This article was co-authored by Ken Colburn and by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Ken Colburn is a Consumer Electronics Expert and the Founder & CEO of Data Doctors Computer Services. With more than 34 years of experience, he specializes in computer checkups and repairs, data recovery, and teaching others about technology. Ken also provides one-minute tech tips through his broadcast, Data Doctors Tech Tips.
There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
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Is your PC feeling sluggish? If so, you're not alone. A slow computer is frustrating and can feel like a waste of time, money, and effort. But there's no need to call a technician—there are plenty of things you can do to speed up Windows 10 or 11 to get the most out of your desktop or laptop computer. This wikiHow article will teach you simple but effective ways to optimize your PC's performance.
Things You Should Know
- Uninstall any programs you're not using, and block unnecessary apps and services from starting automatically.
- Visual effects in Windows, like animations, shadows, and transparency, can slow down your PC.
- Using a high-performance power plan optimizes your PC for CPU-intensive applications.
Steps
Expert Q&A
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QuestionWhy is my gaming PC slow?Ken ColburnKen Colburn is a Consumer Electronics Expert and the Founder & CEO of Data Doctors Computer Services. With more than 34 years of experience, he specializes in computer checkups and repairs, data recovery, and teaching others about technology. Ken also provides one-minute tech tips through his broadcast, Data Doctors Tech Tips.
Computer Repair ExpertYou might have unknowingly installed extra programs on your computer while installing a piece of software. It can help to clear out your hard drive and make sure at least 20% of it is clear at all times. -
QuestionHow can I make my computer boot up faster?Ken ColburnKen Colburn is a Consumer Electronics Expert and the Founder & CEO of Data Doctors Computer Services. With more than 34 years of experience, he specializes in computer checkups and repairs, data recovery, and teaching others about technology. Ken also provides one-minute tech tips through his broadcast, Data Doctors Tech Tips.
Computer Repair ExpertGet rid of programs that you don't need and disable any unnecessary programs from booting up when your computer starts up. That can definitely make a difference! -
QuestionAre there any folders or files that can be disabled or deleted to enhance Windows 7's performance?R2_d2000Top AnswererNot really. All files that come with Windows 7 are necessary for your computer to function. You can uninstall programs that you no longer use, though.
Video
Tips
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You may need to troubleshoot further if you manually stop the components rather than the software and the computer becomes idle.Thanks
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It is a good idea to set a backup schedule for your PC. This way, you will always have a backup of your files should something go seriously wrong.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/learning-center/take-control-of-windows-startup
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/get-the-latest-windows-update-7d20e88c-0568-483a-37bc-c3885390d212#WindowsVersion=Windows_10
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/defragment-your-windows-10-pc-048aefac-7f1f-4632-d48a-9700c4ec702a
- ↑ https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/games-apps/game-setup-and-play/use-game-mode-gaming-on-pc
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/how-to-pause-and-resume-sync-in-onedrive-2152bfa4-a2a5-4d3a-ace8-92912fb4421e
- ↑ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/performance/introduction-to-the-page-file
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/tips-to-improve-pc-performance-in-windows-b3b3ef5b-5953-fb6a-2528-4bbed82fba96#Category=Windows_10
- ↑ https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht513773-how-to-enable-or-disable-fast-startup-on-windows-11
About This Article
1. Disable transparency effects.
2. Disable startup programs.
3. Turn off unnecessary services.
4. Disable shadows and animations.
5. Enable Fast Startup.
6. Uninstall unnecessary apps.
7. Do a disk cleanup.
8. Defragment the hard drive.
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