Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
- If your computer is running more sluggish than it once did, there are several ways to speed up Windows 10.
- Your Windows 10 computer might be able to run faster if you tweak certain settings in Windows.
- To coax additional performance from Windows 10, turn off special effects, uninstall unwanted programs, and change your startup settings.
- If you are not already using an SSD for your hard drive storage, it’s the single most effective upgrade you can make to improve your computer’s performance.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
People sometimes wonder how it was possible for the guidance computer in Apollo 11 — a computer with less memory than the cheapest Windows 10 PC in use today — to reach the moon.
The answer: It didn’t waste any processing power on a fancy interface, or multi-tasking.
You can eke some extra performance out of your own Windows 10 computer by making it a little more minimalist, like that original Apollo 11 computer.
Here are seven ways you can speed up Windows 10.
Check out the products mentioned in this article:
Windows 10 Home (For $139.99 at Best Buy)
SanDisk Ultra 512 GB SSD (For $69.99 at Best Buy)
Reduce the amount of apps that open at startup
Dave Johnson/Business Insider
If your computer takes a long time to boot, the most likely culprit is that you have too many programs slowing down the startup process.
This means there may be a lot of unnecessary programs running in the background, which continue to slow things down even after Windows is fully booted. Here’s how to fix it:
1. Right-click the Start button and choose "Task Manager."
2. In Task Manager, click the "Startup" tab.
3. If you see a program you don’t want to run at startup, right-click it and choose "Disable."
Uninstall bloatware and other unwanted programs
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There’s a good chance your computer came with a lot of unwanted programs that run in the background and slow things down. Often called "bloatware," they rarely serve a useful purpose.
You should take a few minutes to uninstall programs you don’t want or need from your computer. To do that, follow the steps in the article "How to properly uninstall programs on Windows 10, to protect your computer and free up space."
Disable Windows special effects
Dave Johnson/Business Insider
Windows 10 has a lot of special effects — some very obvious, others quite subtle. They make the experience of using your computer more fun and enjoyable, but they might also be slowing your PC down, especially if it’s older or has a slow processor.
Here’s how to turn off some of these special effects.
1. Click the Start button and start the Control Panel.
2. Click "System."
3. Click "Advanced system settings."
4. On the System Properties window, make sure you are on the Advanced tab and click "Settings."
5. Here you can manually turn off special effects or just click "Adjust for best performance."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- How to change your YouTube name in 5 simple steps
- How to boot your Windows 10 computer from a USB drive
- How to check which version of Windows your computer is running
SEE ALSO: The best all-in-one Windows PCs you can buy
Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Dave Johnson)