC or laptop can take and this is the best upgrade you can perform. Before buying a memory, look at your PC or laptop as some are easy to upgrade, but others are difficult. Buying RAM online and installing it yourself is the cheapest option, but if you're not confident in your DIY skills, local computer stores can do it.
Installing an SSD
A solid-state disk drive (SSD) is the best way to improve the performance of many older computers and laptops. If you have a laptop, you must clone the old disk drive to the new SSD before installing it. This is achieved by plugging the SSD into the PC's USB port (some are supplied with the necessary adapter, others do not then buy the correct version) and then run a cloning program on the PC Times. Which is usually included in a PC 'SSD Upgrade Kit', but never with 'naked' drives).
Upgrading the graphics card is a great way to speed up games, but the benefits for other software are limited. The high-end video cards are excellent, so before ordering the latest Nvidia or AMD model, make sure that this will match the transaction. Space, PC power sizes, and other factors limit your options and full-height / double slot video cards are for big PCs with plenty of space, and low-profile smart cards are For compact PCs.
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