There is nothing more annoying than a PC that keeps on hanging even when performing the simplest of tasks. Not to mention how it takes a considerable amount of time to start up! An upgrade from Windows 7 or earlier might seem to help, but not even the latest versions of Windows 10 are immune to slowdowns.
Feel free to use the following tips just as a guide on how to make your computer faster. Some might help in speeding up your PC.
8 Easy steps to speed your PC
1. Limit Startup Processes
Many programs install side processes which run in the background, but you do not necessarily see them. As time goes by, you also install new apps, and many of them start up when you boot your computer. These programs occasionally pop up and interrupt whichever task you are doing. With time, you have an ever-increasing number of apps running in the background.
To remove them on Windows 7, run the MSCONFIG utility. Head to your start menu and type Run> “msconfig” >Startup.
For Windows 8 and 10 users, open your task manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc on your keyboard. You will see all the processes that are enabled to run on startup when you switch to the startup tab, and. Right-click on any service you don’t want to run and disable them.
2. Perform a Disk Clean Up
Head to your local disk C and right click on it, choose properties and then disk clean up, this opens the disk clean up utility. Allow it to calculate how much space it can free up then tick on the click boxes to delete the unnecessary files. You can also select any other partition you want to clean up and follow the same procedure.
Disk clean up deletes all unwanted junk such as internet cookies, temporary files, offline webpages and empties your recycle bin. However, this optimizes your PC’s speed only if your drives were almost full.
If you’re using Windows 10, consider enabling storage sense, this ensures windows automatically get rid of content in your recycle bin and temporary files. Click on Cortana, type in turn on storage sense.
3. Change Your Power Options
For laptop users, your power options are set to “balanced” by default. It is a good plan for conserving your battery, but it considerably slows down your PC. Changing to high performance optimizes speed.
Note: Only use this mode when plugged in, lest your battery gets drained.
To change your power options to high performance, go to your control panel>system and security>power options, and then choose high performance. If you can’t see this option, click on the dropdown arrow on hide additional plans.
4. Scan for Viruses and Spyware
Hidden malicious programs possibly running in the background may be slowing down your PC. They tend to show pop up ads and drain your computer’s resources. You can scan for potential threats by using the built-in Windows Defender. Third party apps also help. There are free and paid Anti-virus versions such as Avast, AVG, Bitdefender, and Malwarebytes.
Note: It’s advisable to have Antivirus software on your computer. Keep in mind that on multiple occasions, any website that you visit are vulnerable. Your computer can get infected even if you don’t click on anything.
5. Check Your Drives’ Health Status
It’s essential to check your drive for errors. It’s an easy task, go to your search tab on your start menu, type cmd, and run as administrator. Once cmd is up and running, type in WMIC, then diskdrive (one word) get status. If all the disk drive status says ok, it means your disk has no errors. If any of them say otherwise, then one of your drives could be having issues.
Alternatively, on cmd, type in CHDSK /H or you can specify the letter you allocated for your drive. Remember to leave space between CHDSK and / by hitting the space button on your keyboard. Otherwise, you’ll get errors.
Command Prompt is going to search for and repair any drive errors. If you consistently get many error messages, more so after carefully following these procedures, this could mean your drive is failing. In such a case, back up your files as you drive may fail at any time. Consider getting a replace
6. Update Your Software
Keep all your software up-to-date, especially your Windows and graphics drivers. Regularly updating your software fixes bugs and glitches that may be slowing down your PC. Unlike earlier versions of Windows, Windows 10 comes with a unique Windows Update feature. It often checks for any available updates. Not only does it keep your Windows 10 version up-to-date but also updates your graphics drives.
7. Upgrade Your RAM
If your computer allows for RAM upgrades, then add more RAM. More memory can potentially make your computer run faster. To check how much memory you have, on Windows 10, open file explorer, right click on, This PC and choose properties. On earlier versions of Windows, go to My Computer icon, right click on it and select properties.
8. Install an SSD (Solid State Drive)
If you’re willing to pay for faster performance, consider purchasing an SSD. An SSD boosts your operating system boot up time. It increases your computer speed when loading and using applications that demand more speed. Be sure to check out for SSD’s if you want to replace your internal startup drive hard drive. External SSD’s with a USB 3.0 connection can also be an option.
Final Thoughts
Beware of the registry cleaner ads that claim to speed up your PC. They often contain malware. Other “Speed up your PC” methods may require you to turn off your visual animations. Take heed that this can compromise your computer functionality!
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