If you find your PC slows down and doesn’t function the way it used to, boosting Windows 10 settings can help improve your PC’s speed and performance.
Windows 10 is one of the best-performing operating systems in use today, but it comes with many system resource-intensive features that can degrade your PC’s performance.
Microsoft has even added built-in features to the latest Windows 10 to improve overall performance. However, your PC may continue to suffer from slow performance.
Reasons such as lack of storage space, maintenance, and weak hardware can be the culprits of slow speeds.
From cleaning up unused programs and apps to upgrading your hardware, you can do a few things to speed up Windows 10 and bring your PC back to optimal performance.
Ways to speed up your computer
- Check out the latest update
- Restart the PC
- Turn off launching programs at startup
- Disk Cleanup
- Remove old software
- Turn off special effects
- Turn off the transparency effect
- Run system maintenance
- Upgrade RAM
- Upgrade your storage device
Check out the latest update.
Installing the most recent Windows 10 updates is one of the most excellent methods to maximize the performance of your computer.
Microsoft regularly releases updates to fix common bugs and system bugs that degrade system performance. Some updates are pretty minor, while some are significant changes to the system in search of the latest device drivers that can help improve PC performance.
Open the Windows menu, then choose Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for Updates to check for updates. Install immediately if an update is available. Restart the PC and check if it runs better.
Restart the PC
This may sound simple, but restarting your PC regularly can help speed up your system. Many people let their PC run continuously for weeks and put the computer to sleep instead of shutting it down completely.
This will accumulate programs and jobs in your PC’s memory and slow down everyday tasks like opening programs and accessing files.
With a daily shutdown, you allow your PC to refresh its memory and be ready for optimal performance the next day.
If your PC slows down during everyday tasks like opening programs and accessing files or documents, try shutting down or restarting your PC. Before turning off or restarting your computer, don’t forget to save your work.
Turn off launching programs at the startup.
PC performance can suffer when there are too many programs and applications open at the same time. Many installers will tell Windows to run its programs as soon as you start your PC, reducing system performance.
Open Task Manager and select the Startup tab to stop apps from starting when the computer starts.
Pay attention to the ‘Startup impact’ column, which tells you which programs have a significant and negligible impact on startup. High-impact programs are the culprits slowing down your system performance.
To prevent a program from launching at startup, right-click the program you want to select and click ‘Disable.’
Disk Cleanup
One of Windows 10’s built-in features is Disk Cleanup. This feature allows you to remove unused temporary files that accumulate on your PC, including thumbnails, downloaded program files, and temporary internet files.
Open the Windows menu and find ‘Disk Cleanup’ by searching for the program in the search bar. After this step, you will be given a list of program files to remove.
Selecting the box next to the name, choose the files you wish to remove. Click “Clean up system files” after deciding all the files you want to remove. Disk Cleanup will figure out how much storage space may be released.
Take the time to delete other files and applications that take up more memory or disk space. One place to check for old and unused files for deletion is your Downloads folder.
Remove old software
Your PC often comes pre-installed with third-party software that you may not need. These pieces of software are called bloatware and can take up a lot of storage space due to their large size and are often entirely unused.
Your PC may be sluggish due to additional installed but inactive apps. Go to: to verify installed software.
Programs and Features > Control Panel Remove a Program
Any software you no longer require may be uninstalled by performing a right-click and choosing that option.
Turn off special effects.
Windows 10 has many special effects to make the user experience more enjoyable. These effects default to Windows, and other features are programmed to appear and disappear from view. Other unique features slowing down your machine include transparency and motion.
Select “System” from the Windows menu, then “Advanced System Settings,” “Advanced,” and finally, “Performance Settings.” Click the ‘Visual Effects’ tab and the radio button for ‘Custom.” You will see a list of visual effects you can turn off by unchecking the boxes. Click ‘Apply’ to confirm the changes when you are done.
Turn off the transparency effect.
Besides using your system resources to show features like motion, Windows 10 also uses transparency effects for certain features like the task menu. This seemingly light and straightforward effect is quite complex and takes up more system resources than you think.
To disable the transparency effect:
- Open the Windows menu and type ‘ colour settings in the search bar to open the colour settings for Windows 10.
- Look for the “Transparency effects” button by scrolling down.
- Turn transparency on or off.
How to Speed Up Windows And Make Your Computer Faster 👇🏿👇
Run system maintenance
Windows 10 has a built-in feature for performing routine system maintenance tasks. This feature includes defragmenting the hard drive, scanning for updates, and checking for malware and viruses.
System maintenance usually runs in the background when your PC is idle, but you can run it manually to see if there’s something wrong with the system you want to check.
Open Control Panel and choose Security and Maintenance to accomplish this. Click the arrow to expand maintenance options and select ‘Start Maintenance.’ You will be able to perform manual system maintenance checks.
Upgrade RAM
One drastic way to improve the speed and performance of your PC is to upgrade the RAM, which in turn increases the amount of memory in your system. For optimal performance, Windows 10 needs a minimum of 4GB of RAM.
You’ll benefit from more memory if you use your PC for system-heavy tasks like gaming or media production.
Upgrading RAM can drastically improve the speed and performance of your PC. To check what type of RAM your PC needs a particular type of RAM, open Task manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete), then click ‘Performance.’ You will see how many memory slots your PC has and the type of RAM. , for example, DDR4.
Upgrade your storage device
Upgrading your storage device can drastically improve the speed and performance of your PC. Most PCs come with a spinning hard disk drive (HDD), but upgrading your storage hardware to a solid-state drive (SSD) will turn your system into a more powerful machine.
SSDs are typically more expensive than HDDs, but the improvement in boot time, program load time, and overall system responsiveness are well worth the investment.
SSD drives come in various sizes and depend on your PC’s system requirements. This hard drive is 2.5 and M.2 sizes for desktops and laptops.
Be sure to purchase the correct SSD compatible with your system. You can also transfer all your files and documents from the hard drive to the new SSD, so you don’t have to worry about losing your PC’s contents. Learn more about storage upgrades.
Why does the computer get slower after prolonged use?
- The computer has too much software installed
- Run multiple software at the same time
- Virus
- OS update
- Hardware is not cleaned
The computer has too much software installed.
You only use it once when you need to utilize software, such as to read PDF files or convert video formats.
Or perhaps when you set up the software and are prompted (or advised) to set up other software. Though you will often become used to their presence, this software is the main culprit behind sluggish computer performance.
When software is installed, the computer consumes a lot of resources, which slows down the system’s ability to read and write complex disk data.
Run multiple software at the same time
When you use it, a lot of software will operate in the background. If you open too much software, the device’s CPU or RAM will get overloaded, leading to program crashes or crashes.
The simplest are web browsers or messengers like Skype, Viber, and Zalo, but even these take up a lot of RAM. Many people have the terrible habit of opening many online tabs simultaneously and never closing them after reading. This hole makes it difficult to use a standard PC with 4GB RAM.
Virus
Your computer will become slow if you obtain viruses; thus, you must run anti-virus software in addition to not visiting websites or downloading malware.
Anti-virus programs, however, are partly to blame for your computer’s sluggish performance because they are relatively resource-intensive and hefty.
If you don’t believe it, you may try to uninstall the virus while using the computer; you’ll notice that it runs slower.
OS update
The Windows operating system is automatically updated regularly, adding new features and using more resources each time.
The hardware is not cleaned.
Dirty hardware will affect the machine’s performance. The best action is to make cleaning hardware after extended usage a habit. The heated machine will slow down dramatically, especially the fan.
Can my VPN slow down my computer?
That is the answer to this question, yes. Unfortunately, not all VPNs are quick, and if you are utilizing a subpar service with sluggish servers and harmful software, your internet connections may abruptly stop working. VPNs need system resources to encrypt and decode data flowing to and from your PC.
Of course, it is simple to blame your computer or believe you have gotten infected with a virus when pages start loading slowly, and it is hard to access the internet.
It is essential to investigate how your VPN influences your internet speed. Some VPNs have a reputation for 95 per cent internet speed degradation. That naturally gives the computer the impression that it is broken.
You might wish to test a new VPN protocol if you discover that your VPN is significantly slowing down your internet. And if that doesn’t work, it might be time to stop using your existing VPN and switch to one of the fastest VPNs available.
Final thought
Computer performance issues can have various causes, such as hardware or software faults. And after a long time using your computer, downloading and installing programs, and you find that your computer is running slower and slower, the boot process takes an hour to finish. The processing of applications and manipulation takes a lot of time.
This makes you feel frustrated and annoyed. What can you do to make your Windows PC perform as quickly as it did when you first acquired it? Above I have given you some methods to help you easily overcome this situation.