Improving the performance of Windows 10. Cleaning temporary files. Making the system visually lighter

Not long ago, the Windows 10 operating system got its start. Its main difference from previous versions will be that it will be the last, although updates will not stop. As Microsoft announced in April 2017, the OS will continue to receive new updates in a timely manner approximately twice a year.

Despite the rapid development of the operating system, machines with Windows installed eventually begin to work slower and slow down, as they become clogged with all kinds of programs and files. If you use a computer or laptop running Windows 10, it is likely that you periodically visit Internet resources in order to find all sorts of guides on how to speed up the operating system.

You may have found this information before, but it would be great to not only mention something new, but also to combine that “new” information with what you already know so that you can have a comprehensive guide to improving the performance of your Windows PC at your fingertips.

How to speed up Windows 10

Method 1. Prevent programs from starting at system startup

Typically, on the computers of most Windows users there are a lot of applications that automatically launch when the system is turned on. Basically, these are factory software installed by the manufacturer, and others whose autorun was not canceled or was turned on intentionally.

The decrease in performance is especially noticeable when the computer starts, when it loads the desktop and at the same time tries to launch a lot of other applications. This significantly slows down the operation of the device, therefore it is necessary to reduce the number of autorun programs as much as possible. You can disable the automatic start function using Task Manager.

If you use Windows 7 or Windows XP, then a good utility for disabling autorun would be msconfig.

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Method 2. Use fewer applications at once, reduce RAM load for better performance

Using multiple applications at the same time can increase your productivity if, say, you work as a designer and need to open Adobe Photoshop with Adobe Illustrator at the same time, but it puts additional strain on your PC. In most cases, the processor (CPU) does not suffer as much as the RAM (RAM), since RAM is the main resource used.

Try launching Task Manager and monitoring memory usage in the tab Performance > Memory. If statistics show that programs are loading RAM, you can easily track down the software responsible for this in the tab Processes, which will allow you to improve the performance of your Windows 10 device.

Note: Make sure you are not resetting an important system process.

When system memory becomes full, the computer slows down accordingly. Adding more operating memory is one option that can solve the issue of low performance, but this will require certain financial costs. A less effective way to help a “slow” Windows 10 system could be to increase the size Swap file.

How to change Swap file? Below are detailed instructions.

1. Follow the path My Computer > Properties.

2. Select Advanced System Settings.

3. In chapter Performance click Settings and go to the tab Additionally.

4. In chapter Virtual memory click Change.

5. Uncheck Automatic paging file size management for all disks. Select the drive you are interested in and enable the function Custom size. Set the initial and maximum file size. Click OK to save changes.

Note: If you have excess memory, say 16 GB, there is no need to increase the page file size. However, disabling it is not an option worth considering as it may cause your computer to experience certain problems.

Method 3: Check if your operating system is damaged

Damaged data can cause your Windows 10 computer to run extremely slowly, and in the worst cases, crash completely.

One easy way to fix corrupted data on Windows 10 is to run the System File Checker utility. It's likely that you're already familiar with it if you've previously used it to try to recover your hard drive or USB drive. Fixing such corrupted files can certainly speed up Windows 10.

How to start System file check(System File Checker) in Windows 10?
To do this, use the command line and, having opened it, enter the following command:

sfc /scannow

This process may take some time depending on the size of your hard drive. An alternative way to run the above tool: My Computer > Windows Drive > Properties > Tools. Now click Check.

Method 4: Scan your PC for malware

This should be the most anticipated point that you could see in our article regarding speeding up Windows 10. All kinds of computer viruses have existed for decades, and the fear of how they could affect the operating system forced Microsoft to include anti-virus software in the list of basic programs; it is called Windows Defender.

It is likely that there may be some application hiding behind the poor performance of your Windows 10, disguised as some system updater or something else.

You need to regularly check your computer for malicious software using Windows Defender or any other third-party antivirus software, which will not only speed up Windows 10, but also avoid a number of other unpleasant situations associated with viruses.

Method 5: Shutting down and restarting Windows is not even an option. This is a necessity

Unfortunately, some users neglect this rule and their personal computers can be in an active state all day long, even if their owner is already sleeping for five hours, forgetting that his device also needs to “Shut down” or at least “Reboot”.

Keep in mind that your computer can survive several days without restarting or shutting down the system, but this is absolutely not advice and does not mean that you need to keep it in working order at all times.

Restarting or shutting down the computer at certain intervals allows it to clear the system memory, which in turn is gradually consumed during operation, and kills all erroneous processes that opened automatically or due to a problem when starting any of your programs, which allows you to speed up your Windows computer 10.

Method 6: Prioritize Sleep Mode on Your PC

If you put your computer into sleep mode, it will take much less time to turn it on than if you start the system from a disabled state. This is due to the fact that the current state of the system, from the last time you worked with it, is saved on the hard drive and loaded again when the device starts.

Give your PC some sleep.

Putting your computer into sleep mode is a routine task for any Mac user as these devices are capable of surviving almost a month working like this. Now Windows users can use this mode more confidently, keeping their computer in sleep mode for long hours.

When sleep mode is active on your PC, only RAM continues to perform its full-fledged work. It will be important to note that although sleep mode puts the computer into a resting state, it still consumes some battery power, albeit in small quantities. Thus, although it is energy-consuming, sleep mode allows you to speed up work with the system to a certain extent.

Method 7: Make your Windows as ugly as possible

Eliminate animations and all special effects.

Our modern PCs have an operating system in which the developers have tried to make everything look great, filled with various animations and effects, because this makes the process of working with the device much more pleasant. Everything good usually has another side - these visual improvements sometimes consume system resources more than we would like. Not all PCs have powerful enough components to allow them to function effectively while maintaining all the visual delights on the screen.

Sometimes it happens that users do not use their device properly; they install random applications and make several other mistakes that make their computer suffer.

Now let's figure out how to enable or disable animations in Windows 10?

In the settings, you can easily switch to the best performance mode by disabling all animations. Follow the path below:

My computer(right click on the icon) > Properties > Advanced system settings > Settings(In chapter Performance).

In the window Performance Options select item Provide the best performance. If it doesn't suit you in any way, you can always ask Custom settings and enable/disable certain effects as you wish.

Turn off transparency.

Having a taskbar, a beautiful Start menu and a transparent action center may be pleasing to your eyes, but as we know, beauty requires sacrifice and, in this case, you have to pay the price with the resources of your computer. You can turn off transparency by visiting Settings > Personalization > Colors. Click the switch in favor "Switch off" near the point “Transparency Effects”.

Method 8: Make sure Windows always has the latest updates

In the Windows working environment, there are a lot of updates and new fixes are released with a certain frequency, which can be installed either independently or forcibly voluntarily when the operating system itself begins to install them. Don't forget that regularly updating the system on your computer can improve the performance of Windows 10 in addition to protecting your device from unwanted threats such as Microsoft's recently discovered vulnerabilities.

Starting with Windows 8, Microsoft began providing universal drivers for a huge range of third-party hardware. Updates for such devices are delivered through Windows Update. In case one of the third-party devices does not support the driver provided by Microsoft, you will have to update everything manually.

If you're using the latest versions of Windows 10, updates will install much faster than before. The changes are due to the fact that Microsoft has optimized the operating system update process and now most of the installation occurs in the background while the user goes about his business.

Method 9: Launch apps quickly

This is one of the ways to speed up Windows 10 during daily use. You can set your own keyboard shortcuts to launch apps in one click without having to search for them on your device.

Method 10: Prioritize your PC

In the same performance window that we mentioned just above in point 7, go to the Advanced tab. There you can determine what exactly your computer will give priority to: programs that are actively used or services running in the background. This setting will help significantly improve system performance to suit your needs.

Method 11: Disable Cloud Sync to Speed ​​Up Windows 10

Windows 10 offers integrated support for Microsoft's OneDrive cloud storage service. You can save absolutely any data simply by uploading it to the cloud, where it will be safe even if for some reason the hard drive stops working prematurely due to a physical problem. Many users already have their own Google Drive storage; there is a chance that they will not be able to use the Microsoft cloud.

If you prefer OneDrive and have synchronization enabled, don't forget about it. It will definitely consume your computer's resources and slow down Windows 10. In fact, this may affect not only OneDrive, but also a number of other services.

To turn off OneDrive syncing and speed up Windows, go to My Computer > OneDrive(right click on it) > Select storage folders to sync. In the next window, uncheck Sync all files and folders in OneDrive and press OK.

Method 12: Use Fast Startup to Reduce Your Computer's Boot Time

One way to speed up the Windows 10 startup process is to enable the sleep feature, which is disabled by default. Fast startup (enabled by default) is another feature that reduces the startup time of the operating system.

You can check if Fast Startup is enabled on your computer by selecting Power > What the Power Buttons Do. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable to unlock the shutdown configuration. There you will see an option to enable or disable the Quick Launch feature.

Method 13: Use ReadyBoost to Boost Windows 10 Performance

ReadyBoost is a Windows feature that can increase the speed of your system by using free space, so-called caching. You may see a noticeable difference in system performance in a positive direction, especially if you are using low-quality hardware. Keep in mind, ReadyBoost does not work with SSDs as they are faster than regular USB drives.

Method 14: Disable Live Tiles

First Live Tiles was launched in Windows 8. This function in the Start menu or on the start screen provides the user with information about a particular application either from the Internet or from the local network. Unfortunately, like any other background service, it consumes computer resources, slowing it down, and drains battery power.

Let's look at how to disable Live Tiles in Windows 10 to increase system performance.

If you are using Windows 10 Pro, you can use the Group Policy Editor. Open in editor User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar > Disable Tile Notifications.

Otherwise, you will have to disable tiles on a per-app basis manually. Open the Start menu > right-click the animated tile of a pinned app > More > Disable live tiles.

Method 15: Use High Performance Mode to Improve PC Performance

Mode High performance power modes will allow you to get the most out of your computer. In this state, the processor can use its full potential.

Don't forget to connect the charger when performing resource-intensive tasks.

Have you ever wondered why power users prefer desktop computers to laptops? One reason is that they have a constant power supply, which greatly improves performance. In the case of a laptop, we recommend connecting the charger when you run games or use “heavy” software that takes up a lot of resources.

Method 16: Use the built-in troubleshooting tool

With the release of the Developers Update, Microsoft has provided users with a section for various Windows troubleshooting utilities. Visit Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot.

Here you will find options to fix errors related to Bluetooth, BSOD, audio, Windows Update, keyboard and many other system hardware. Troubleshooting possible issues can result in your Windows 10 PC running faster and error-free.

Method 17: Improve app performance in Windows 10

If you're using the April Update, Windows 10 now has a new settings page that lets you customize advanced graphics settings for individual apps (both UWP and desktop). This can be handy if you are experiencing performance issues with a specific application and are blaming the computer, which is not at fault at all.

Open Settings > System > Display. Scroll down the window and select Graphics Settings. On the next screen, select the desktop or UWP app you want to customize and click Add.

Now click on the app name and click Options. Here you can choose between different graphics options such as Default, Energy Saving and High Performance. The high-performance setting allows the application to use the system's discrete GPU.

Method 18: Free up space on your system drive

The computer may run slowly due to a simple lack of physical memory on the hard drive. Check that there is enough free space on the system disk for normal operation of the operating system. Free space must be at least 10% of the total volume of drive “C”.

Free up space on your system work disk and clear your desktop of unnecessary items. Also, it will be much more useful in case of lack of space, reassign storage location for user documents to another logical partition. This will significantly relieve the system disk.

You can move the following user system folders:

  • Downloads
  • Documentation
  • Images
  • Video
  • Music

Method 19: Disable third-party Antivirus application

Antivirus applications greatly affect PC performance. If you do not practice visiting unverified or suspicious Internet resources, then you can disable the third-party antivirus while performing any complex tasks. Use Windows 10's built-in Defender - Windows Defender.

Method 20. Restoring your computer

If all previous methods have failed to help you, the last option to resolve the issue of low system performance is system rollback. You can do this by visiting the section Recovery in the Settings menu. Reinstalling Windows 10 will correct all errors made, and you will again be able to fully use a working operating system.

If necessary recover deleted files and folders, Starus Recovery tools will help you. You can try and download data recovery programs completely free from our Internet resource.

“Braking” a computer or laptop always causes negative emotions. Often, this problem affects not only the user’s nervous system, but also the device itself. In fact, the solution is quite simple: you just need to check the device's performance and improve it. This is easy to do even for a beginner. The main thing is to deal with the elements that prevent you from “overclocking” the operating system to its full capacity or interfere with its operation. After eliminating the cause of the freeze, your device will “fly”.

How to check the performance of a computer or laptop

When buying a new laptop or installing new Windows on a computer, any user wants to configure it so that the system works at maximum performance. As practice shows, this does not always work out. The performance issue is especially acute for those who are trying to install Windows 10 on older devices. As a result, problems arise with the operation of the system, freezing and “braking”. Do not despair - the problem may simply be caused by a large number of automatically enabled utilities and applications that the user did not even know about. If you turn them off and clear the system of other unnecessary components, even an old laptop will begin to “fly”.

Often, users do not check the performance of their devices only because they find this process quite difficult. But that's not true. In fact, this procedure can be done using components already built into the system. The scan will help monitor the performance and operation of the system as a whole and will even show whether any virus has “settled” in it.

Check your device using the performance level index

Microsoft has provided such a performance check in all versions of Windows. And Windows 10 was no exception. You can run the performance level index using a simple algorithm:

  1. Launch the command line (go through “Start” and select the “Run” section or simultaneously press Win + R).
  2. Enter the command winsat formal - restart clean.
  3. Wait while the system collects information.
  4. Open the Windows partition on the hard drive (on which the system is recorded).
  5. Open the Performance folder.
  6. Next, open the WinSAT section and select DataStore.
  7. In this folder, open the file Formal.Assessment (Recent).WinSAT.xml.
  8. Find the WinSPR block, where Windows performance information is located. Indicators SystemScore - general indicator, MemoryScore - RAM, CpuScore - average processor performance index, GraphicsScore - graphics card performance, GamingScore - game performance, DiskScore - information about reading data from the hard drive.

The average index score for Windows 10 is 8.1.

In the WinSPR information block you can find out the performance index of almost all OS components

Checking the device via Task Manager

To check the functionality of the device through the “Task Manager”, you need to follow these steps:

  1. Enter the “Task Manager” through “Start” (or simultaneously press the key combination Alt + Ctrl + Delete).
  2. Open the "Performance" section. Here are performance graphs that, in percentage terms, reflect the performance of Windows 10 and its individual components.

Device performance graphs in the Task Manager will help you evaluate the performance of the system and its components

Checking the device with third-party resources

If you need a more accurate analysis of the system's performance, you can use special programs. They display more accurate information about the device's performance and also contain other useful information. Among the variety of such programs, the following can be distinguished:

  • AIDA64 is the most popular download utility; shows all information about the computer: from free space on the hard drive to the model of additional devices and drivers for them;
  • SiSoftware Sandra Lite is a free utility with a simple control panel; the test result is presented in clear color graphics;
  • 3DMark - a paid universal program with a wide range of analysis (price - $30);
  • CINEBENCH - a utility with the ability to analyze various aspects, including PC performance;
  • Winaero is another utility that will quickly analyze your performance process.

Video: Winaero utility for determining the performance index on Windows 10

How to speed up your computer or laptop on Windows 10

If checking your PC's performance reveals its low performance, you should remove unnecessary system elements and disable those that are rarely used. In most cases, this will help the device speed up.

Cleaning startup

Every time you turn on your laptop or computer, programs from the startup list automatically launch. Not all of them are listed personally by the user. Some programs end up there by default when installing the operating system, so the user may not even know about them. Carefully review the list of all background programs and disable or remove utilities and applications that are not needed or rarely used (you can return them to the auto-enable list at any time).

What you can safely disable in startup:

  • torrent client (for example, uTorrent, MediaGet) - these utilities usually “settle” in startup, but there is no constant need for them; this kind of program can be enabled immediately before downloading anything using it;
  • cloud storage (OneDrive) - the application is in the startup list immediately after installing Windows 10; if there is no constant need for it, it can also be removed from the list;
  • peripheral programs - if a printer, scanner, etc. is connected to the PC, then the startup contains programs from the manufacturers of this equipment; such programs select performance reserves, while the listed devices will work correctly even without their programs in startup;
  • other unknown applications - if there are program names unknown to you in the startup list, you should check on the Internet what they are responsible for and disable them if not needed.

To clean startup, follow these steps:

  1. Open Task Manager (shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
  2. In the tab that opens, a table will appear with a list of all programs and applications that automatically launch when Windows 10 boots. At the bottom of the list on the right there is a “Disable” button, with which you need to disable applications and programs.

Video: Ways to improve productivity in Windows 10

All applications disabled in this way will no longer launch when the computer boots, which will have a positive effect on the performance of the device.

You can also disable a particular program in startup by right-clicking on it and selecting the “Delete” option from the list that opens.

By clearing the startup list you can increase your computer's performance significantly

Disabling reports

With the release of the new version of Windows 10, you can find a lot of information on the Internet that Microsoft is collecting information about users and spying on them. This is not entirely true. Some information is indeed collected, such as information about the products you order and the websites you visit. But leakage of confidential information is excluded. However, such applications consume system reserves, which negatively affects its performance, so it is better to disable them.

If you already have Windows 10 installed, check to see if Cathedral Data is disabled on your device:


There are several good utilities that help you find and collect into one list items that can be disabled. The user can only determine what to disable and what not. Before running such utilities, it is advisable to create a system restore point. These are the programs:

  • DWS (Destroy Windows 10 Spying) is a program designed to stop activity tracking activities on devices running Windows 10 OS; has a clear and simple interface in Russian;
  • O&O ShutUp10 - an easy-to-use program in Russian contains recommendations on what can be disabled and what is better to leave;
  • Ashampoo AntiSpy for Windows 10 is a useful utility in English that runs without installation; the menu has all the necessary tools to disable tracking, as well as recommendations and tips;
  • WPD is a free application in Russian that allows you to disable not only “spyware” positions, but also to individually configure a firewall with the ability to block telemetry, allow or block access to the Internet for third-party programs, and disable OS updates.

Video: how to disable unnecessary programs in Windows 10

Disable apps from the Start menu

On Windows 10, the Start menu uses Live Tiles - a set of applications for quick launch: calendar, homegroup, weather, OneNote, mail and others. At least half of them are not used by users at all or are used very rarely. And applications at this time consume device resources. Therefore, it is advisable to remove from the Start menu or disable those applications that you do not use.

By moving the slider, you can turn off or turn on the desired option

You can disable any application from the Start menu by right-clicking on it and selecting the “Unpin from Start Screen” section. That's it - the application will no longer appear in the menu. But this does not mean that it is disabled, because it will still consume the device's reserves and reduce its performance. It is best to disable unnecessary applications permanently. To do this you need to do the following:


To improve device performance, you can remove the following programs and applications that are usually not used by users:

  • people - “People” application;
  • communicationsapps - calendar and mail;
  • zunevideo - “Cinema and TV”;
  • 3dbuilder - 3D Builder;
  • skypeapp - download Skype;
  • solitaire - Microsoft Solitaire Collection;
  • officehub - download or improve Office;
  • xbox - XBOX application;
  • photos - photographs;
  • maps - maps;
  • calculator - calculator;
  • camera - camera;
  • alarms - alarms and clocks;
  • onenote - OneNote;
  • bing - news, sports, weather, finance (all at once);
  • soundrecorder - “Voice recording”;
  • windowsphone - “Phone Manager”.

Driver Update

The reason for poor PC performance may also be unoriginal device drivers. Windows 10 has a system installed to recognize and automatically install the necessary drivers, but failures often occur. Therefore, in order to check the drivers and improve the performance of your computer or laptop, you can perform a kind of revision of the device:

  1. Right-click on the Start menu bar and select “Device Manager” from the list that opens.
  2. Open “Properties of key devices” and select the “Driver” section.
  3. View driver publishers. Microsoft must be listed as the supplier (except for the video card - in this position the official supplier is NVidia, AMD or Intel). If the supplier is different, you need to download the original driver from the manufacturer’s official page and install it.

Disabling visual and other effects

Any Windows device has many elements that make interacting with your PC more colorful and interesting. But they also consume computer resources. You can slightly improve the performance of your device only if Windows 10 is installed on an earlier version of your laptop or computer.

Visual effects

If we talk about all the components of the operating system that affect performance, then first of all we need to remember about visual effects. To disable them you need to do the following:


Graphic and color effects

To disable graphics, follow the steps:

  1. Go to the “Special Features” section (Win+I key combination).
  2. Select "Other options".
  3. Disable "Play animation in Windows".

If you want to turn off the color, the instructions are as follows:

  1. Open the Start menu.
  2. Go to "Options".
  3. Open the “Personalization” folder and select “Colors”, where you want to turn off transparency.

Sound effects

To turn off sounds on your device:

  1. Open the Start menu.
  2. Go to "Control Panel".
  3. Open the “Sound” tab. Here you need to check the “Mute” box.

Indexing

Indexing helps you find information, folders or files stored on your computer through internal search. To quickly find the necessary information on a device without stopping, the device is scanned, and this requires resources, which reduces productivity. To disable indexing you need to:

  1. Go to the “Run” menu (Win + R).
  2. Enter the services.msc command.
  3. Find the “Windows Search” service in the list, right-click on it and open the “Properties” folder.
  4. In the “Startup type” column, select the “Disabled” option.

To disable the Windows Search service, you need to open the folder properties and select the “Disabled” option.

If you disable indexing, you will not be able to use internal search.

Temp folder

Temporary and intermediate files are stored in this folder. They also slow down your device. Therefore, it needs to be cleaned from time to time as follows:

  1. Close all folders and programs.
  2. Open the “This PC” section.
  3. Enter %TEMP% in the top field.
  4. Delete the contents of the folder.
  5. To restart a computer.

The Temp folder stores temporary files that can be deleted to improve device performance

Browser extensions

Setting up your favorite browser is an individual matter. It is important for the user to configure it so that he has quick access to the necessary tools at any time. However, it often happens that previously installed extensions are no longer used, but continue to use system reserves. If your goal is to improve your computer's performance, check all extensions through your browser settings and remove unused ones.

Don't forget to clear your cache and delete your browsing history at least once a month. This will significantly improve the performance of the device.

Removing viruses

Viruses and Trojans not only harm individual files and the system, but also slow down PC performance. Of course, a careful user often runs an anti-virus scan of the device, but a regular anti-virus does not always find all infected files. However, there are programs (for example, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware) that even find “disguised” viruses. If you suddenly start having problems with the performance of your device, download a similar program and use it to check your PC.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scans the system for a long time, but after completing the full scanning cycle it finds all infected files and hidden viruses

Enable Windows 10 High Performance Mode

The power supply of the device directly affects the performance of the OS. You can choose the optimal energy consumption option for your PC as follows:


Using utilities to improve device performance

If your level of computer skills does not yet allow you to “dig” into the hardware, then special programs will come to the rescue that solve the problem with minimal user participation.

Built-in Microsoft utility

Your Windows 10 device comes with a useful Disk Cleanup program that cleans up a ton of unnecessary files, thereby improving performance. You can find it like this:

  1. Open the “Properties” tab of the hard drive.
  2. Open the "General" section and select "Disk Cleanup".
  3. In the window that opens, select all the items that can be deleted (be sure to select “Temporary files”) and confirm your choice.

CCleaner

Despite the fact that the program is shareware, even in the free version there are many elements for optimizing the system: the ability to optimize startup, deleting temporary files and uninstalling programs, cleaning browsers and much more.

The CCleaner interface is easy to understand: on the left is a column with tool sections, on the right are folders and device files

AVG TuneUp

The biggest advantage of this program is that it is enough to set it up once, and all subsequent cleansing will occur automatically with a user-specified cycle. Running the utility once every 2-3 weeks will keep the device practically sterile clean: the system registry will be cleared, temporary files will be deleted, viruses will be neutralized, and autorun will be reliably protected from unauthorized intervention by third-party programs.

To access all functions of the program, you must subscribe to it. The cost of a subscription is approximately 25–30 USD. e. per year.

The AVG TuneUp interface consists of only 5 buttons, which ensure reliable protection and high performance of your PC

Advanced SystemCare

A free program that can be downloaded legally from the manufacturer’s website. There is also a paid option with additional features. But the free version is quite enough to optimize the operation of the device. There are more than a dozen useful utilities in the program menu.

A clear control panel of the program makes it easy to optimize the performance of the gadget

Auslogics BoostSpeed

The Auslogics BoostSpeed ​​utility is designed specifically to improve device performance. The new version for Windows 10 has all the components to improve device performance by up to 40%.

With Auslogics BoostSpeed ​​you can increase your process speed by half

In pursuit of increasing computer performance, your rash actions can cause great harm to the entire system, so the main thing in this matter is not to overdo it. Perform all manipulations and actions exactly in accordance with the instructions. To avoid errors and performance issues, follow these guidelines:

  1. Be careful when downloading and installing new programs. Sometimes programs can start a conflict, which will not only lead to a decrease in performance, but will also end fatally for the system.
  2. Clean the system unit. Sometimes contamination of the computer's internal hardware and components can be more harmful than a full disk. Therefore, clean your PC every few months.
  3. Select the right components for the device.
  4. When running cleaning programs, carefully check what exactly the program wants to delete so as not to accidentally lose important information.
  5. Update your drivers promptly.
  6. Regularly check your system for viruses.
  7. Don't disable swap files. Otherwise, the performance of the device will not improve at all, but some programs may not start.
  8. Do not run cleaning programs every day.
  9. Don't disable all services indiscriminately. If you do not know exactly how important a particular program is for the operation of the system, it is better not to delete or disable it.

If the speed of your device is no longer satisfactory, there is no need to buy new expensive equipment to improve its performance. An old computer or laptop can still quickly cope with its duties. The main thing is to correctly configure and distribute resource consumption between all components of the device.

Of course, Windows 10 is one of the most beautiful operating systems, but its problem is excessive consumption of computer resources. Not all users are chasing the visual effects of minimizing windows; most need the “ten” to work like a clock, only faster. This is why the operating system needs to be optimized.

Setting up Windows 10 for maximum performance

First of all, you need to understand that not all problems can be solved by optimization alone. For maximum operating speed of the OS, you also need good hardware. Ideally, your PC has at least 8 GB of RAM, as well as a high-speed solid-state drive on which Windows is installed.

True, in this case you are unlikely to need optimization, except for better performance of games.

But in any case, the system must be kept clean, tidy and up to date. Updating drivers, the absence of garbage and viruses will have a beneficial effect on the operation of the OS, and the need to reinstall or restore Windows will disappear for years.

There are many ways to reduce the load on RAM and hard drive, some help only a little, while others can breathe life into an old PC.

Optimizing Windows 10 improves performance and extends the life of your PC

Setting up startup

  1. Startup is the process of launching applications when the operating system starts. That is, when you turn on the PC, programs are launched that can run in the background regardless of user actions. Some malware can also get into startup and load RAM. This often happens when installing unlicensed software and utilities that are obtained from dubious sources.
    In the Windows search, enter “dispatcher” and select the best match.

    CCleaner is one of the most popular computer cleaning programs

    • Program features:
    • cleans up temporary or potentially unwanted files;
    • provides a program startup management manager. Users can disable, remove or modify the launch of any program in order to speed up the computer boot time;
    • clears the Windows history log, clipboard, temporary files, memory dumps, error reports, recycle bin, cache and more;
    • looks for problems in the Windows registry - missing DLLs, incorrect file extensions, etc.;
    • complements the program uninstallation environment;
    • automatically deletes files from the system Temp folder if they have been there for more than 24 hours.

    Auslogics BoostSpeed

    Auslogics BoostSpeed ​​is a platform that contains many programs to optimize computer performance. Provides the ability to fix registry errors, clean up garbage, defragmentation, protect private information and much more.

    Auslogics BoostSpeed ​​combines many programs to optimize your computer's performance

    CCleaner is one of the most popular computer cleaning programs

    • system setup and optimization;
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    • management of all system restore points on the user’s computer;
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    • disk defragmentation;
    • freeing up disk space;
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    • protection of private information from prying eyes.

    Video: an honest review of the AusLogics BoostSpeed ​​program - we look at the pros and cons

    It's easy to tune Windows 10 for better performance. It is enough to optimize some system components and clear the disk of debris, then the OS will work like the Kremlin chimes.

Many owners of PCs and laptops are accustomed to the seventh version of the Windows operating system and do not want to switch to the “ten”. But in vain. It's much more productive. But it requires some setup. Like any system. But if all parameters are configured correctly, the difference will be noticeable. Let's talk about how to speed up a laptop on For this is an eternal problem. Laptops tend to be more problematic than PCs. Let's fine-tune the "tens" on laptops.

Why do this?

This is necessary for the computer to work quickly and stably. Everyone is annoyed by slowdowns and glitches. And this action will help the laptop work quickly and stably. However, some not particularly advanced users take the word of many “gurus” from the Internet and configure their laptop in such a way that there can be no talk of any performance. You need to know about Windows 10 and not trust the “pros” from the Internet. Because you can seriously harm your device. Up to and including death. Laptops with SSD drives are especially susceptible to this.

System optimization will also be useful for those who love games. It is known that the “ten” is perfectly optimized for gamers. But more careful tuning can improve performance. The increase will be noticeable to the naked eye. How to speed up a laptop on Windows 10? We'll talk about this below.

Autoload

The biggest problem of any Windows system. The fact is that some programs are placed in startup without the user’s knowledge and mercilessly “eat” system resources. At the same time, the owner of the laptop does not even use these programs. There is only one way out: remove unnecessary applications from startup. The most interesting thing is that even system applications load the computer quite well. For example, the useless One Drive hangs in startup all the time and “eats” the device’s RAM. Organizing system startup is the first answer to the question of how to speed up the performance of a laptop on Windows 10.

To do this, you must first call the task manager using the Ctrl, Alt, Del key combination. There you need to go to the "Startup" tab. The manager will display a list of applications that start automatically when the system starts. Many of them are unnecessary. But you need to be careful here, as you can disable hardware applications. And this is undesirable. In order to remove a program from autorun, you need to right-click on the application name and select “Disable” from the menu that appears. After disabling all programs, restart your laptop. Many people have asked about Windows 10 on a laptop. This method helps in this case too.

Disabling unnecessary services

The problem with Windows is that it runs a bunch of services by default that won't even be used. Meanwhile, they use system resources. Disabling unused components is another answer to the question of how to speed up the startup of a laptop on Windows 10. But here you need to be extremely careful, since some services are necessary for the operating system to work stable. You need to know what can be turned off and what is better left untouched. But first you need to look at the list of services. To do this, go to the "Control Panel", the "Administration" item, the "Services" sub-item. All services will be displayed in the window that appears. Even disabled.

You can safely disable the search service, tablet input, smart cards, Windows Firewall and Windows Defender (if you are using a third-party antivirus), the print manager (if you do not have a printer or MFP), and the update service (if you do not plan to update the system). But the latter is not recommended. The developer provides updates to the operating system for a reason. Many holes and vulnerabilities are closed there. Performance has also been optimized. To disable a service, you need to double-click on it, click the “Stop” button in the window that appears and select the “Disabled” startup type. Then click on "OK". Such procedures are also useful for low-power laptops. Thus, there is also an answer to the question of how to speed up Windows 10 on a weak laptop.

Disabling graphic effects

"Ten" is a very beautiful system. But all the graphical bells and whistles require a fair amount of RAM and video card power. For reasons of practicality, it is better to turn off all the "beauties". Having done this, you will immediately notice how much better the computer will think. Have you asked about how to speed up a laptop on Windows 10? Turn off graphics bells and whistles and your laptop will become much faster.

To disable it, just right-click on the “This PC” icon, select “Properties”, and in the window that appears, select “Advanced system settings”. Here it will be enough to check the “Ensure the best performance” item. All graphic effects will be removed instantly. This will allow the computer to direct all its power to running programs, and not to looking attractive.

Start Menu

The "top ten" has a kind of "Start" menu. It integrates applications in the form of live tiles. Many users don’t need all these “stuff” for nothing. And they consume computer resources and slow down the system. But they can be disabled. Although, in principle, there is no need to do this. It is enough to remove them from the menu. If you suddenly need them, finding them will not be difficult. In the Start menu they are always in the list of installed programs. This is another answer to the question of how to speed up a laptop on Windows 10.

In order to remove “live tiles” from the Start menu, just right-click on the desired tile and select “Unpin” in the window that appears. Some apps will also have an Uninstall option available. If you do not plan to use this program in the future, then you can safely delete it. It won't get any worse. After removing all tiled applications, opening the Start menu will speed up, and the overall performance of the operating system will improve.

Spy tricks

It has long been no secret to anyone that the “top ten” closely monitors all user actions and sends all information to Microsoft. But how this company uses this information is a big question. But it's not that. The fact is that all these options slow down the system and make the laptop work slower. Accordingly, you need to disable all tracking services. This is another answer to the question of how to speed up a laptop on Windows 10. How to disable spy options? Very simple.

The easiest way is to use the Ashampoo AntiSpy program. It will automatically disable all unnecessary options. But it’s better to do everything by hand. You need to open “Settings”, “Privacy” item. In the "General" tab, you should disable everything except SmartScreen services. In the "Feedback and Diagnostics" tab, select "Never" in the feedback generation section. The remaining tabs give permissions to applications to use the laptop's microphone and camera. We turn this off too. It would also be a good idea to turn off applications running in the corresponding tab. And finally, go to “Control Panel”, “Administration”, “Services” and disable the “Diagnostic Research Service”. She is the one responsible for collecting information and sending it to Microsoft.

Driver Update

"Ten" can install drivers for all devices out of the box. But not all of them work adequately. This can also cause slowdowns and glitches. This is especially true for drivers for Wi-Fi. Replacing these drivers is the answer to the question of how to speed up the Internet on a laptop with Windows 10. To check which driver is installed, just open the device manager, right-click on the hardware name and select “Properties”. If the Microsoft inscription is visible somewhere, then it is better to replace such a driver.

You can find the necessary drivers on the official website of the manufacturer of the laptop or its individual components. It usually contains the latest products for all devices. All that remains is to download and install. After installing all the necessary drivers, you must restart your computer for the changes to take effect. After all these manipulations, the performance of the laptop will increase slightly.

Using specialized programs

This is another answer to the question of how to speed up a laptop on Windows 10. But using all this software without understanding is not recommended. The fact is that in automatic mode these utilities can seriously mess up, and the performance of the operating system will only worsen. The best programs are CCleaner and AusLogics BoostSpeed. They work most adequately with operating system options. But they don’t always cope well with the “ten”. These utilities are simply not optimized to work on this OS.

It is also not recommended to use such programs because they “settle” in startup. And instead of an increase in productivity, you get one loss. And no one needs this. It's better to do everything manually. Then the system will work as expected.

What not to do

You cannot disable services vital to the operating system. Without them, the system may refuse to work at all. It is also better not to touch system processes in the task manager. This may cause the OS to not work. You shouldn't mess around with the system registry either. Out of ignorance, you can make such a mess there that even the programmers won’t be able to figure it out later. Also, do not disable the page file. Some programs without it refuse to start at all. This is especially true for laptops, since they do not have a lot of RAM. You should also not defragment the SSD drive. First of all, he doesn't need it. And secondly, it will not live long if it is defragmented.

Conclusion

Now you know everything about how to speed up a laptop on Windows 10. There are many ways to do this. But it is not recommended to use specialized software products. It is better to do everything manually with a deep understanding of all processes. Then your laptop will work quickly and will always delight you with its performance in games and resource-intensive applications.

One of the most common questions regarding Windows 10 is how to make it faster (especially true for laptops and netbooks). In this guide, we'll talk about why Windows 10 slows down and how to speed it up, what affects its performance, and what actions can make it faster in certain situations.

We will not consider improving performance by replacing hardware (for example, a hard drive from an HDD to an SSD), but only those cases that cause Windows 10 to slow down and how to fix it, speeding up the Windows system.

In other articles on a similar topic, there are often comments such as “I use a program that speeds up the computer and the computer does not slow down.” Personal opinion on this issue: automatic “accelerators” are useless and when using them it is advisable to understand what exactly they do and how.

Checking startup programs

One of the most common reasons why Windows 10, as well as previous versions of OS users, is slow is programs or applications that automatically launch when the system starts: they not only increase the time it takes to start up your computer, but can also reduce performance during normal work.

Many users may not even know that they have anything in startup, or be confident that there is only what is needed to work, but in most cases this is not the case.

Below are examples of some programs that can run automatically and consume computer resources, but at the same time be useless in normal operation.

  • Programs from printers and scanners - whoever has a printer, scanner or MFP, they are automatically loaded along with programs from their manufacturer. At the same time, no one uses them, we scan and print without these programs. Therefore, you can safely disable them in startup.
  • Programs for downloading something, for example, torrent clients, file downloaders, etc. - if you don't automatically download files from the Internet, then you don't need to use uTorrent, MediaGet or anything like that at startup. Remove them from startup. If necessary (when loading a file that must be opened through the appropriate program), they will start themselves. Please note that constantly running and distributing something through a torrent client (sharing), especially on a laptop with a regular hard drive, can lead to poor performance, in other words, slowdowns.
  • Cloud storages such as OneDrive, Yandex Drive, Google drive, etc., which you do not use. For example, in Windows 10, OneDrive starts by default. If you don't use it and don't need it at startup, remove it or disable it from startup.
  • Unknown programs or applications – You may have various programs in your startup list that you know nothing about and have never used. These could be programs from the laptop or computer manufacturer, or maybe some programs that were installed along with other programs without your knowledge. They can be disabled experimentally, for example, all programs named Toshiba can be disabled and restarted. You will see that nothing will change, since the programs in the startup do not directly affect the operation of the system and you can disable them all. But I don’t recommend that you disable your antivirus; it’s better to leave it on.

If you want the system to work faster, save only what is really necessary, as I said above, for example, antivirus, the rest can be disabled.

Also, in addition to programs in startup, view the list of installed programs in the “Programs and Features” section in Control Panel. Remove everything you don't need and keep only the software you use on your computer.

How to speed up the Windows 10 interface

Often on computers and laptops with the latest updates, the Windows 10 interface slows down. In some cases, the cause of the problem is the CFG (Control Flow Guard) function, enabled by default. It is aimed at protecting against exploits that use memory access vulnerabilities.

If, for the sake of speed, you abandon some protection measures to improve performance, you can disable the CFG function.

Processes that use CPU and memory in Windows 10

Sometimes it happens that the incorrect operation of a background process causes a drop in system performance. You can see such processes using the Task Manager.

Windows 10 tracking features

Many people know that Windows 10 spies on its users. And if I personally don’t have any problems with this, then from the point of view of the impact on system speed, such functions can have a direct impact.

For this reason, stopping them may be entirely appropriate. For more information about these features and how to disable them, read How to disable Windows 10 tracking.

Optimizing applications in the Start menu

After upgrading or installing Windows 10, you'll find a set of live app tiles in the Start menu. They also use system resources (albeit to a small extent) to update and display information. Do you use them?

If not, remove them from the Start menu or disable live tiles (right click - unpin from start screen) or delete them.

Drivers

Another reason why Windows 10 is slow for most users is the lack of original drivers. This often applies to video card drivers, as well as SATA drivers, chipset and other devices.

Despite the fact that Windows 10 seems to be able to automatically install a large number of original hardware drivers, it is worth going to the device manager (by right-clicking on the “Start” button) and looking at the properties of devices (first of all the video card) in the “Driver” tab. . If Microsoft is listed as the supplier, download and install drivers from the official website of the manufacturer of your laptop or computer, and if it is a video card from NVidia, AMD or Intel, install depending on the model.

Graphic effects and sounds

I don't think turning off graphics effects and sounds can significantly improve the speed of Windows 10 on modern computers, but on an older PC or laptop you can get some performance improvements.

To turn off graphical effects, right-click the Start button and select System, then on the left, Advanced system settings. On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Options.

Here you can select “Ensure the best performance” by disabling all Windows 10 animations and effects at once. You can also leave some of them, without which it is not very convenient to work - for example, maximizing and collapsing dialog boxes.

Alternatively, press Windows Key (Logo Key) + I, go to Accessibility - Other Options, and turn off Play Animation in Windows.

Also, in Windows 10's Settings, under Personalization - Colors, turning off transparency for the Start menu, taskbar, and action center can have a positive impact on the overall performance of a slow computer.

To turn off event sounds, right-click the Start button and select Control Panel, then click Sound. In the Sounds tab, you can turn on the Silent sound scheme, and Windows 10 will no longer need to access your hard drive when searching for files and start playing sound on certain events.

Unwanted and malware

If your system is not noticeably slowing down and no method is helping, then malware and unwanted programs may be showing up on your computer, and many of these programs are "invisible" to antivirus programs, no matter how good your antivirus is.

I advise you to occasionally scan your computer in the future using additional utilities such as AdwCleaner, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware or Himan Pro, in addition to your antivirus.

If you notice that browsers have become slow, you should look at the list of extensions and disable all unnecessary and unknown ones. Often they are the problem.

What not to do to speed up Windows 10

Here's a list of some things I wouldn't recommend doing to speed up your system that are often recommended all over the internet.

  • Disabling the Windows 10 page file is often recommended if you have a significant amount of RAM to extend the life of SSD hard drives and similar things. I wouldn't do this: firstly, there is a high probability of no performance gain, and some programs may not even run without a page file, even if you have 32GB of RAM. In this case, if you are a beginner, you may not even understand why they do not start.
  • Frequently “clean your computer of debris.” Some on a daily basis or automatically clear the browser cache from the computer, clean the registry, clear temporary files using CCleaner and similar programs. Although using such utilities can be useful and sometimes convenient, your actions may not always lead to the desired result, you need to understand, preferably understand, what a particular program does. For example, clearing the browser cache is only necessary if problems occur in the browser. The cache itself in browsers is designed specifically to speed up page loading and really speeds up the browser.
  • Disable unnecessary Windows 10 services. Same as with the page file, especially if you're not very good at it - when there's a problem with browsing the Internet, a program, or something else, you may not remember that the problem is caused by a disabled service. Therefore, you need to be extremely careful with services and before disabling them, always look at what it is responsible for. You can view it on the Internet.
  • Use programs in startup "To speed up your computer." Remember that changes may not only not speed up, but also slow down the system.
  • Disable file indexing in Windows 10. Except when an SSD drive is installed on your computer.
  • Disable services. This was discussed above.

Additional Information

In addition to all of the above, I can recommend:

  • If the version is not pirated, then keep your system updated (however, this is not difficult, because updates are installed forcibly, whether you want it or not, unless the service is disabled), monitor the state of the computer, programs at startup, and the presence of malicious software.
  • If you are a more experienced user, use licensed or free software from official sites, and have not encountered viruses for a long time, then you may want to consider using only Windows 10's built-in protections instead of third-party antiviruses and firewalls. But this advice is only for experienced ones.
  • Monitor the free space on the system partition of your hard drive. If it is not enough (less than 3-5 GB), it can lead to performance problems. Moreover, if your hard drive is divided into two or more partitions, I recommend using the second of these partitions only for storing data, but not for installing programs - they should better be placed on the system partition (unless you have two physical disks) .
  • I strongly do not recommend keeping two or more third-party antivirus programs on your computer. Many people have probably encountered the fact that installing two antiviruses resulted in the system refusing to work. There is no need to do this.

It is also worth noting that the reasons for the slow operation of Windows 10 can be caused not only by some of the above, but also by a number of other problems, sometimes more serious: for example, the hard drive begins to “crumble,” processes overheat, and others.

If you have any questions, write in the comments.

That's all. All the best.