How to Speed Up Your Windows PC, My name is Alex and I am more than 10 years old, and I have been working with computers. Around the beginning of the 2010s, I used to be the one who would save the slow laptops of the friends and root through settings, changing hardware and software to give them a second life. Nowadays when Windows 11 is the operating system of choice by most people, I continue to receive calls regarding sluggish-as-molasses PCs.
It’s frustrating, right? You turn on your computer, and rather than getting down to business or playing games, you are looking at a loading screen that seems to be endless. Still, don’t worry, I am on your side. In this article I shall take you through some of the proven ways of making it happen, taking into consideration my own hands-on experience, real-life fixes, and a little bit of research using the sources that can be trusted such as the Microsoft documentation and technology forums that I have been using over the years.
We will discuss some of the quick and risk free fixes, as well as the more comprehensive upgrades, but we are going to maintain the balance. All tips do not apply to all systems, and I will be honest about possible issues, such as how overclocking your processor can nullify a warranty, or how the systems may fail. My goal? To assist you in making decisions that will not only prolong the life of PC without compromise.
The 6 possible reasons why your windows PC is slowing down.
We should be able to comprehend the perpetrators before we start fixing. As a result of my troubleshooting years, I have realized that most of the causes of slowdowns are actually caused by a combination of software bloat, old hardware, and bad maintenance practices.
An example of such a scenario was when I assisted a colleague whose windows 10 computer took long to boot up. It turned out he had a dozen unused programs that were running at start up and it was consuming RAM and CPU. On hardware level, systems become old and the components such as hard drives fail to work or become fragmented hence causing delays. In the present day, where programs and files have grown to monstrous calculations – goodbye, high res videos and bloated web browsers – your computer soon becomes congested.
The data provided by the sources such as PCMag and by myself show that Windows 11 PCs tend to be faster than older systems with improved resource management, although even they cannot be guaranteed in case you run them on budget hardware. One of the key indicators that should be monitored is resource consumption in your system; you could use programs such as the task manager to tell whether your CPU is overloaded or you could have limited memory. When you are observing a steady high traffic, then take action.
Get Things Moving: Easy Maintenance to Start with the Basics.
We can start with the low hanging fruit. These are the ones that I would suggest to virtually everyone first as they are safe, effective, and they do not demand much effort. Even in my case, it can be as simple as doing these which can save seconds when it comes to boot times and normal day-to-day activities seem easier.
To begin with, optimize a disk cleanup. Windows has its own utility of such- search in the Start menu amber Disk Cleanup. It searches temporarily created files and obsolete system logs among other rubbish accumulating as time goes. Once I was able to clear 20GB of junk off a clients disk and immediately gain space and cut down load times. To windows 11 users, it is even simpler through the storage sense feature which can be configured to automatically organize files. Pro tip: Combine it with the inbuilt defragmenter (which is currently known as Optimize Drives) in case you still have the old hard drive. The SSDs do not require any defragging, however, the TRIM optimization is allowed and is managed by Windows automatically.
The second step is to make sure that your system is current. Microsoft releases updates, which contain bug fixes and enhance performance and therefore neglecting them is just like driving on flat tires. Go to Settings > Update and Security Windows update and ensure that there are no unfinished installations. I once had to work with a machine with Windows 10 that was slow due to the failure of an update partially, which was resolved by having to restart and reinstall it overnight.
Another easy victory: Control those start-ups. An overload of applications coming into your system upon booting up can make a fast start a game of waiting. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), open the Startup tab, and turn everything that is not necessary off. As an illustration, when you are not using a third-party antivirus, turn it off during the start-up. In one of my actual cases, having disabled several bloatware programs in a pre-configured laptop reduced the boot time by more than two minutes to less than 30 seconds.
Go Deeper: Software Optimization To See the Benefits.
When you have mastered the fundamentals, then let us take it a notch higher. Here is where the analysis is a little more analytical based on my experience in working with different user setups. Software hacks are capable of delivering large payoffs, however, they also need to be approached with a touch of caution because by doing the right modifications, you might end up with an unstable setup and thus it is always best to first save your data.
Begin by uninstalling bloatware. Manufacturers are fond of the loading new PCs with trial software and applications that you will never need, they run in the background consuming resources. In Windows, select Settings Apps Apps and features to delete anything questionable. I have once optimized a gaming computer by uninstalling several games and utilities that were included in the pack, then made room and freed up CPU cycles in the process.
Another important area is the RAM management. When your PC is swapping information to the virtual memory on your hard disk (paging), then you have been experiencing that you require more RAM. This may be checked in Task Manager within the performance tab. As an example, I recently gave a friend a 4GB RAM Windows 10 laptop a 8GB upgrade which turned it into something capable of running light video editing without having to work overtime. When it comes to a constrained budget, utilities such as the inbuilt Memory Diagnostic may assist in detecting the problem but more often than not updating the hardware is the actual solution.
Then there is optimization of browsers, because that is where most individuals spend the time. In case Chrome or Edge is sluggish, delete cache and cookies on a regular basis – it is defragging your web history. I would suggest that extensions should be used with care, on one occasion a user had more than 20 extensions that were slowing his/her browser. Alternatives available in the market such as Firefox can prove helpful in case of older hardware.
When Software is not Enough: Hardware Upgrades and real-life considerations.
At times, even all the fiddling of software in the world will not work–it may be time to see whether your hardware is at its limit. In my case, this is typical of laptops in excess of three years or desktops not updated recently. We can discuss some of the real-life upgrades that will transform the world.
First of all, you should consider changing to an SSD in case you are not already doing so. The old-fashioned hard drives are similar to the old-fashioned film-reels, though they are slow and mechanical, in contrast to SSDs which are digital lightning. I personally upgraded my own Windows 11 desktop with an HDD to the NVMe SSD and the boot time went down to less than 10 seconds. You can start with a 256GB SSD to make your OS drive, which will be a good place to start; you can use some software such as Magician by Samsung to make it more efficient.
RAM upgrades will be the second item. The minimum in which Windows 11 can run smoothly is 8GB, although 16GB or more is preferred in multitasking. One of my previous clients struggled with a 4GB system that was being overwhelmed by every Zoom meeting and document and dramatically increased the quality of their daily grind when I offered to upgrade the system. Ensure the compatibility of your motherboard- Crucial has excellent scanners on their site.
Gpu and CPU upgrades may be more challenging, particularly in laptops, but in case you are assembling or modifying a desktop, they are worth it. As an example, replacing an older Intel chip with a newer one in a custom rig can support the current needs such as 4K video or gaming. Nevertheless, be conscious of the environmental cost: New parts production contributes to the e-waste, and only upgrade necessary and recycle the old parts in an environmentally friendly way.
Concluding: wrapping itup in order to have a faster PC.
That is all it is–my time savings tips on how to make our Windows PC faster, based on my own years of field experience of fixes in the real world, and a bit of investigation. Maintenance first, then twickering the software, and then, as a last resort, hardware. Keep in mind it is not that you are going to turn your machine into a supercomputer overnight; you just need to make it reliable to your needs. I have found combining these measures to be useful in letting users regain lost productivity and even prevented them to buy new gadgets too soon.
The last thing: Change changes gradually and it should be tested separately. Measure your performance using such software as benchmarking software (e.g., UserBenchmark) to determine actual improvements. And not only, in case of doubt, do consult a professional, it is preferable to be safe than sorry.
FAQs
- How many times would you recommend cleaning up my disk to make my PC fast?
Once in every few months or when you realize slowdowns. Automate Windows storage Sense. - Will it be possible to solve all my performance problems with the addition of more RAM?
Not necessarily- it is good at multitasking, however, first check the other issues such as malware. - Is startup programs deactivation safe?
Yes, but ones you know, and you do not want. Avoid disabling the important system processes with the help of Task Manager. - Which version between windows 10 and 11 performs better?
Windows 11 is modern hardware-optimized and more efficient, yet both of them can run slowly without maintenance. - Is it necessary to optimize using third party tools?
They are not mandatory, however, I would use built-in Windows tools since the risk of using unreliable software is possible. - How would you know when your PC requires an upgrade of hardware?
When the software tweaks fail and Task Manager is showing a high amount of resource usage it is time to upgrade. - Is it safe to overclock my PC?
It is possible, but it is likely to be overheated and damaged hardware, and therefore should not be used by beginners.