It is very important that your computer works as fast as possible. Have you been in that position where you feel like you are outthinking your PC? Latency should be very short after all that is the reason why we have computers in the first place.
There are a number of reasons that could cause the slow behavior of computers. In this article, we consider some ways by which we can improve the speed of any PC. And as you go on, you would find that all but hard drive issues really do not require money to implement.
Without further ado, let us head for the main points:
Table of Contents
1. Take out startup programs
Some programs start up whenever you boot Windows; but not all of them are necessarily useful at the time. It happens that most of these programs do not get used for days. They only end up clogging up the processing pathway of other programs. So why not clear them?
By clearing them means, reconfiguring them not to startup with Windows every time you startup your computer; instead they should only startup when you need them and manually launch them. This does not apply, of course, to some important programs like Anti-viruses. To take out some startup programs, click the up-facing arrow at the right of the taskbar. Right click on the programs, and if a settings menu comes up, check if there is an option to turn off automatic startup with Windows. This can be extended further by checking Windows analysis of how much disk space each program consumes and making decisions about which program to favor and which not to.
2. Defrag your hard disk
Some current Windows versions give room for disk defragmentation, however, you cannot totally be assured of an optimal result with the default automation. You might want to try other great third party defragmenters. Some of these defragmenters are IObits Smart Defrag 5 and O&O Defrag. The former works very well and is free. But there is a clause here though. You should only use these third party software if your machines use a traditional mechanical hard drive and not a Solid State drive.
3. Look for viruses and malware
Perhaps you have downloaded a piece of corrupt software from the Internet or just a bad file. it would also inhibit the performance of your computer as well. You would have to detect and flush out the file(s) before it does more harm. Most people use Windows Defender (It’s a good one). Just go to Start Menu > Settings > Update and Security > Windows Security. In the panel on the right, you will see the option: Open Windows Security (formerly called Windows Defender), click on it.
You would get the options to do a Quick Scan or a Full Scan or just a custom scan. If you have some time to spare, then go for a full scan. In the end, the process would float out all the bad files that had slowed the computer down. It even suggests troubleshooting approaches. You can also use other anti-virus software like Avast, McAfee, AVG, and Norton. They also do very good work at ridding computers of corrupted troubles.
4. Reallocate Virtual Memory Usage
An unbalanced allocation of memory usage can cause friction in computer functions and slow it down. Note that Windows 10 has a very economical memory, so you should not waste it. You can some web resources that address the reallocation process and approaches.
5. Do away with the Visuals
Windows 10 comes with numerous animations and visual effects. While they are great for aesthetics, they can be a source of friction for your PCs function. Fortunately they are not mandatory; you can take them out and save your computer some energy needed to optimize for other functions. Click on Windows Start Menu and enter the following: “advanced system settings”. Of all the results that emerge, select the first one. A window would open; there is a section labeled Performance, it has Settings button. Click on the button and choose from the dropdown of different visual effects that comes up. You can just choose the option Adjust for best performance. That way you save yourself the stress of figuring out the optimal choice. Click OK and close.
6. Install Windows Again
This is one of the most recommended ways to get Windows to run faster. By reinstalling Windows, you wipe out all the unhealthy files and programs that had slowed down the system. And it does not cost anything or even too much stress to reinstall Windows. You can just go to Settings, then to Change PC Settings, and then Update and Recovery. Click on Get Started.
If you intend to do a thorough reinstall, then you may need to copy the files to an external hard drive or any storage device. Or you may just want to reinstall but keep your files.
7. Do a Hardware Upgrade
Electronics get obsolete very fast and you would not doubt that if you have used any of Apple’s products. Sometimes this can be a cause of sluggish performance. The best step to take in this situation is to do an upgrade of the software so as to get an optimally performing machine. Just get the more modern components fixed in place of the older ones. Some of the possible upgrades are 4GB RAM for a 2GB and an SSD drive for an HDD.
8. Just Free Up Some Space
Overloading machines can be a source of underperformance too. Even human beings avoid biting more than they can chew, so you should be considerate when downloading and copying files into your machine. If possible, keep a storage device where you keep files until you need them. Try not to use more than 80% of the storage capacity of your machine. Some of the files in your computer are redundant; that is for sure. You may want to delete them if your computer starts snoozing for some air. Head to Start Menu > Programs and Features > Uninstall Softwares. Clear the programs that you no longer need or would not need in a year. That way you create more room for your machine to function.
9. Go for Faster Software
Go for Google Chrome instead of Internet Explorer, LibreOffice instead of Word, Paint software instead of Adobe Photoshop. My point is, where you can get a smaller and less weighty software to do a job that a heavier software does, go for the lighter one. Come to think of it, they offer products of equal quality, and one comes at a lower cost in terms of storage space and computer processing. And again, some of the heavy software come with extra baggage and applications that you really do not need; but they combine in making them heavy. Why not go for a standalone software of equivalent quality? By sticking to software choices that burden your machine less, you improve its performance by miles. Imagine running a 100MB software as opposed to a 5GB software that produces the same result. The choice should be fairly obvious.
