6 Tricks to Improve Windows 10 Performance
Windows 10, Microsoft’s latest offering, has been recognized as a success and back to form after the disastrous Windows 8. Windows 10 performs better, it brought back the classic start menu, and it looks stunning when compared with previous versions.
It’s possible to tweak some of the settings to get Windows 10 to run faster. One of the biggest problems with improving the performance of Windows 10 is that most people will tell you to turn off some of the better visual features.
Here are some ways to improve the performance of Windows 10 for free, without sacrificing some of the prettier features that Windows 10 has to offer.
Remove Bloatware
Many manufacturers of laptops and desktops will include a whole range of “helpful” apps which will pop up and often interrupt you when you’re otherwise happily using your computer. These apps run in the background and cause your computer to slow down. If you don’t use or need any of them, you should remove them.
To remove apps installed by the Windows Store, you can go to the “Apps & Features” settings and select the ones you want to remove from the list. If you’ve got more traditional style apps (i.e., ones that weren’t installed via the Windows Store), you can remove them from the control panel.
Reduce Startup Processes
The more programs and services you have running during startup, the slower your computer will run. In Windows 10, you can stop programs from running at startup by using the Task Manager. To access the Task Manager, either right click on the task bar and select “Task Manager” or press Ctrl-Shift-Esc at the same time. Click on the startup tab at the top of the window and you’ll see a list of programs which load during startup, run silently in the background, and otherwise slow down your computer.
If there are any programs in the list which you don’t use, or you use rarely, then it would be a good idea to disable them during startup. This will free up valuable resources and speed up the general operation of your computer.
Clean Your Computer
Download and install the free version of CCleaner to clean your hard drive and fix registry errors. As your hard drive begins to get full to capacity, you’ll notice a negative effect on the speed of your computer. Therefore, reducing the amount of data stored on a hard drive will help to keep it running as fast as possible.
Also, errors in the Windows Registry can cause Windows 10 to run slower. Keep the registry free of errors to ensure that Windows 10 is running as fast as possible.
Disk Defrag
If you’re using one of the old-fashioned mechanical hard drives, then you should regularly run disk defrag. As data on hard drives become more fragmented, it takes longer to find the various sectors which make up a file. The longer it takes to find these sectors, then the slower the computer will become.
By defragmenting your hard drive, you can rearrange the data so that it’s easier to find. If the data is easier to find, your computer will run faster as it takes less time to find all the sectors required to open a program or file.
Perform a Virus Scan
Viruses, malware, and spyware can all cause your computer to slow down. Use a free anti-virus program to ensure that your computer is clean. Usually viruses will cause your computer to divert hardware resources away from your other programs and slow down your computer.
Viruses can be a huge drain on your computer’s resources, and removing them will cause a noticeable effect on the speed of your computer.
Maximum Power Settings
In the power options of Windows 10, you’ll find options that can help you to save electricity. If you want to improve the performance of Windows 10, you’ll want to ensure that it’s running at full power and not in power saving mode.
Go to “Power Options” in the Control Panel and then select “Change Advanced Power Settings.” At the top of the window select “High Performance” from the dropdown list. This will ensure that Windows isn’t intentionally slowing down your PC to save you a few cents on your electricity bill.
Although Windows 10 is probably the fastest operating system produced by Microsoft, there are a few things you can do to speed it up even further. However, to preserve all the animations and other visual features which look good you can try tweaking a few of the settings to get the most out of your computer.
It’s possible to improve the performance of Windows 10 for free by changing a few settings and keeping your computer free of bloatware, viruses, and unnecessary data. If you’re looking to improve performance even further, you can try removing some of the visual effects which take up a lot of hardware resources and slow down your computer.
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