Windows PCs are not required to slow down over time. Whether your PC has progressively gotten slower or it suddenly came to a halt a few minutes ago, there might be a number of causes.
If something isn’t working properly, like with any PC difficulties, don’t be scared to reboot your computer. This can resolve a variety of issues and is faster than attempting to troubleshoot and resolve the issue manually.
Related: Ways to Boost Windows 10
Table of Contents
Find Resource-Hungry Programs
Because something is using those resources, your PC is running slowly. A runaway process, for example, may be taking 99% of your CPU resources, causing it to suddenly slow down. Alternatively, a program may be suffering from a memory leak and consuming a big amount of memory, forcing your PC to switch to disk. Alternatively, a program may be very reliant on the drive, causing other apps to lag when they need to load or save data from the disk.
Open the Task Manager to find out. To access it, right-click your taskbar and select “Task Manager,” or press Ctrl+Shift+Escape. The new Task Manager in Windows 8, 8.1, 10, and 11 has an improved interface that color-codes apps that use a lot of resources. To order the list by the apps that use the greatest resources, click the “CPU,” “Memory,” and “Disk” headers. If any program is consuming too many resources, you should terminate it naturally; if you can’t, pick it here and click “End Task” to force it to close.
Close System Tray Programs
Many apps run on the system tray, often known as the notification area. These programs frequently begin at startup and operate in the background, but they are concealed behind the up arrow symbol in the bottom-right corner of your screen. To free up resources, click the up arrow symbol in the system tray, then right-click any apps that are running in the background and shut them.
Disable Startup Programs
Better still, prohibit certain programs from starting up at all to conserve memory and CPU cycles while also speeding up the login process.
In Windows 8, 8.1, 10, and 11, the Task Manager now includes a startup manager for managing startup programs. To access it, right-click the taskbar and select “Task Manager,” or press Ctrl+Shift+Escape. Navigate to the Startup tab and deactivate any startup apps that you do not require. Windows will inform you which apps are slowing down your starting process the most.
Reduce Animations
Windows makes extensive use of animations, which might make your computer appear to be sluggish. For example, if the accompanying animations are disabled, Windows may rapidly shrink and maximize windows.
To deactivate animations, hit Windows Key + X or right-click the Start button and pick “System.” On the left, click “Advanced System Settings,” and then click the “Settings” button under Performance. Under Visual Effects, pick “Adjust for optimal performance” to disable all animations, or “Custom” to disable particular animations. Uncheck “Animate windows while minimizing and maximizing” to deactivate the minimize and maximize animations.
Lighten Your Web Browser
Because you probably use your web browser frequently, it may be a little sluggish. It’s best to use as few browser extensions, or add-ons, as possible because they slow down your browser and cause it to consume more RAM.
Remove unnecessary add-ons from your web browser’s Extensions or Add-ons management. You should also think about activating plug-ins with a single click. Preventing the loading of Flash and other material prevents irrelevant Flash content from using CPU time.
Scan for Malware and Adware
There’s also a risk that your computer is slow because dangerous malware is slowing it down and operating in the background. This might be software that interferes with your online browsing to track it and provide more adverts, for example.
To be extra safe, use an antivirus application to scan your computer. You should also scan it using Malwarebytes, which detects many “potentially unwanted applications” (PUPs) that regular antivirus products overlook. These applications attempt to infiltrate your computer when you install other software, and you almost definitely do not want them.
Free Up Disk Space
Your computer may operate substantially slower if your hard disk is nearly full. You should give your computer enough space to work on your hard disk. To make more room on your Windows PC, follow this advice to clearing up space. You don’t need any third-party software; simply running Windows’ Disk Cleanup program might assist a lot.
Defragment Your Hard Disk
On recent versions of Windows, defragmenting your hard disk should not be essential. In the background, it will defragment mechanical hard disks. Traditional defragmentation is unnecessary for solid-state disks, while recent versions of Windows will “optimize” them, which is OK.
Most of the time, you shouldn’t be concerned about defragmentation. However, if you have a mechanical hard drive and have just copied a large number of files to it — for example, copying a large database or gigabytes of PC gaming files – those files may be defragmented since Windows hasn’t yet defragmented them. In this case, you should launch the disk defragmenter application and run a scan to determine whether you need to run a manual defragmentation program.
Uninstall Programs You Don’t Use
Open the Control Panel, navigate to the list of installed applications, and remove any items you no longer use or require from your PC. This can help your PC run faster since such apps may contain background processes, autostart entries, system services, context menu items, and other things that might slow it down. It will also free up space on your hard drive and increase system security; for example, you should not have Java installed if you are not using it.
Reset Your PC / Reinstall Windows
If none of the other solutions listed worked, the one constant answer to Windows problems – aside from rebooting your PC, of course — is a fresh Windows installation.
It’s easier than ever to acquire a new Windows installation on recent versions of Windows, such as Windows 8, 8.1, 10, and 11. You are not required to obtain Windows installation disk and reinstall Windows. Instead, you may simply utilize Windows’ “Reset your PC” option to acquire a new, clean Windows system. This is comparable to reinstalling Windows in that it will remove all installed apps and system settings while retaining your data.
If your PC still has a mechanical hard drive, upgrading to a solid-state drive — or simply ensuring your future PC has an SSD — will provide a significant speed boost. Solid-state storage will provide the single largest gain in total system performance for most users in an age where most people will not notice better CPUs and graphics processors.
