Are you frustrated with slow computer? Are you exploring ways to speed up slow computer? In this post, we will see various ways how to speed up slow computer running Windows OS.

A slow computer can be frustrating and can significantly impact productivity and user experience. While there are ways to improve the performance to speed up slow computer , troubleshooting computer problems can take some time when the root cause of the problem is not known. So be patient to try different troubleshooting steps and find probable causes to fix a slow computer. There is no one-step fix all solution, usually.

How to speed up slow computer (Windows PC)

The following are some recommendations to speed up slow computer running Windows OS. If the cause of the slow performance is not specifically known, you can try the following methods.

Restart Your Computer:

You may be surprised, but sometimes, a simple restart can resolve temporary performance issues on your computer.

If this is the first time you experienced a slow computer such as in the form of hung applications, then you may try restarting your computer to check whether that resolves the issue. Sometimes, some internal processes may get stuck causing the computer to slow down and hang applications.

However,  if restarting your computer does not solve the problem, then you may explore other options.

Check for Malware:

Your computer may also behave slowly if it is infected by malware.  Therefore, before you spend time exploring other probable issues, you should scan your computer to see if virus / malware infection is the cause of the slow computer.

• Run a full system scan using a reputable antivirus software to check for malware, viruses, and other malicious programs that could be slowing down your computer.

If threats are found take appropriate actions. Once you are done, check if you see any improvements.

Free Up Disk Space:

Your computer will also perform slower if it is running out of this disk space, especially if it is the drive where your windows operating system is installed. Freeing up disk space is another way to speed up slow computer.

• To check if your computer is low on disk space, just open Windows Explorer and have a look at the status of your hard disks.
  If any of your hard disk partition is running low on disk space then Windows will indicate with red color.
  There should be sufficient space on the disk partition where Windows OS is installed, as it is required by the OS system to store temporary files etc. for programs to run smoothly. If disk space is low, then you need to free up disk space and see if that solves the issue.
• Remove unnecessary files and uninstall unnecessary programs to free up disk space.
• Use the built-in Disk Cleanup tool to clean temporary files, system cache, and other unnecessary items.We explained how to use the Windows Disk Cleanup Tool here – Disk Cleanup Utility in Windows 11.

To open the Disk Cleanup tool in Windows, follow these steps:

• Open File Explorer > Choose a Drive > Right-click on the selected drive and choose “Properties” from the context menu.
  On Windows 11, you may not see the Disk Clean up from the Windows Explorer drive properties. Press Start button and type ‘Disk Cleanup‘ to open the disk cleanup utility.
• Disk Cleanup Button: In the Properties window for the selected drive, you will see a button labeled “Disk Cleanup.”
  Click on this button to launch the Disk Cleanup tool.
• Select Cleanup Options: Once the Disk Cleanup tool opens, it will calculate how much space you can free up by cleaning various types of files. This process may take a moment. After the calculation is complete, you’ll see a list of file categories that you can clean up.
• Choose Categories to Clean: In the Disk Cleanup window, you can check the check boxes for the types of files you want to clean.
  The categories typically include temporary files, system files, recycle bin contents, and more. You can click on the category names to see a brief description of what each type of file contains.
• Start Cleanup: Once you have selected the categories you want to clean up, click on the “OK” or “Delete Files” button (the wording may vary depending on your Windows version). A confirmation message will appear to ensure you want to proceed.
  Click “Delete” or “Yes” to begin the cleanup process.The Disk Cleanup tool will start cleaning the selected files, and a progress bar will indicate the process’s status. This may take some time, depending on the amount of data to be cleaned. When the cleanup process is finished, the Disk Cleanup tool will close, and the selected files will be deleted, freeing up disk space on your drive.

On Windows 11, you can also use Storage Sense – to automatically clean temporary files for your.

Disable Startup Programs:

Some programs are launched automatically during computer startup and can slow down your computer’s boot time. If your PC is specifically slow a few minutes after start up, probably this is due to the programs which are allowed to start automatically on Windows start up.

Disabling unnecessary startup programs will help your computer to boot faster and also speed up your computer as those programs will then start manually when your want. However, some system critical applications and program may still need to be enabled in start up. Otherwise, such programs may not run as expected. So, avoid disabling system critical programs.

You can disable start upbprograms using the Task Manager in Windows computer.

Steps to disable unnecessary startup programs using the Task Manager in Windows, follow these steps:

1. Open Task Manager: There are several ways to open the Task Manager:
   • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard.
   • Right-click on the taskbar and select “Task Manager.”
   • Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and choose “Task Manager” from the options.
2. Switch to the “Startup” Tab: In the Task Manager window, click on the “Startup” tab. This tab displays a list of programs that start automatically when you log in to your computer.
3. Disable Startup Programs: To disable a startup program, right-click on the program you want to disable and select “Disable.” Alternatively, you can select the program and click the “Disable” button at the bottom right corner of the Task Manager window.
4. Verify Disabled Status: The disabled programs will now show as “Disabled” in the “Status” column. This means they won’t start automatically the next time you log in to your computer.

Change your power settings

If you’re using  “Power saver” plan,  it may also slow down your PC.  “Power saver” plan reduces your PC’s performance in order to save energy or battery. This is particularly applicable for laptops than desktops.

Changing the power plan from “Power saver” to “High performance” or “Balanced” may give you some performance boost and help speed up computer.

Steps to change the power settings in Windows computer:

• Launch the Control Panel, then select Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
• Here you can see which power plan is in use currently.
• You’ll typically see two options: “Balanced (recommended)” and “Power saver.”
  (You may also see other plans depending on your make and model)
• To see the “High performance” setting, click the down arrow “Show additional plans.”
• To change your power setting, simply choose the one you want, then exit Control Panel.

Update Windows and Drivers:

Patches are released from time to time to fix bugs and performance issues in Windows. Your Windows computer may be running slower if such issues are not fixed. Windows updates often include bug fixes and performance improvements. Ensure the Windows Updates are installed from time to time so that issues are fixed by the patches.

Make sure your Windows operating system and device drivers are up to date.

To check if there are any updates pending to install, do the following:

• Press WIN key > type ‘check for updates’
• If there are any pending updates to install, those will be visible there.

Adjust Visual Effects:

Visual effects are appealing and we like it. However, those visual effects consume additional system resources. If your computer configuration is good enough, the visual effects will not matter much. However, if your computer configuration is low, the impact may be felt. In that case, consider adjusting the visual effects for better performance. This may also one way to speed up computer.

• Right-click on “This PC” or “My Computer” and select “Properties.”
• Click on “Advanced system settings” on the left.
• Under the “Performance” section, click “Settings.”
• Choose “Adjust for best performance” or customize specific visual effects as per your preference.

Manage Virtual Memory (Pagefile):

Windows Virtual Memory, often referred to as the Pagefile, is a system-managed file on your computer’s hard drive that serves as an extension of physical RAM (Random Access Memory). It allows your operating system to use disk space as if it were additional RAM when the physical memory (RAM) becomes full.

Ensure it is managed correctly, which may also help speed up computer.

• Right-click on “This PC” or “My Computer” and select “Properties.”
• Click on “Advanced system settings” on the left.
• Under the “Performance” section, click “Settings.”
• Go to the “Advanced” tab and click “Change” under Virtual Memory.
• Select “System managed size” or customize the size based on your RAM size.

Initial Size of the pagefile should typically be set to the amount of physical RAM installed on the system.
For example, if your computer has 8GB of RAM, you might set the initial pagefile size to 8GB.

The maximum size of the pagefile can vary depending on the system’s requirements. It may be set to 1.5 to 3 times the amount of physical RAM. For example, if you have 8GB of RAM, you might set the maximum pagefile size to 12GB to 24GB.

Disable Windows Search Indexing:

Windows Search Indexing is a built-in feature of the Windows operating system that enhances the speed and efficiency of file searches on your computer. So, ideally, it is better to keep Windows Search Indexing on. However, if you are troubleshooting slow PC issues, you may give it a shot to see if disabling the search indexing helps. Otherwise, revert back.

Steps to disable Windows Search Indexing:

• Open “Control Panel” and search for “Indexing Options.”
• Click “Modify,” then uncheck locations that you don’t need to be indexed.

Clear Browser Cache:

If you observe that your computer appears to be slow when you’re using the web browser then you can also try clearing the browser cache to see if that speeds up your browsing experience.

Steps to clear browser cache in Chrome Browser:

• On your computer, open Chrome.
• At the top right, click More and then Clear browsing data.
• Select a time range, like Last hour or All time.
• Select the types of information you want to remove such as browsing history, cookies, cached data
• Click Clear data.

Use Performance Troubleshooter:

There may be a problem with your computer but you may not be able to find it yourself. In that case you can use the Windows performance troubleshooter to let Windows find out problems for you and apply solutions if available.

Windows includes a built-in Performance Troubleshooter that can help identify and fix performance-related issues.

• Press WIN key > type ‘Troubleshoot” > Click on “Troubleshoot Other Problems”
• Run troubleshooter depending on the type of device or components.

Upgrade Hardware:

If your computer is still slow due to lower specifications, consider upgrading hardware components, such as adding more RAM or replacing the hard drive with a solid-state drive (SSD).

If your computer’s configuration is low, upgrading your hardware is one solid way to speed up computer. Some hardware which you can upgrade to improve the performance of your computer includes:

• Upgrading RAM or adding additional RAM
  Depending on availability of slots on the motherboard, you can either add additional RAM or upgrade the existing one with new RAM.
• Replace HDD with SSD to boost performance of your computer.
  You will see visible improvements in the system performance as SSD is not mechanical and hence, faster. SSDs are more expensive than HDDs but it is a good buy if you want a faster computer.
• Check and replace cooling fans
  

Use Event Viewer to view for any errors

One way to check is to use the Event Viewer in Windows, which is a built-in tool that allows users to view and analyze event logs generated by the operating system, applications, and services. It provides a centralized location for monitoring system events, diagnosing issues, and troubleshooting problems.

• Press WIN key > type ‘event viewer’ > click ‘Windows Logs’ > check application/system/setup etc. > check if there are critical/warning/errors.

 

Remember that the effectiveness of these steps can vary depending on the specific configuration and condition of your computer. If you are unsure about any step or encounter problems, it’s always a good idea to seek help from a tech-savvy friend or a professional technician.

 

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