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As computer hardware continues to accelerate, so does the software and Windows operating system. This is especially true at startup time. But once you start, there are other productivity factors to consider. Even the latest version of Windows isn’t immune to slowdowns, and not everyone is ready to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Here are some tips to speed up Windows whether you’re running version 10 or 11.
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A common problem with many articles on how to speed up Windows is that you disable some of the most interesting features of the operating system, such as visual animation. Many of our tips show you ways to speed up your Windows system without compromising its appearance and performance. Most tips can be done for free, but some involve spending a small amount of money on software or hardware. For those with older, underpowered cars that want to increase speed but don’t care about the extra goodies, here are some tips you’ll find at the end of this list.
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This “Speed up your computer!” Don’t forget that you have to be a parent. Add-ons for registry cleaning that often cause malware. Microsoft does not fully support the use of registry cleaner (Opens in a new window) for Windows 10.
, although we do not recommend it, everyone should do it. Periodically go to Settings > Windows Update to see if there are security and reliability updates to install. Your computer may run faster after an update because it may include hardware driver updates. Do it even if you don’t want a big feature update – you can delay those big updates in this section of Settings.
There are several third-party system cleaning tools for Windows 10 that can speed up your PC, but this category of software is not as popular as it used to be. Many of these utilities improve the computer’s performance, but sometimes only by a small amount. There are many malware downloads that claim to speed up your PC, so stick with a tried and tested product. For example, Iolo System Mechanic is a good option.
Although improvements have been made, the problem with some new computers is that they have a lot of unnecessary software, sometimes called pop-up software, junkware, or PUP. A Lenovo HK we tested a few years ago had about 20 utilities that would occasionally open and interrupt what we were doing. Even Microsoft is not to blame for this game, because they have added several games and mixed reality software to PC that you are not interested in.
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Right-click the desired program tile in the Start menu and select Uninstall. Doing so will remove the program immediately. You can also click on the Windows Start button icon and select the best Programs and Features option. Or type Programs in the search box next to the Start button.
You can usually find the offending software by sorting the list of installed programs under the name of your computer manufacturer. Another good option is to check your recent apps to see if there are any apps you don’t know you’ve installed; or to get rid of items that are too large for you to use. When you find unwanted programs, select them and click Uninstall. Unfortunately, you can only remove it once. If you have a bunch of software, set aside half an hour for this project.
Do not forget to find the software that you installed but you no longer want, and the software that came with it.
Remember that there are two types of apps in Windows 10 and 11: standard desktop apps and modern Microsoft Store (formerly Windows Store) apps. You’ll find both options on the Apps and Features page of the Modern Settings app. For non-Store apps, the Control Panel opens, where you can uninstall good old desktop apps. In both, you can sort by size, build date or name, or search for a specific program.
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One of the reasons why uninstalling apps works is because most apps load processes while loading and take up valuable RAM and CPU cycles. If you’re in Programs and Features in Control Panel, you can click Turn Windows features on or off to see if there’s anything you’re not using. For more information on how to remove, read How to Remove Crapware from Your Computer.
As mentioned above, many programs install side processes that run every time you start your computer, and some of them are not necessarily always running on your system. Compared to Windows 7, which required running the MSCONFIG utility, the new version of Windows provides an easier way to restrict startup from the updated Task Manager.
The easiest way to invoke the project manager is to press Ctrl-Shift-Esc. Go to the Startup tab and you will see all the programs that Windows loads at startup. The dialog even has a column that shows the initial effect on each. The Status column shows whether the program can run at startup. You can click on any entry to change this status. It’s very easy to see things you don’t normally want to work on. For example, if you never use iTunes, you won’t need iTunesHelper running all the time.
From the Start menu, type Disk Cleanup to open a reliable utility that has been part of the Windows operating system for generations. Disk Cleanup finds unwanted items on your computer, such as temporary files, offline websites, and installation files, and offers to delete them all at once. You may even notice that your recycle bin is growing at the seams, which generally has a significant impact on speed if your drive is full.
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If you don’t plan on defragmenting your drive regularly, install the Optimize Drives tool, which you can find by typing its name into the search box next to the Start button. If your primary drive is an SSD, you don’t need to bother with defragmentation because there are no moving parts to read the drive.
A new way to continue using Storage is to enable the No Storage option (see image above). Automatically free up space by deleting temporary files and recycling Bin items. For complete information on how to use this feature, see How to free up hard disk space in Windows.
Both Windows 10 and 11 manage memory more efficiently than previous versions of the OS, but more memory can still speed up computer operations. If you are using a desktop computer, this article can show you how to add RAM. The websites of the major RAM manufacturers (Crucial, Kingston, Corsair) offer product searches that show you what kind of RAM your computer is getting, and the prices are very reasonable. You can get 8GB of high-performance DDR4 RAM for less than $50.
If it’s $50 or more and your computer is older, has a hard drive rather than an SSD (see below) and doesn’t have a lot of RAM, you can use ReadyBoost with a USB stick. It stores data on a portable storage device to speed up memory access, which would be slower with a hard drive. Just go to the File Explorer entry of the USB flash drive, right-click to open Properties, and navigate to ReadyBoost. For most modern systems, this feature will not be available and will not improve performance.
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Adding RAM is not always possible, so not everyone can use this tip. This is not possible with current Windows devices such as the Surface Pro tablet. Gaming and business laptops often allow their RAM to be upgraded, but this is rare. Newer, ultrabooks and higher-end convertibles usually sport non-volatile memory.
Installing and running demanding applications like Adobe Photoshop is faster with an SSD. An SSD also greatly benefits Windows during startup. Apps from the Microsoft Store can be easily moved from the spinning hard drive to the SSD in the Apps and Features Settings page.
It makes sense to replace your internal hard boot drive for system speed, and if you’re using a laptop, that may be an option as well. But an external SSD with a USB 3.0 connection can boost speed in applications that use a lot of storage. Check out our list of the best SSDs to choose which device to install.
You can run the built-in Windows Defender or a third-party program, but among malware removal programs, Neil Rubenking, a leading security analyst, serves the best. Don’t forget to use anti-malware software as well. Some of the AV products are a
