10 Tips to improve PC performance in Windows
10
If your PC is running
slowly, the following suggestions might help speed things up. The tips are
listed in order, so start with the first one, see if that helps, and then continue
to the next one if it doesn’t.
One of
the best ways to get the most out of your PC is to make sure you have the
latest version of Windows 10 installed. When you check for updates, your PC
will also search for the latest device drivers, which can also help improve
your PC’s performance.
To
check for updates
1.
Select the Start button,
then select Settings > Update
& Security > Windows Update > Check
for updates.
2.
Do one of the
following:
·
If the status says
"You're up to date," go to the next tip.
·
If the status says
"Updates are available," select Install now.
3.
Select the updates
you want to install, then select Install.
4.
Restart your PC
and see if it seems to run better.
For more
info about updates, including how you can have them installed automatically,
see the Windows Update FAQ.
For
Windows Update troubleshooting info, see Update Windows 10 and Troubleshoot problems updating Windows 10.
If your
PC still runs slowly, continue to the next tip.
Having many apps, programs, web
browsers, and so on open at once can slow down your PC. Having a lot of browser
tabs open at once can also slow it down quite a bit. If this is happening,
close any apps, browser tabs, etc., that you don't need and see if that helps
speed up your PC. If it doesn't seem to help, restart your PC and then open
just the apps, programs and browser windows you need.
To
restart your PC
1.
Select the Start button,
then select Power > Restart.
2.
After your PC
restarts, open just the apps you need, then close them when you’re done.
Sometimes
apps that were made for an earlier version of Windows will still run on
Windows 10, but they might slow down your PC. If this happens after you open a
certain program, check the software company’s website for an updated version,
or run the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter.
To
run the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter
1.
In the search box
on the taskbar, type troubleshoot, then
select Troubleshoot
settings, which has System settings listed underneath
it.
2.
In the list of
troubleshooters, select Program Compatibility Troubleshooter > Run
the troubleshooter.
3.
Select the program
that you’re having problems with, then select Next and
continue through the troubleshooter.
PC still
running slowly? Continue to the next tip.
ReadyBoost
lets you use a removable drive, like a USB flash drive, to improve your PC’s
performance without opening your PC and adding more memory (RAM). To use
ReadyBoost, you’ll need a USB flash drive or a memory card that has at least
500 MB free and a high data transfer rate.
To
use ReadyBoost
1.
Insert the USB
flash drive into a USB port on your PC.
2.
Select File
Explorer from the taskbar.
3.
Press and hold (or
right-click) the USB flash drive (or SD card if you used one instead), then
select Properties.
4.
Select the ReadyBoost tab,
then select Use this device.
Windows determines if the device can use ReadyBoost. If it can’t, it'll let you know.
Windows determines if the device can use ReadyBoost. If it can’t, it'll let you know.
5.
After Windows
determines how much free space to use to optimize memory, select OK to
reserve this space so ReadyBoost can use it.
When you look at the contents of the USB flash drive in File Explorer, you’ll see a file named ReadyBoost.sfcache on the flash drive. This file shows how much space is reserved for ReadyBoost.
When you look at the contents of the USB flash drive in File Explorer, you’ll see a file named ReadyBoost.sfcache on the flash drive. This file shows how much space is reserved for ReadyBoost.
Note
ReadyBoost can't be used if
Windows is installed on a solid state drive (SSD). An SSD is already
fast, and ReadyBoost won't be able to improve its performance.
The
paging file is an area on your hard disk that Windows uses like memory. There's
a setting in Windows 10 that manages the page file size automatically, which
can help improve your PC’s performance.
To make sure automatic page file management is turned on
1.
In the search box on the taskbar, type advanced
system, and then select View advanced system settings,
which has Control panel listed underneath it.
2.
In System Properties, select the Advanced tab,
then select Settings in the Performance area.
3.
In Performance Options, select the Advanced tab,
then select Change in the Virtual memory area.
4.
Make sure the Automatically manage paging file size
for all drives check box is selected. If it is, continue
to the next tip. If it's not, select it and then restart your PC by selecting
the Start button
> Power > Restart.
Use your
PC and see if it’s running better. If it’s not, try the next tip.
You may
improve performance if you free some disk space on your PC.
To check for low disk space
1.
Select the Start button,
then select Settings > System >
Storage .
2.
Your drives will be listed in the Storage area. Note the amount of
free space and total size for each drive.
Note
If your PC is not low on space,
try the next tip.
You can
use Storage Sense to delete unnecessary or temporary files from your device,
which can also free up space.
If you
turn on Storage Sense, Windows will automatically free up space by getting rid
of unnecessary files—including files in your recycle bin—when you're low on
disk space or at intervals you specify. The instructions below show you how to
delete temporary files and how to turn on and configure Storage Sense.
If you
can't find Storage Sense on your device using the following steps, see the
"Free up space with Disk cleanup" section below instead.
Note
You may not want to delete
temporary files to improve performance. While these files may not be used at
the moment, they help your apps load and run faster.
To delete temporary files with Storage Sense
1.
Select the Start button,
then select Settings > System >
Storage .
2.
Select Temporary files in
the storage breakdown. Note: If you don't
see Temporary files listed, select Show more categories.
3.
Windows will take a few moments to determine what files and apps
are taking up the most space on your PC.
4.
Select the items you want to delete, and then select Remove
files.
To see
what's in your Recycle Bin before you empty it, open it from your desktop. If
you don't see the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop, in the search
bar on the taskbar, type recycle bin, then
select Recycle
Bin from the list of results.
Note
Windows moves files you delete
to the Recycle Bin in case you change your mind and need them again in the
future. You might be able to free up a significant amount of space by deleting
Recycle Bin files to permanently remove
files you've previously deleted.
To turn on and configure Storage Sense
1.
Select the Start button,
then select Settings > System > Storage .
2.
In the Storage area, turn on Storage Sense.
3.
Select Configure Storage Sense or run it now.
4.
In the Storage Sense area, choose how
often you want Storage Sense to run.
5.
In the Temporary Files area, select Delete temporary files that my apps
aren't using.
6.
Select which files you want Storage Sense to delete (your choices
are files in your Recycle Bin and in your Downloads folder), then select the
corresponding time intervals.
7.
Scroll down and select Clean now.
8.
Windows will take a few moment to clean up your files, and then
you'll see a message indicating how much disk space has been freed up.
If your
system doesn't have Storage Sense, you can use the Disk Cleanup tool to delete
temporary files and system files from your device.
To run Disk Cleanup
1.
In the search box on the taskbar, type disk
cleanup, then select Disk Cleanup from
the list of results.
2.
Select the checkbox next to the type of files you want to delete.
(To view a description of each type of file, select the name.) By default, Downloaded
Program Files, Temporary Internet Files,
and Thumbnails are
selected. Be sure to clear those check boxes if you don't want to delete those
files.
3.
To free up even more space, select Clean up system files. Disk
Cleanup will take a few moments to calculate the amount of
space that a can be freed up.
Note
If it’s been fewer than 10 days
since you upgraded to Windows 10, your previous version of Windows will be
listed as a system file you can delete. If you need to free up drive space, you
can delete it, but keep in mind that you'll be deleting your Windows.old
folder, which contains files that give you the option to go back to your
previous version of Windows. If you delete your previous version of Windows,
this can't be undone. (You won't be able to go back to your previous version of
Windows.)
4.
Select the types of files you want to delete, select OK,
then select Delete files in the confirmation
window to start the cleanup.
If your
PC still runs slowly, try uninstalling apps you don't use anymore.
To uninstall apps you don’t use anymore
1.
Select the Start button,
then select Settings > Apps > Apps
& features.
2.
Search for a specific app or sort them to see which ones are
using the most space.
3.
When you find an app to remove, choose it from the list and
select Uninstall.
4.
Restart your PC and and see if performance has improved.
If your
PC still runs slowly, try moving files to another drive.
If you
have photos, music, or other files that you want to keep but don't use often,
consider saving them to removable media, like a USB drive. You'll still be able
to use them when the drive is connected, but they won't take up space on your
PC.
To move files to another drive
1.
Connect the removable media to your PC.
2.
Select File Explorer from
the taskbar and find the files you want to move.
3.
Select the files, go to Home, then
select Move
to > Choose location.
4.
Select your removable media from the location list, then select Move.
5.
Restart your PC and see if performance has improved.
If your
PC still runs slowly, try the next tip.
Windows
10 includes many visual effects, such as animations and shadow effects. These
look great, but they can also use additional system resources and can slow down
your PC. This is especially true if you have a PC with a smaller amount of
memory (RAM).
To
adjust the visual effects in Windows
1.
In the search box
on the taskbar, type performance, then
select Adjust
the appearance and performance of Windows in the list of
results.
2.
On the Visual
Effects tab, select Adjust for best performance > Apply.
3.
Restart your PC
and see if that speeds up your PC.
If your
PC still runs slowly, continue to the next tip.
Your PC
settings let you choose where files will be saved by default. You can save
files on your PC or to OneDrive by default and sync files between the two
locations. This lets you get to your files from any device that can connect to
the internet, and it helps make sure your files are backed up in case your PC
is ever damaged or lost. However, files must sync between your PC and
OneDrive, and syncing can slow down your PC. You can pause OneDrive syncing
temporarily and see if it helps improve your PC performance.
To
stop syncing to OneDrive
1.
On the taskbar, look for OneDrive near
the notification area.
2.
Select OneDrive > More > Pause syncing, and
then choose how long you want to pause syncing your files.
3.
Restart your PC
and see if your performance issues have improved with syncing paused.
4.
To resume syncing your files, select OneDrive > More > Resume
syncing.
You can
also visit Fix OneDrive sync problems to check for
any sync issues.
Note
If you have Window 10 version
1709 or higher, you can use OneDrive Files On-Demand to choose which files you
want to sync and always keep on your PC. This can help improve PC performance
if you reduce the number of files that are synced to your PC. To see which
version of Windows 10 your device is currently running, select the Start button,
then select Settings > System > About.
For more info on OneDrive Files
On-Demand, see Learn about OneDrive Files On-Demand.
When you
turn on your PC, some programs start automatically and run in the background.
You can disable these programs so they don’t run when your PC starts.
Many
programs are designed to start automatically when Windows does. You don’t
realize they're running, but they'll open quickly when you go to use them. This
is helpful for programs you use a lot, but not for programs you don’t use often
because it increases the time it takes Windows to start.
Find
the programs that start automatically
Sometimes
you can determine which programs start automatically by looking at the
program icons in the notification area on the far right of the taskbar. Check
there first to see if there are any programs running that you don’t want to
start automatically. To try to find out the name of the program, point to the
icon with your mouse pointer. Make sure you select Show
hidden icons , so you don’t miss any programs.
Notification area with mouse pointing to show hidden icons
Even
after you check the notification area, you might still miss some programs that
run automatically at startup. Here’s how you can find all the programs that
start automatically, and stop the ones that you don’t want to start
automatically when Windows starts.
To
stop a program from starting automatically
1.
Select the Start button,
then select Settings > Apps > Startup .
2.
In the Startup Apps area,
find the program you want to stop from starting automatically and set it to Off.
Notes
·
If you turn off a program and it continues to start automatically
when Windows starts, you should scan for viruses and malware. See the
next section for more info.
·
To use the procedure above to stop a program from starting
automatically, you need to have Windows 10 (Version 1803 or higher) installed. To see which version of Windows 10
your device is currently running, select the Start button, then
select Settings > System > About.
·
If you have Windows 10 (Version 1709 or earlier) installed, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete,
select Task
Manager, select Startup, select the
program you want to stop from starting automatically, then select Disable.
A virus,
malware, or malicious software could cause your PC to run slowly. Other
symptoms include unexpected pop-up messages, programs that unexpectedly start
automatically, or the sound of your hard disk constantly working.
The best
way to handle viruses and malicious software is to try to prevent them by
running antimalware and antivirus software and keeping it up to date. However,
even if you take precautions, your PC can still become infected.
You can
scan your PC for viruses or other malicious software by using Windows Security
(formerly Windows Defender Security Center), which is included in Windows 10.
For more info, see How to protect your Windows 10 PC.
Notes
·
If you’re using other antivirus or anti-malware software, see
the documentation for that program to learn how to scan for viruses. Also, make
sure multiple antivirus programs aren’t running at the same time. If they
are, choose the one you want to run, and then disable or uninstall any
others.
·
If you have another antivirus program installed and turned on,
Windows Security will be turned off by default.
To
scan for viruses using Windows Security (Windows 10 Version 1809 or later)
1.
Select Start > Settings > Update
& Security > Windows Security
and then select Open Windows Security.
2.
Select Virus & threat protection, then
select Check
for updates under Virus & threat protection updates.
3.
On the Protection
updates screen, select Check for updates to
make sure you have the most recent updates.
4.
Select Virus
& threat protection, then select Quick
scan.
Wait for Windows Security to finish scanning for viruses and malware.
Wait for Windows Security to finish scanning for viruses and malware.
5.
Do one of the
following, depending on the results of the scan:
·
Run the recommended advanced scan. This scan takes longer but
searches more extensively for threats on your PC.
·
If Windows Security
finds a virus or malware and can’t remove or quarantine it, contact Microsoft Support for help.
·
If no viruses are
found, restart your PC and try to reproduce the performance problem you were
having with your PC.
Note
If Windows Security doesn’t
open, can’t update the definition file, or can’t finish scanning for viruses,
try running Windows Defender Offline, which is explained below in To
scan for malware and viruses with Windows Defender Offline (Windows 10 Version
1809 or later).
To see which version of Windows 10 your device is currently
running, select the Start button,
then select Settings > System > About.
To
scan for viruses using Windows Defender Security Center (Windows 10 Version
1803)
1.
Select Start > Settings > Update
& Security > Windows Security and
then select Open
Windows Defender Security Center.
2.
Select Virus
& threat protection, then select Virus
& threat protection updates > Check
for updates to make sure you have the latest definition
file.
3.
Select the Virus & threat protection tab,
then select Scan now.
Wait for Windows Defender Security Center to finish scanning for viruses and malware.
Wait for Windows Defender Security Center to finish scanning for viruses and malware.
4.
Do one of the
following, depending on the results of the scan:
·
Run the recommended advanced scan. This scan takes longer but
searches more extensively for threats on your PC.
·
If Windows
Defender Security Center finds a virus or malware and can’t remove or
quarantine it, contact Microsoft
Support for help.
·
If no viruses are
found, restart your PC and try to reproduce the performance problem you were
having with your PC.
Note
If Windows Defender Security
Center doesn’t open, can’t update the definition file, or can’t finish scanning
for viruses, try running Windows Defender in Offline Mode, which is explained
below in To scan for malware and viruses with Windows Defender
Offline (Windows 10 Version 1803).
To see which version of Windows 10 your device is currently
running, select the Start button,
then select Settings > System > About.
To
scan for malware and viruses with Windows Defender Offline (Windows 10 Version
1809 or later)
1.
Save any documents
or anything else you might have open on your PC.
2.
Select Start > Settings > Update
& Security > Windows Security and
then select Open Windows Security.
3.
Select Virus & threat protection,
and then under Current threats, select Scan
options > Windows Defender Offline scan > Scan
now.
Your PC will restart, and Windows Defender Offline will run and scan for viruses and malware. The scan might take 15 minutes or so, and your PC will restart again after that.
Your PC will restart, and Windows Defender Offline will run and scan for viruses and malware. The scan might take 15 minutes or so, and your PC will restart again after that.
4.
Try to reproduce
the performance issue.
If your
PC still runs slowly, continue to the next tip.
To
scan for malware and viruses with Windows Defender Offline (Windows 10 Version
1803)
1.
Save any documents
or anything else you might have open on your PC.
2.
Select Start > Settings > Update
& Security > Windows Security and
then select Open Windows Defender Security Center.
3.
Select Virus & threat protection,
then select Run a new advanced scan > Windows
Defender Offline scan > Scan now.
Your PC will restart, and Windows Defender Offline will run and scan for viruses and malware. The scan might take 15 minutes or so, and your PC will restart again after that.
Your PC will restart, and Windows Defender Offline will run and scan for viruses and malware. The scan might take 15 minutes or so, and your PC will restart again after that.
4.
Try to reproduce
the performance issue.
If your
PC still runs slowly, continue to the next tip.
Restoring
your PC undoes recent changes that might be causing problems. If you think a
recently installed app, driver, or update for Windows could be causing
problems, you might get things running normally again by restoring your PC to
an earlier point, called a restore point.
Notes
·
Restoring from a
restore point won’t affect your personal files, but it will remove apps,
drivers, and updates that were installed after the restore point was created.
·
System restore
works for changes made in the last 7 to 14 days.
To
restore your PC from a restore point
1.
In the search box
on the taskbar, type restore point, then
select Create
a restore point from the list of results.
2.
On the System
Protection tab, select System Restore.
3.
Select Next,
then choose the restore point related to the app, driver, or update that
might be causing the problem. Then select Next > Finish.
4.
Restart your PC
and see if performance has improved.
If you
don’t see any restore points, it might be because system protection isn’t
turned on.
To
turn on system protection
1.
In the search box
on the taskbar, type restore point, then
select Create
a restore point from the list of results.
2.
On the System
Protection tab, select Configure.
3.
Select Turn
on system protection > OK.
If your
PC still runs slowly, try the next tip.
Thanks for Reading ...
Masud Rana
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