As the times go by the windows starts slowing down. There are many reasons for windows to slow down, few of the reason includes, a large number of temporary files, lower physical memory, power settings and so on… Whatever the reason maybe there is a solution to all the problems you are facing, you only need is time and patient.
Want your Computer to run faster? We have got solutions, take a few minutes to try and see the change by yourself. Here are some tips to help you optimize Windows for faster performance. Before we begin with the solutions first check if your hard-drive if full? If your hard-drive is full consider backing up your data then upgrade the storage.
1. Delete Program You Never Use.
I am pretty sure your computer has a few of the software you never use at all or there might be a few software that you used before and you have never used recently. Many retail shops pack your new PC with the software you didn’t order or you never used, most of this software is either the trial version or the freeware, which are of no use to you. It is always a good practice to uninstall the software which is of no use to you -especially utility programs designed to help manage and tune your computer’s hardware and software. Utility programs such as virus scanners, disk cleaners, and backup tools often run automatically at startup, which runs in the background and you can’t see them, more the software more the physical memory is used and more the task to handle.
It is never too late to uninstall that software. If your system has dual antivirus software, uninstall one of the antiviruses, uninstall all the software you never use. After uninstalling all the unnecessary software restart your device and see if it makes any difference.
2. Run Disk Clean
This is useful if you don’t know how to clean the temporary file manually. Disk clean up can clean few GB by deleting temporary files, unnecessary system files, and emptying your recycling bin. Disk clean up is useful if you are running low on your storage. To run a disk clean up please follow the instruction below;
- Click My Computer,
- right-click Drive which you want to clean,
- then click Properties.
- Click Disc Cleanup (within the General tab).
- A window will pop up asking which files you’d like to remove.
Check those you wish to delete and run the cleanup.
3. Defragment your hard disk
Fragmentation makes your hard disk do extra work that can slow down your computer. Disk Defragmenter rearranges fragmented data so your hard disk can work more efficiently. Disk Defragmenter runs on a schedule, but you can also defragment your hard disk manually.
Defragmenting will organize your data and free up space so your computer can access data faster.
To run disk defragment please follow the instruction below;
- Click My Computer
- right-click Hard Drive which you want to defrag.
- After you have right-clicked,
- click Properties, Tools, then click Defragment Now.
4. Disable Visual Effects
Windows can slow down over time, you can speed up windows by changing the few settings of visual effects. Disabling some of the visual effects comes down to the appearance versus performance. Disabling visual effects will make your windows look dull sometimes, would you rather have a faster-running computer or a prettier looking windows? The choice is yours, if you wish to have windows run faster then you can toggle these settings to make your computer run fast.
You can choose which visual effects to turn off, one by one, or you can let Windows choose for you. There are 20 visual effects you can control, such as the transparent glass look, the way menus open or close, and whether shadows are displayed. To change these settings follow the instruction below.
- Open control panel
- Search Performance information and tools.
- Click Adjust Visual Effects.
- Click the Visual Effects, click adjust for best performance and then click OK.
4. Check for Viruses
A virus could be the reason for the computer running slow. This is not as common as the other problems, but it’s something to consider. Don’t panic, it is just the guess if the system has been infected with the virus. Check your pc using antivirus to make sure nothing is wrong. Sometimes old or outdated antivirus database cannot detect the newer virus. Consider updating the antivirus database. The common symptoms of virus are
- Computer running slow
- unexpected messages pop up
- Applications starting automatically etc…
5. Clear the AppData and temporary files manually
Sometimes a large number of temporary files or the data from the old application can eat up space in your device making its performance slower. To clear the temporary files and app data to follow the instruction below;
- To delete Temporary files
- click start and click on run or just hold down Windows key and R to open the run command
- Type %temp% and hit enter, if it is your first time doing so, you might need to give permission. To do so just click on OK to open the temporary files.
- select all and permanently delete all the files.
- And again open the run command and type temp and follow the instruction above to delete all the temporary files.
To delete old app data follow the instruction below;
- Open the run command
- Type %appdata% and hit enter
- A folder consisting of all the app data will open, delete all the old and unused app data. Delete all the data of the software which has been uninstalled.
6. Increase Virtual Memory Size
Virtual memory is used to manage the paging files. Windows sets the initial size of paging file equal to the amount of the RAM currently installed on the system. The maximum size of virtual memory is around three times the size of RAM installed on your system. To change the virtual memory size follow the instruction;
- Open System by clicking the Start button, right-clicking Computer, and then clicking Properties.
- In the left pane, click Advanced system settings. If you’re prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
- On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings.
- Click the Advanced tab, and then, under Virtual memory, click Change.
- Clear the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives checkbox.
- Under Drive[Volume Label], click the drive that contains the paging file you want to change.
- Click Custom size, type a new size in megabytes in the Initial size (MB) or Maximum size (MB) box, click Set, and then click OK.
7. Add more memory
Random Access Memory (RAM) plays a vital role in system performance, more the memory basically more the speed. If your computer is running slow then the reason might be the thread handled by RAM is more than what a RAM can handle.
If a computer is running slow, it’s usually because the PC doesn’t have enough RAM. The best way to speed it up is to add more. There is another way to increase the RAM capacity which is discussed in the troubleshooting option 8.
8. Use ReadyBoost
ReadyBoost was developed to be used for the Windows Vista operating system, ReadyBoost has been the part of every operating system since then. ReadyBoost is easy to use and easy to configure. This feature allows you to use the storage space on your USB flash drive to speed up the system performance. It’s easier to plug a flash drive into a USB port than to open your PC case and plug memory modules into its motherboard. To use ReadyBoost, follow the instruction below
- Plugin the USB Flash Drive
- Right-click on the USB Drive then click properties.
- Under the ReadyBoost tab, click “Use This Device” and select the amount of temporary memory you wish to create.
- Then click on OK. After this, your system will start caching the files in your USB drive.
- When everything is done, You will see the change.
Note: You cannot format the USB Flash Drive, to format USB Drive, Just click “Do Not Use This Device” under the ReadyBoost tab in USB Flash Drive Properties.
