Slow computers can be highly frustrating. Their performance issues often stem from programs that automatically start up when you boot up your machine – whether trialware is running in the background or there’s simply no time left in your day to close programs – which then drain storage and processing memory resources.
By taking a few easy steps, you can speed up and optimize the performance of your PC.
Clean Up Your Clutter
Your PC may accumulate an extensive collection of junk files over time that can hinder its performance and slow it down, so clearing away those old downloads is a straightforward way to speed things up again. Storage Sense makes this task easier by monitoring hard disk storage space for temporary files, inactive downloads and old Recycle Bin files; when these become full, they automatically delete them to free up space on disk drives.
Use Task Manager or System Configuration tools to reduce the number of programs that start up automatically when your computer boots up by managing startup processes. Look out for programs you rarely use and disable them so your startup speed improves.
Background processes that consume CPU, memory and disk space should be identified using the Task Manager and closed to improve overall system performance – especially when gaming or using resource-intensive apps such as Photoshop. This approach can dramatically boost the gaming or application usage experience.
At the same time, running a disk cleanup tool periodically is wise to keep your PC free from unnecessary files that occupy valuable disk space and hinder performance. A disk cleanup utility will remove temporary files, recycle bin items and any unnecessary data to free up space and improve computer performance.
As with software updates, regularly running driver update tools to keep drivers optimized and up to date is also essential to improving computer speed and performance. With Ark: Survival Evolved or Dark Souls 3, resource-intensive games such as Ark: Survival Evolved can significantly impact performance unless updated regularly with the appropriate patches and drivers. One great tool for doing this is CCleaner; its toolset can help maximize speed and performance significantly.
Upgrade Your RAM
Over time, your computer’s hard drive may become overburdened with temporary files and backups that occupy precious storage space and hinder its performance. A disk cleanup tool or reliable third-party software is essential in clearing these out to free up more room and speed up PC performance.
Upgrades in RAM can be one of the best ways to speed up your PC. RAM serves as a fast short-term memory bank that temporarily stores data that are being processed or will soon become necessary; you need more of it to avoid a noticeable slowdown in performance.
RAM upgrades can be relatively straightforward and inexpensive compared to many other PC upgrades, making RAM one of the more straightforward upgrades available. However, before breaking open your wallet for RAM upgrades, ensure it will work with your motherboard, mainly that its frequency matches existing modules (installing different frequencies can slow down your computer!). Generally, higher speeds are preferable, but frequency matching should also be prioritized (switching frequencies could cause your computer to run more slowly!).
Consider disabling programs that launch automatically at bootup as part of your rebooting routine. To do this, go into the Run dialogue, type “msconfig”, navigate to the Startup tab and uncheck any unnecessary programs – then reboot for changes to take effect.
Shutting down your computer every night will save time and allow it to refresh and reset its memory, which will decrease the number of unnecessary programs that start up automatically during startup and reduce overall performance issues. By performing simple maintenance tasks regularly on your PC, it will become an efficient productivity machine – and with just a bit of extra work, it can keep its performance peaking for as long as you own it!
Install a Solid State Drive
Adding a Solid State Drive is one of the best ways to speed up your computer, as its advanced technology is much quicker than traditional mechanical hard drives and can significantly enhance the performance of older systems.
Solid-state drives (SSD) use flash memory instead of spinning platters to access and write data much more rapidly than traditional hard disks, significantly improving responsiveness while decreasing RAM requirements. Installing an SSD into your system could dramatically increase responsiveness while decreasing programs needing to be loaded into RAM.
Installing an SSD should be straightforward with modern computers. Find a 2.5-inch drive mounting point within your case (often on the back of the motherboard tray or underneath the PSU shroud) to get started. After finding one, unplug and attach your new SSD. Lastly, set your BIOS settings for maximum performance by selecting AHCI mode when attaching new HDDs or SSDs.
Turning off unnecessary animations is another effective way to optimize PC performance, helping reduce processor load while increasing battery life. You can do this by visiting Windows’ Ease of Access Center and selecting “Make computer easier to see.”
Keep your CPU and RAM clean by clearing out temporary files and cached content regularly, which can build up over time and slow down your computer. Free programs like CCleaner make this process quick and straightforward – regular maintenance can transform a sluggish PC into an efficient productivity machine!
Update Your Operating System
Over time, your computer’s performance will decline due to limited storage or weak hardware. You can improve its performance by turning off unneeded programs, adding RAM upgrades or upgrading to an SSD startup drive – however, these upgrades require money and technical know-how; furthermore,e, finding and installing find ware install explicitly to optimize its performance may be challenging.
Slow computer performance may be caused by malware and viruses consuming system resources and impairing performance. A reliable antivirus program will identify and eliminate such threats to ensure your PC runs faster and more efficiently.
Maintaining an updated operating system can ensure it provides you with the latest features and bug fixes, keeping your PC running at maximum speed. Staying abreast of available updates ensures you make informed decisions about ensuring its optimum performance.
With time, your hard drive may accumulate temporary files, junk folders, and other unnecessary clutter that bog down its performance. To free up disk space and speed up your PC, remove these files using built-in tools or reliable third-party software to unclog disk space and speed things up.
Many computers run slowly because they’re running multiple programs simultaneously, draining valuable memory and processing power and making the computer less responsive than necessary. By decreasing the number of programs running simultaneously, you can dramatically boost its performance – this can be accomplished by either turning off unneeded programs or using free tools like MiniTool System Booster to delete apps, clean your PC’s memory-intensive background tasks, remove apps from memory-hungry PCs and provide a smoother computing experience for yourself and others.
Disable Unnecessary Programs
Many computers come preloaded with software you won’t use – known as “bloatware” – which takes up unnecessary storage space and slows down system performance. You can remove it on Windows by simultaneously pressing ‘Windows” and “R”, followed by entering “msconfig” at a command prompt to stop any unnecessary start-up programs from starting up automatically.
If a program takes up too much CPU or memory resources, use the Task Manager to check its status and make necessary changes – including closing or uninstalling an app if appropriate – for optimal PC performance.
Use a third-party program to scan for software or malware that could be slowing your PC down. Such applications can identify duplicate files, junk data and any unnecessary space-hogging files on your hard drive that might be taking up valuable storage space; additionally, they can remove corrupted files to make PC performance faster.
At least once every week, running a disk defragmentation program on your hard drive to maintain its organization and speed up your PC by reorganizing data that could otherwise take up space and slow read/write speeds is wise. Furthermore, shutting off your computer each night so it can recover before operating at peak performance when you turn it back on in the morning will help avoid annoying slowdowns in daily tasks while guaranteeing it runs at total capacity.