10 Ways to Speed up Your Windows 10 PC

If you find that your PC’s performance, when you play slots online or watch series, is slowing down and isn’t performing as it used to, changing Windows 10 settings can help increase the speed and efficiency of your PC.

Windows 10 is one of the most efficient operating systems in use today. But it comes with a lot of features that use up a lot of system resources and can slow down your PC’s performance. In the latest version of Windows 10, Microsoft even added built-in features to improve overall efficiency. However, the performance of your computer may still be slow.

This could be due to insufficient memory, maintenance requirements, and less powerful hardware components. There are several things you can do to speed up Windows 10 and restore your PC to optimal performance, from uninstalling unused programs and apps to updating your hardware.

1. Checking for Updates

One of the best ways to get the most out of your PC is to always install the latest updates for Windows 10. Microsoft often releases updates to fix common defects and system errors that slow down system performance. Some updates might be minor, while others might make significant changes to your system, such as searching for the latest device drivers that can help improve your PC’s performance.

To check for updates, open the Windows menu, then select Settings> Update & Security> Windows Update> Check for Updates. If there are updates available, select Install Now. Restart your PC and check if its performance has improved.

2. Restart your PC

It may seem elementary, but regularly restarting your computer can help speed up your system. Many people do not shut down their PCs for weeks by putting their computer to sleep rather than turning it off. As a result, programs and workloads build up in the PC’s memory, slowing down daily tasks such as launching programs and accessing files.

Shutting down your computer every day clears RAM and prepares your PC for optimal performance the next day. If you notice that your computer has become slower to perform simple daily tasks, such as opening programs or accessing files and documents, try shutting down or restarting your PC. Remember to save your work before doing this.

3. Disable Starting Programs at System Startup

PC performance may decrease if many programs and applications are open at the same time. Many installers tell Windows to launch their programs as soon as the computer starts, which slows down system performance.

To disable programs from starting at system startup, open Task Manager and then click the Startup tab. The Startup Impact column indicates how much (high, medium, low) impact different programs have on system startups. The ones with the highest impact are the culprit in system performance degradation.

To stop the program from loading at startup, right-click on it and select Disable.

4. Disk Cleanup

One of the built-in features of Windows 10 is Disk Cleanup. It allows you to get rid of unused temporary files that accumulate on your computer, including thumbnails of images, downloaded program files, and temporary Internet files.

Open the Windows menu and use the search bar to find Disk Cleanup. A list of program files to remove will open. Select the files you want to delete by checking the boxes next to their names. After that click on “Clean up system files”. Disk Cleanup calculates how much memory is freed.

Take the time to remove other files or applications that are taking up RAM or disk space. Check your Downloads folder for old and unused files that you can delete.

5. Removing Old Software

PCs often come pre-installed with third-party software that you may not need. They are often referred to as “fat” software, can consume disk space due to their large size, and are often never used.

You may have other programs installed but never used, which can slow down your computer. To check which programs are installed, open the menu

Control Panel> Programs> Programs and Features> Uninstall or change a program.

Right-click on the program you no longer need and select Uninstall.

6. Disable Special Effects

Windows 10 comes with a lot of special effects that make the user interface look more pleasing. They are enabled by default in Windows and other features that are programmed to fade in and out of sight. Other special effects that slow down the speed of work are transparency and animation.

Open the Windows menu, find the System menu, click the Advanced System Settings tab, then Advanced, and select Performance Settings. Click the Visual Effects tab and click the Special Effects radio button. You will see a list of visual effects that can be turned off by unchecking the checkbox next to the name. Click “Apply” to confirm your changes.

7. Disable Transparency Effects

In addition to using system resources to display features such as animations, Windows 10 also uses transparency effects for certain features, such as the task menu. This seemingly light and simple effect is actually quite complex and requires more system resources than you think.

To turn off transparency effects, open the Windows menu and type “color options” in the search bar to bring up the corresponding menu for Windows 10. Scroll down to the Transparency Effects button. Click the button to enable or disable these effects.

8. Performing System Maintenance

Windows 10 has a built-in feature that performs common system maintenance tasks. These include defragmenting your hard drive, scanning for updates, and checking for malware and viruses.

System maintenance usually runs in the background when your computer is not in use, but you can manually start it if there is an issue on the system that you want to check.

To do this, open Control Panel and select “Security and Service Center”. Click the arrow to expand the maintenance options and select Start Maintenance. You will be able to perform a preventive check of the system manually.

9. Upgrading RAM

One of the radical ways to improve the speed and performance of your PC is to upgrade your RAM to increase the amount of memory on your system. Windows 10 requires at least 4GB of memory to run smoothly. If you are using your PC for intensive system loads such as gaming or multimedia creation, you will benefit from more memory.

Upgrading your RAM can significantly increase the speed and performance of your PC.

10. Upgrading the Disk

Upgrading your drive can dramatically improve the speed and performance of your PC. Most PCs come with spinning hard disk drives (HDDs), but switching to solid-state drives (SSDs) will make your system much more powerful.

Generally, SSDs are more expensive than hard drives, but making your system boot faster, loading programs, and improving overall system performance can be worth the money.