A slow Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer can be extremely frustrating and impacting productivity. For this reason if you planning to purchase new hardware, there are several effective ways to speed up Windows 10 and customize Windows 11 with simple, free tweaks.
This comprehensive guide will show you tried-and-true methods for fix slow PC problems, whether you have a Dell laptop very slow Windows 10 or you’re wondering why is my computer so slow Windows 10. We’ll cover everything from quick tweaks to in-depth system optimization, helping you clean up computer to run faster Windows 10 free and get your machine back to its best performance.
Let us know how to fix a slow computer Windows 10 and 11!
Why Is Your PC So Slow? Its common causes:
Before we look for solutions, it’s helpful to understand the common reasons behind a slow computer.
- Too Many Startup Programs: Applications that automatically launch at startup consume system resources such as RAM and CPU, which can significantly slow down a computer’s startup time and overall performance. While some essential programs, such as antivirus software, should run at startup, many unnecessary applications may launch automatically, increasing resource usage and reducing system efficiency.
- Insufficient RAM: Whenwestart any program in your computer, then necessary program’s files are loaded into the RAM from the hdd. If your PC has too little RAM for your tasks, it will constantly transfer data to the slower hard drive. In resultant pc will be slow.
- Full or Fragmented Hard Drive: A nearly full hard drive (HDD) can significantly slow down your computer’s performance. A fragmented hard drive is a hard disk drive (HDD) where files are stored in scattered, unconnected pieces rather than as a single continuous block. This occurs over time as files are added, modified, and deleted, causing the operating system to use the first available disk sectors, which are often not adjacent. As a result, the read-write head has to make more movements to access all parts of the file, slowing file access and reducing overall system performance
- Outdated Drivers: Out-of-date, corrupt, or incompatible graphics, chipset, and other device drivers can certainly cause performance issue by interfering with communication between your hardware and software, resulting in system instability, and a failure for components to perform to their full capacity. Updating these drivers is critical for maintaining optimal system performance and avoiding problems.
- Too Many Background Processes: Background apps constantly consume system resources, such as CPU, memory, and battery power, which can degrade overall system performance and cause a slower, less responsive user experience.
- Malware or Viruses: Malicious software significantly impacts system speed by consuming resources like CPU and memory, interrupting legitimate processes, and consuming bandwidth, leading to slowdowns, crashes, and poor performance. Malware takes over your system’s resources to accomplish things like send stolen data, download new harmful payloads, and take part in distributed denial of service (DDoS) assaults. These actions take away everything your system needs to work normally.
- Bloatware: Unnecessary pre-installed software consumes system resources such as storage space, processing power, and RAM, which can decrease the performance and battery life of. This unwanted software, called bloatware, can also pose security risks and is often installed by manufacturers for their own benefit rather than the user’s.
- Visual Effects: Flashy visual effects, such as animations and transparencies, consume system resources like CPU, RAM, and GPU, which can slow down your computer, especially on less powerful hardware. You can improve performance by disabling these effects in your operating system’s performance settings, with options to adjust for “best performance,” or by manually selecting and customizing individual visual settings.
Ways to Fix slow PC Performance on Windows Without Buying Any Hardware:
You can stop or control which applications start automatically to free up resources and improve performance Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make PC faster Windows 10 and 11:
1. Manage Startup Programs
One of the most effective steps to speed up my PC free is controlling what launches when Windows starts.. Disable programs like game launchers (like Steam), messaging apps, and music players to free up memory and CPU usage at startup
For Windows 10 and 11, right click on the taskbar then select “Task Manager” .Within the Task Manager window; go to the “Startup” tab. Right click on the programs that you do not run on startup and select “Disable”. Be careful not to turn off any important system services (if you’re not sure, just leave it).
2. Clean Up Your Hard Drive
A cluttered hard drive can severely impact your performance. This clutter includes temporary files, old program files, unwanted software, and large amounts of personal files that aren’t regularly organized or cleaned. This is key to how to clean up computer to run faster Windows 10.
Disk Cleanup: For Disk Cleanup, type “Disk Cleanup” in the Windows search bar and open disk cleanup utility. Select drive C: and click on OK then a scanned disk cleanup window open , Within the window, check boxes for “Temporary files,” “Recycle Bin,” “Downloads” (if you’ve backed up important files), and “Temporary Internet Files.” Then click on “OK” button then click on “Delete Files” options.
Uninstall Unused Programs: Go to Settings >click on Apps >select Apps & features in the left sidebar menu. Review the all installed programs and which one not necessary, left click on it then choose “Uninstall” button.
This is very important for both speed up Windows 10 and speed up Windows 11.
3. Adjust Visual Effects for Best Performance
Windows 10 and 11 include many visual features such as visual effects, animations, and user interface design elements that can be customized or disabled to improve performance.
Type “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows” in the PC Search bar and open it. In the “Visual Effects” tab, choose “Adjust for best performance” radio button option the click “Apply” and “OK”. Secondly you can choose “Custom” and uncheck the affects you don’t need (e.g., “Animate windows when minimizing or maximizing,” “Fade or slide menus into view”).
4. Optimize Power Settings
Windows have three pre-defined power plan namely “Balanced”, ”Power saver” and “High Performance” . By default, Windows often prioritizes power saving over performance but if you prioritize high performance then type “Choose a power plan” in the windows search bar and open it. In the left side menu bar left click on “Create a power plan” option then check mark the “High performance” radio button. Then click “Next” and finally click on “Create” button. Then your custom High performance plan enabled. Note that this power plan uses more power, so it’s best for desktops or laptops that are usually plugged in. To delete this, first enable other power plan as “Balanced” then click “Change plan settings” for your Custom plan. Then click “Delete this plan” option then “OK” to delete it
5. Defragment Your Hard Drive (HDD Users Only)
If you have a traditional hard disk drive (HDD), defragmenting it can improve access times. Unlike traditional hard disk drives (HDDs), SSDs don’t rely on moving mechanical parts to read and write data. Instead, they use flash memory to store data electronically, so they don’t require defragmentation.
For a traditional hard disk defragment in windows 10/11, type “Defragment and Optimize Drives” in the search bar and open it. Select your hdd partition and click “Optimize”.
6. Disable Unnecessary Background Apps
Many apps continue to run in the background and consume resources even when you’re not actively using them. To disable it, follow these steps:
For Windows 10: Go to Settings >open Privacy option > within the privacy window in the left sidebar menu click Background apps. Turn off the “Let apps run in the background” radio button .
For Windows 11: Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features. Then Click the three dots next to an app, select “Advanced options,” and set “Background apps permissions” to “Never.”
7. Update Drivers and Windows
Outdated drivers cause incompatibilities, poor system performance, and errors, while outdated Windows can be vulnerable and lack performance improvements. Keeping both drivers and Windows up-to-date is crucial for optimal performance, system stability, access to new features, and protection against bugs and vulnerabilities.
For Windows Update: type “Windows Update” search box then open “Check for updates” / “Windows Update” settings. This automatically check , downloads and install latest windows updates on your PC.
For Device Drivers: Right click on “This PC” then select “Manage” option > a window opens > on the left side menu click on “Device Manager” option.> device manager window opens, now expand any component like as graphics card and right click on driver then choose “Update driver” option > then choose “Search automatically for drivers” option. If your PC connected with internet then this option automatically download and install the updated driver for that component.
You can also visit your PC manufacturer’s website for driver download and support (e.g., for My Dell laptop is very slow Windows 10 or My Dell Laptop is very slow Windows 11, check Dell’s support site)
8. Use a “One Command” Trick to fix slow PC (with Caution)
While there isn’t a single magical command to instantly make your PC lightning fast, some commands can help with temporary file cleanup or system checks.
Temp File Cleanup (Advanced – use with caution): open run box by pressing Windows key + R then Run box opens > Type %temp% then press enter. This opens temporary files. Now you can safety delete most of the files by pressing Ctrl + A then Delete option. Some files might be in use with windows and cannot be deleted then skip them.
Same as repeat the process with temp(without percent signs) and prefetch . this can ghelp to fix slow pc ploblems.
System File Checker (SFC): The System File Checker (SFC) is a Windows utility that scans and repairs corrupted, missing, or incorrect system files, which can resolve various Windows problems.
To use SFC, type cmd in the search bar and open Command Prompt with administrator privilege(choose Run as administrator), type the sfc /scannow command, and press Enter to start the scan. If SFC cannot resolve the problem, run the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool.
For deep details of SFC and DISM command click the given link: How to Use SFC and DISM Scan to Repair Windows 10 and 11.
These commands can help speed up Windows 10 with one command or speed up Windows 11 with one command by addressing underlying file issues.
9. Check for Malware
Malicious software (malware) can severely degrade system performance by consuming excessive system resources such as CPU and memory, running unauthorized background processes, causing network congestion, altering system settings, or corrupting important files. Symptoms of this degradation can include slow application load times, unresponsiveness, frequent crashes, unexpected pop-up ads, and higher-than-normal internet activity.
To run a full scan with Windows Security, type Windows Security in the search bar and open the Windows Security app, select Virus & threat protection, then select Scan Options and click “Full scan,” then click “Scan now” to start a full system scan. And secondly you can use or a reputable third-party antivirus program. This process checks all files and folders on your computer for viruses and other malware.
10. Adjust Virtual Memory (Paging File)
Windows uses a paging file (virtual memory) to replenish RAM on your hard drive. Sometimes, it’s best to let Windows manage this automatically, but if your RAM is low and you’re getting “Out of memory” errors, adjusting it may help.
For Windows 10/11: To adjust virtual memory (paging file) on a Windows PC, type “View advanced system settings” in the search bar or type sysdm.cpl in the Run box of the Start menu, then System Properties opens >under Advanced menu > click on Settings (under Performance) > under Advanced tab >click Change (under Virtual Memory). Uncheck “Automatically manage paging file size,” select a drive usually C: , choose a custom size, enter the desired initial(e.g., 1.5 times your RAM in MB) and maximum(e.g., 3 times your RAM in MB) sizes in MB, click Set, and then click OK to save your changes. A system reboot is required to apply the new settings.
Advanced Tips for a Super Snappy System
- Fresh Windows Installation: Finally, if your machine is slowed down by years of program installations, a clean Windows installation can significantly boost speed. Don’t forget to back up all your data first!
- Upgrade to an SSD: Although this guide focuses on free methods, if you’re still experiencing significant slowdowns, upgrading from an HDD to an SSD is the most effective hardware upgrade for speed.
- Add More RAM: If your PC consistently uses almost its entire RAM, adding more RAM is another excellent hardware upgrade. To see the RAM Utilization, right click on the windows taskbar then open Task Manager, under the Performance menu click on Memory option. Here you will see the RAM total RAM and its utilizations.
Conclusion
A slow PC doesn’t have to be a permanent problem. By systematically implementing these steps, you can significantly speed up Windows 10 and optimize Windows 11 for speed without spending any money on new hardware. Performing these maintenance tasks regularly will help clean up your computer, speed up Windows 10, and keep your system running smoothly.