How to Boost the Speed of a Slow Windows 10/11 Computer

Computer software continues to improve and Windows 10/11 is no exemption. This is especially true if you have just updated from Windows 7 or other earlier Windows operating systems. You’ll be shocked by how fast your computer starts up.

However, startup time is not the only factor you should consider when measuring how fast your computer works. There are still other performance factors that can affect your Windows computer performance game.

Now, if you are using Windows 10/11 and you feel that your computer is too slow, fret not. We have compiled some handy tips on how to speed up a slow computer – just read on below:

1. Change the power settings of your computer.

If you enabled Windows 10/11’s Power Saver Plan, you’re probably dealing with a slow PC, as that plan is designed to slow down your computer’s performance to save energy. By switching your power plan from Power Saver to Balanced or High Performance, you will give your PC an instant performance boost. So how do you change your computer’s power settings?

1. Navigate to Control Panel -> Hardware and Sound. Choose Power Options.
2. You should see two options: Power Saver and Balanced. Choose the option you want. If you choose the Power Saver option, your computer will do everything to save as much battery life as possible. If you select the Balanced option, your computer will find balance between performance and power. If you are using a Windows 10/11 desktop computer, you have no reason to select the Power Saver option because your computer is plugged.
3. Exit Control Panel.

2. Disable the apps and programs that run on startup.

One reason your Windows 10/11 computer is running slow is you’ve got lots of apps and programs running in the background, which are not useful. Stop them and your computer is likely to run smoothly.

To disable these unnecessary apps, follow these steps:

1. Open the Task Manager by pressing the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys. You may also right-click on the lower-right part of your screen and click Task Manager.
2. Navigate to the Startup tab. There will be a list of services and programs that will be shown in a list. Stop an app, program, or tool by right-clicking on it and selecting Disable. Although this does not disable an app or program entirely, it will prevent it from launching at startup.
3. If you want to enable it again, go back to the Task Manager, right-click the program, and select Enable.

Take note that some programs and services that launch at startup might not be familiar to you, but they actually play a vital role in your machine’s operations. Be careful when disabling them. If you are uncertain about the function of a certain program, Google it first.

Apart from “googling” information about a program, you can also right-click on it and select Properties. You should then see information about it, including its version number, file size, hard disk location, and the last time it was modified.

Once you have selected programs to disable at startup, restart your computer.

3. Keep OneDrive from syncing.

If you’re running Windows 10/11, it is likely that Microsoft’s cloud-based file storage service, OneDrive, is installed in your computer. Every now and then, it will sync files to keep them up to date. Though it’s a handy backup tool, it can actually affect your computer’s performance because it means constantly syncing files between your computer and cloud storage.

To temporarily switch off OneDrive syncing, here’s what you should do:

1. Right-click on the OneDrive icon.
2. Go to Setting -> Account.
3. Select Unlink this PC -> Unlink Account.

Now, you should be able to save files to the local OneDrive folder without syncing to the cloud.

4. Disable search indexing.

In case you didn’t know, Windows 10/11 indexes your hard disk to allow you to search your computer quickly. However, slower computers that enable search indexing might experience some performance issues, which may be avoided by switching off indexing.

Here’s how you disable search indexing on a Windows 10/11 computer:

1. In the search box, type “services.msc”.
2. Click Services from the results that show up. The Services app should then appear.
3. Scroll down to the list of services and find Windows Search or Indexing Service. Double-click on it and click Stop.
4. Reboot your computer.
5. Searching might be slower now, but you will notice a difference in overall system performance.

5. Clean your hard disk.

If your hard disk is filled with unnecessary files, it is likely slowing down your Windows 10/11 computer. Cleaning it can give it an instant speed boost.

Windows 10/11 has a useful tool that can be used to scan your hard disk for any files you don’t need. It’s called Storage Sense. To use this, follow the instructions below:

1. Navigate to Settings -> System -> Storage.
2. Toggle on the switch at the top of the screen, near the Storage Sense section. By doing this, your Windows 10/11 will constantly monitor your computer and check any junk and temporary files.

6. Clear your Registry.

The Registry controls and tracks everything about how Windows works. But then again, it can also get messy. Whenever you uninstall an app or program, the settings will not be cleared away from the Registry. That means, over time, it can be filled out with different outdated settings. With all these unwanted things saved in your Registry, your system will definitely slow down.

If you are planning to clean these settings yourself, you might as well consider a Registry Cleaner to do it. Auslogics Registry Cleaner is one great example.

Before you use this Registry Cleaner, you might want to backup your Registry first so you can easily restore your settings in case anything comes up.

7. Disable animations and visual effects.

Windows 10/11 sure does look great with its awesome visual effects and animations. On faster and newer computers, these effects won’t take a toll on your system performance. But on slower and older computers, they can cause the system to lag and underperform.

If your computer has older hardware, don’t worry because you can turn off these effects. In the search box, simply type “sysdm.cpl” and then click Enter. The System Properties dialog box should now launch.

Next, navigate to the Advanced tab. Scroll down to the Performance section and click Settings. Switch off the animations and the special effects you don’t need.

Below are some of the animations that have the greatest impact on your system performance:

• Shadows under windows
• Taskbar animations
• Fade out menu items after a click
• Slide or fade tool tips into view

8. Use Windows Troubleshooter.

Did you know that Windows 10/11 has a built-in tool that can solve performance problems? It’s called Windows Troubleshooter.

To launch it, go to Control Panel -> System and Security -> Security and Maintenance -> Troubleshooting -> Run Maintenance Tasks. A new window will pop up with the message “troubleshoot and help prevent computer problems”. Click Next.

The Windows Troubleshooter will start looking for files and shortcuts you don’t use. It will also identify performance problems on your computer. Once it is done, it will generate a report and show them to you, and you can decide whether or not to fix them.

9. Install Outbyte PC Repair.

Aside from the Windows Troubleshooter, there are other tools you can use to clean up unnecessary and junk files. Outbyte PC Repair is one very popular tool.

Outbyte PC Repair finds and fixes whatever is causing stability and speed problems on your Windows 10/11 computer. It will also tweak your system settings to help processes work at a faster pace.

Just try any of these nine tips and you will find that your Windows 10/11 computer is now working faster than ever!