Every so often, your computer can seem like it is from the stone age.
Simple tasks like startup or opening new programs taking forever? Here are 7 quick ways to make your computer run a little faster…
1. Startup as slow as a snail? Download a program like Autoruns to disable certain programs during startup. Don’t want to download another program? Use Windows’ built in tool, MSConfig. Click the Start Menu, go to Search or Run, type “msconfig” Choose the “Startup” tab, and uncheck the boxes of the programs you don’t want to run on startup. Don’t recognize the program? Leave it.
2. Delete applications you no longer need or use. Click the “Start”. Open “Control Panel.” Under Programs click “Uninstall a program.” Choose the program you would like to delete and click “Uninstall.”
3. Run less programs at once. I am guilty of having literally every program on my computer running. Photoshop bogs it down enough by itself, let alone all of them running together. So, close programs that you aren’t working in. Your computer will thank you.
4. Clean up your hard drive. This will remove any unneeded system files, empty the Recycle Bin and also deletes temporary files. Click the “Start” menu. Search for “Disk Cleanup”, and then choose “Disk Cleanup.” Run the utility, click “OK” and then click “Delete Files.” Then, revel in how much disk space you have freed up.
5. Check for updates. Software updates can keep your computer safe and running healthy. Do you have your computer set to get automatic updates from Microsoft? To enable them check out this easy to follow wizard.
6. You should always be running Antivirus software to ensure you computer is kept safe. A few that we like are Malwarebytes — This is free software. It does not do live scanning, so it should be ran once a week. More is better. Glary Utilities — This is a great tool that has a lot of quick built in options. It will do all of the things above.
7. Last, but certainly not least, Defrag. Defragging scans all the files on your computer and then reorganizes them. Saving space on your hard drive.
Have any other recommendations for keeping a Windows computer fast and healthy? Leave them in the comments below. As always, be sure to share this post on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus!
i never knew defrag deleted files
Cleaning registry with CCleaner: “Over time, the Registry can become cluttered with missing or broken items as you install, upgrade, and uninstall software and updates. CCleaner can help you clean out the Registry so you’ll have fewer errors. The Registry will run faster, too.”
Awesome tips folks!!! Thanks a lot!!!
Although a little pricey, the ultimate way of improving your computer’s speed is to put the system (OS), programs and swap file on a solid state drive (SSD). Can you say 15 seconds to start up from a cold reboot.
Martin, nothing mentioned about defrag deleting files, it reorganises them. It collects all the bits of a file and sticks them all together as it should be (so windows can break it up again next time you use it).
Lol the problem is Windows not the PC 😀
Just a heads up, never ever defrag a solid state drive (SSD) because doing so does nothing to help performance and it degrades the drive so it won’t last as long as it should.
The best way to fix a slow windows computer is format and reinstall. Personally I run Linux, much faster and more stable.
1. Ok
2. Sure
3. – No, you don’t literally run every program on your computer at once. You are why dictionaries are changing the definition of ‘literally’
4. In some ways this can slow you down, by deleting caches that speed you up. If you have enough space for a big page file, this step will not really help.
5. Sure … but it won’t make your computer faster. Might even slow it down for taking up more space and for running new security measures that often come with updates.
6. Sure, but it won’t make your computer faster compared to a non-infected computer that has no anti-virus / anti-malware. It will actually make it slower due to real time scans.
7. Defragging has been un-necessary since Vista due to Windows taking care of it automatically. If you have an SSD drive, Excess defragging will reduce it’s lifespan.
Conclusion: I want my wasted 5 minutes back.
“Conclusion: I want my wasted 5 minutes back.”
How much time did you waste leaving this comment? If you have better things to do, why not go troll somewhere else.
I strongly disagree with leaving comments on Facebook. Clacker, Mutter,. Twitter and Googleplus, they are intrusive abominations that should be ignored and never used if you respect your privacy! Especially Google+ which will take over your comp[uter and your life.
windows os is great by itself.
then we install programs. we store files.
the more programs, the more files,
the faster the hard disk age, the slower the pc gets.
but I can be reduce (slowness).
the above 7 are better solutions if you do it first,
then feedback later.
I literally don’t download programs or software that I don’t usually use or no use to me. I always trash away programs that I don’t use anymore in order for my Windows to run smoothly.
Frank,
I totally agree with you! What a dumb comment to leave?! If he feels like the article was a “waste of time” why “waste more time” and leave a comment, ha ha. What an idiot!
I agree with you, that a good way to fix a slow PC, is to format, and re-install. However, the reason Windows PC’s are so “popular”, is that pretty much every new computer you buy, has it installed on it, other than Apple of course, and 99.9% of all people using a PC, have no idea that there are actually other OS’ out there. That being said, you need to realize, that Windows is 100% fine for what it is supposed to do! The average PC user never even encounters a Blue Screen or a crash! It is US, people that “mess” with computers, that make it crash! Oh, one more thing; The people that keep bringing up, that Windows is so “bad” and unstable, do they own anything, that never crashes, brakes down or has any flaw?! I don’t think so! Pretty much everything has problems and breaks down, once in a while! Do they bitch about that?! No! Like I said, Windows is great for what it is made for and it is not more unstable or “bad” than any other product in your household! And BTW, what harm does it actually do, when your PC crashes?! To 99.9% nothing happens! If your super reliable household items break down, there is money to fix it involved! So get over Windows being “unstable” and move on!
thanks,
Frank
p.s. Don’t waste your time replying! I never read what people say, about what I had to say!
Best idea = have all your important programs download files on a flash drive/external drive and WIPE/Reinstall, i do it every 6 months, and have not had a slow computer since XP
i wipe, install win7 ultimate>reinstall my crucial programs>Defrag>make 4 partitions and set 4 gigs of virtual memory on each>plug in 2 flash drives and set up 4 gigs virtual ram on each and install NOTHING ELSE and BAM 6 months of a lag free computer, all the while playing video games all day with 4gb ram and a 250 gb HD (OS is also installed on a partition)
Good Tips Increase My Speed Thanks!!!!!
You might also want to do an “error check.” Go to My Computer. Right click properties. Left click Tools.Click on Error Checking. It will ask you to reboot the pc after you checked this option. When you do a blue screen will come up. DO NOT exit from this until it is finished or you computer might crash. Once it is completed it will reboot itself. The error check is like fixing pothole in the road on your hard drive.
tell some more tips to speed up tha pc
Always check your hard disk free space. For making better of faster, you want to keep around 30% of the hard disk space free to keep things running smoothly. Install antivirus and update it time to time.
Great article. My computer was much faster now.