How can i speed up my pc

Whether it happens gradually over time or all of a sudden, trying to work with a slow computer can be seriously frustrating. In fact, you can take several steps to give it a bit of a boost in the performance department. With some simple decluttering and a few more technical operations, even the slowest computer can return to its old self. In this post, we reveal 14 things you can do to speed up a slow laptop or PC using Windows 10, 8, or 7.

However, any adjustments for Windows 8 and 7 will be noted directly below, if applicable. Looking for a quick fix? We like System Mechanic because it:. Items in the system tray often launch at startup and then stay running while you use your computer.

Similar to programs running in the tray, other programs that automatically run on startup can slow down your computer. Some you may actually want to run, such as antivirus software, but others may be unnecessary. This process is especially beneficial to performance if you can disable some of the high impact ones.

But note that some of these programs are vital for Windows to operate. For example, the ones with Microsoft listed as the publisher are probably best left alone. To disable, simply right-click and hit Disable. This is true and it can help performance too. Windows will automatically send you a notification when an update is available. If you think you might have missed an update, you can always check. Go to Start and click Settings or the settings icon. Aside from your Windows operating system, drivers and apps should be kept up to date too.

Again, this is good for both security and performance. If you think you might have missed an update, a quick online search should tell you which version you should be using. Just like our closets and drawers, our computers get cluttered. This is especially true if you deal with a lot of large files, such as high-resolution images, audio files, and videos, on a day-to-day basis.

Free up space by making a habit of deleting files and folders each week and emptying the recycle bin afterwards. Handy tip: HDDs usually run at peak speed until they reach roughly 90 percent capacity.

If you find that your computer is suddenly running significantly slower, chances are there is a particular program to blame. Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager. Click More details to find out information about the programs that are currently running on your computer. It should show you the Processes tab by default.

You can click each header to sort the list according to which applications are using the most of that particular resource. If you need to close something, try closing the actual application first. The default is set to Balanced , which takes into account performance and energy consumption.

As such, you may want to change your plan. As its name suggests, the High performance plan is a better option is your PC is running slow. Although this option uses more energy, it favors performance so should help speed up your machine. Aside from the standard options, you could choose to create your own custom plan.

Choose which existing plan you would like to start with, enter a name for your new plan, and select Next. Alternatively, you can also use a tool like the aptly named PC Decrapifier to help you distinguish the good from the bad.

If your PC is underpowered, you may want to sacrifice aesthetics and gain some speed. Right-click Start, and select System. This brings up the System Properties dialog box, already on the Advanced tab.

This brings up another dialog box. You can uncheck some of the options, or simply select Adjust for best performance. A lot of programs want to load automatically every time you boot. Each one slows down the boot process, and some continue to slow down Windows afterwards. These are not all bad. Your antivirus program should load when you boot and keep running as long as your PC is on. Other programs that need to run in the background to work, such as OneDrive, should also autoload. That issue has since been fixed with a patch.

The Task Manager can show you all the programs that load automatically at boot, and help you choose which ones to keep. To see how bad the situation is, right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager. Click the Startup tab. The Startup tab will show you all the autoloading programs.

This tab includes two additional options for freeing up space:. Programs and Features. This option opens Programs and Features in Control Panel, where you can uninstall programs that you no longer use. The Size column in Programs and Features shows how much space each program uses.

System Restore and Shadow Copies. System Restore uses restore points to return your system files to an earlier point in time.

If your device is running normally, you can save space by deleting earlier restore points. If Windows is running slowly, you can speed it up by disabling certain visual effects.

You can select which visual effects to turn off one by one or you can let Windows select for you. To turn off visual effects, follow these instructions:. Tap or click Performance Information and Tools on the left side of your screen. Tap or click Adjust visual effects. For a less drastic option, select Let Windows choose what's best for my computer. Sometimes you can improve system performance by changing your computing behavior.

Running four or more programs while leaving multiple browser windows and email messages open may be more than your device can handle. If you find your device slowing down, decide whether you really need to keep all of your programs and windows open at the same time. Also, find a way to remind yourself to reply to email messages later instead of keeping them open until you reply. ReadyBoost can speed up your device by using storage space on flash memory cards and USB flash drives.

If you have a storage device that will work with ReadyBoost, you'll see an option to use ReadyBoost when you plug it into your device. If you select this option, you can select how much memory to use. Windows uses an index to perform very fast searches of the most common files on your device. If it's taking too long to search for things on your device, you can narrow your search to focus on the files and folders that you most commonly use. A power plan is a collection of hardware and system settings such as display, sleep, and so on that manages how your device uses power.

The power plans you can use depend on the kind of device you have. Other resources Post a question or search for solutions in the Microsoft Community forums. Microsoft community for Windows 8. Microsoft support for Windows 8. To prevent a program in the notification area from running on startup, open the program and find program options.

If you see any programs in this folder that you do not want to run when Windows starts, right-click the icon for that program and click Delete. Note: This action does not remove the program. It only deletes the options that starts the program automatically. System Configuration helps you identify programs that run at startup and discover programs that slowdown your device.

Note: If you disable programs that normally run at startup, related applications may start more slowly or not run as expected. If you are not sure what a program in System Configuration does, do not disable the program. To run System Configuration, follow these instructions:. Double-click System Configuration. In System Configuration, click the Startup tab. Important: Do not click Disable All. This could make Windows run without some programs you may need.

Review the programs that are set to run at startup. Click to clear the check box beside any program that you do not need to have running all the time. Note: Changes that you make in System Configuration do not take effect until you restart your device. Select a program, and then right-click the program. Some programs include the option to change, repair, or uninstall programs.

To change a program, click Change or Repair. If there is no Change or Repair option, click Uninstall. Note: You must be logged on as an administrator to perform these steps. If you are not logged on as an administrator, you can only change settings that apply to your user account. Click Computers andright-click the hard disk drive that you want to check.

To automatically repair detected problems with files and folders, select Automatically fix file system errors. To perform a thorough disk check, select Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

This scan, which attempts to find and repair physical errors on the hard disk itself, can take much longer to complete. To check for file errors and physical errors, select Automatically fix file system errors and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

Depending on the size of your hard disk, this procedure may take several minutes. Note: If you select Automatically fix file system errors for a disk that is in use, you will be prompted to reschedule the disk check for the next time you restart your device.

Disk Defragmenter rearranges fragmented data so that your hard disk drive can work more efficiently. Note: Disk Defragmenter can take anywhere from several minutes to several hours to complete, depending on how much data on your disk is fragmented. You can use your device during defragmentation, but the system may respond slowly until defragmentation is finished. To run Disk Defragmenter, follow these instructions:. Click Analyze disk.

When Windows finishes analyzing the disk, the Last Run column shows the percentage of fragmentation on the disk. If the number is above 10 percent, click Defragment disk. In the Drives list, click the hard disk drive that you want to clean up, and then click OK.

Disk Cleanup will calculate how much space you can free up on the drive. This may take a few minutes. In the Disk Cleanup dialog box, click the Disk Cleanup tab, select the check boxes for the file types that you want to delete and click OK.

Click OK. For a less drastic option, select Let Windows select what's best for my computer. If you have a USB drive or a memory card with at least 1 gigabyte GB of available space, you may be able to make your system faster by using ReadyBoost. ReadyBoost uses available storage space on a removable device to boost your system speed. Note: If your drive or card doesn't have enough available space for ReadyBoost, you'll see a message telling you to free some space.

To learn more see Improve Windows searches using the index. A power plan is a collection of hardware and system settings that manages how your device uses and conserves power.

Power plans can save energy, maximize system performance, or balance energy conservation with performance. The default power plans—Balanced and Power saver—meet most people's needs. But you can modify settings for existing plans or create your own plan. To adjust power settings, follow these instructions:. On the Select a power plan page, select a power plan. If you don't see the power plan that you want to use, click Show additional plans.

Microsoft Community for Windows 7. Microsoft Support for Windows 7. Click Windows Defender. Note: If you are notified that this program is turned off, please follow the pop-up window to turn it on. Click the Tools button and then click Software Explorer. In the Category box, click Startup Programs. Select the program that you want to prevent from running and click Disable. Click Yes to confirm that you want to stop that program from running. You can manage all the settings there, including when and where to backup old and unused files.

Most people delete files, but these files get moved to the Recycle Bin and are then forgotten about. If your internet browser is running slow, that might be because you have too many extensions running at the same time. Unless you have a specific need to keep track of your browser history, you should regularly clear it out. This will prevent your computer and web browser from lagging. When clearing your browsing data, you should also clear cookies, cached images, and other temporary files. The process is pretty much the same for most browsers — just go into your browser settings and clear the history.

To maintain stable computer speed, make a habit of regularly clearing browser cache, history, and temporary internet files. Your computer usually launches all kinds of different processes, tasks, and programs upon booting up. Some programs are necessary and helpful, but others can unnecessarily slow down startup times. You can manage what startup programs you want to be running in the background using the Task Manager. Again, antiviruses like TotalAV make this process easy by letting you easily enable and disable startup programs.

Malware and viruses can infect your computer and impact performance by taking over computer resources in the background. Reputable antivirus software can help protect your PC by scanning for and removing threats. The best antiviruses include real-time protection to block malware from entering your system in the first place. There are many free antiviruses available, but most of them lack comprehensive malware and internet security protections.

TotalAV is also a really good option as it comes with additional features, including device optimization tools that are easy to use for non-technical users. To help you find the files and programs you need as fast as possible, Windows PCs keep an up-to-date index of all of your drives.

But you can always turn off or tweak search indexing.