Speed up a slow Windows PC – 5 great and easy ways

speed up a slow Windows PC

Great ways to speed up a slow Windows PC

When your old Windows PC or laptop starts its steady decline into snail-like speeds, the first thing you’d love to do is replace it for a fancy new one. However, the reality is there are easy changes you can make to speed up your computer and save you some money.

For more advice on how keep your business’ IT running smoothly, simply get in touch with the totality services team.

Here are five ways you can clean up an old PC to make it look young again.

1. Speed up Startup of a Slow Windows Computer

If your computer is taking a long time to boot, it’s time to make some changes. Most likely your computer is not slow – it’s the dozens of programs turning on during startup that are slowing it down. Often, the mounting programs you use are overwhelming your computer’s RAM (Random Access Memory) at startup. This means your Windows PC appears slow in response to the programs which are automatically opened at your login.

Try these tips below to help speed up your computer’s startup:

  • Download a comprehensive tool such as Autoruns to easily disable certain programs during your startup.
  • Try Windows’ slightly less thorough, built-in utility, MSConfig.
  • To find it, go to Search or run under Start and type “msconfig.”
  • Under the “Startup” tab, uncheck the boxes of the programs you don’t need to run every time your computer is turned on, for instance, iTunes or your printer.
  • If you don’t recognise a program, leave it be. Restart your computer and watch it fly.

By following these steps, you should see a significant boost in the speed of your computer’s startup.

2. Clear It Out

If it’s painfully slow when you’re working on your cloud apps or just surfing the internet, there are a couple of quick changes you can make.

Are you an Internet Explorer user? Get rid of it. Internet Explorer doesn’t function as well as newer and more capable browsers. It may also lack the updates to support different extensions. As a result, your computer’s response can become easily slowed when opening multiple tabs or uploading files.

Instead download Google Chrome. It is arguably the best browser on the market now, known for speedy surfing. Once downloaded, you will also want to remove temporary internet files regularly. Under Chrome, go to Clear Browsing Data and check the boxes of temporary internet files like cookies, cache, download history and browsing history. These small actions can help improve your internet browsing and speed up any computer lagging.

To take further precaution, try a program like CCleaner from Piriform. The free software program removes temporary files and junk from all your browsers. In addition, it clears Windows and the registry to make your PC run faster. CCleaner and other similar software can also disable unwanted programs, further quickening your startup process and freeing up space on your Windows PC.

3. Slim Down

Open the Control Panel, find the list of installed programs, and uninstall programs you don’t use and don’t need from your PC. This can help speed up your PC, as those programs might include background processes, autostart entries, system services, context menu entries, etc. These processes can dramatically slow down your PC over time as they use up a lot of your computer’s resources.

By removing these unwanted programs you’re removing equally unwanted data, so slimming down will also save room on your hard drive. For example, you definitely shouldn’t have Java installed if you’re not using it. Uninstalling can further improve your system security as you may ignore updates for programs you no longer use. Ignored programs can open more opportunity for harmful malware to invade your PC.

4. Automate Your Updates

It is important to keep your apps and programs regularly updated to avoid your computer slowing. But let’s face it, updates are annoying. It’s very easy to click “remind me later” and avoid the notifications, leaving them piling up over a long period of time. It might be a while until you’re frustrated enough to finally set aside an entire afternoon to update everything, whilst not being able to access your PC.

Let’s solve this. Follow these steps to automate your updates:

  • Go to My Computer > Properties > Automatic Updates.
  • Make sure this is set to Download and Install Automatically.
  • To completely cover your bases, find out if any programs need to be updated manually by downloading an Update Checker. You can use software from FileHippo.com to do this.
  • Once downloaded, the fast and free program scans your computer and reports back to you with any available updates in seconds.

5. Scan your slow Windows PC for malware and adware

Lastly, there’s a chance your computer is slow because malicious software is slowing it down and running in the background. Don’t worry as this may not be flat-out malware. For example, some software interferes with your web browsing in order to track it and add additional advertisements.

There are some recommended steps you can take to be extra safe. First scan your computer with an antivirus program. It is also helpful to use Malwarebytes in addition to your regular antivirus program. This software can catch a lot of “potentially unwanted programs” (PUPs) that most antivirus programs tend to ignore. PUPs try to sneak onto your computer when you install other software, and can include spyware, adware, and keyboard loggers. This is an overlooked aspect in malware scanning so make sure to try it for better security and peace of mind. You certainly don’t want PUPs interfering with your computer’s functionality.

As a leading IT Support company in London, totality services will supercharge your workforce and maximise your business’ IT operations. Opting for our managed IT services in London ensures that your business benefits from expert support, proactive maintenance, and cutting-edge solutions.