Give your PC a boost: Trim down startup programs that take forever to load. Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc, then hit the Startup tab to view all the programs that fire up when Windows starts. Right-click and disable any you don’t need right away when your system reboots.
Easy tricks to speed up your slow computer
Picture this: Your phone is barely a year old and running at a snail’s pace. You blame the manufacturer and mumble something about planned obsolescence. Before you go off on a rant, check out our guide to the top seven reasons your phone is running slow.
Can you brew a pot of coffee in the time it takes your PC to boot up? Are web pages taking forever to load? You may think it’s time for an upgrade but don’t shell out all that money until you try these fixes to breathe new life into your machine.
1. Did you try turning it off and turning it back on again?
Let’s start with the most basic fix. If your computer is bogged down, turn it off and restart it. Why does it work? Shutting down your computer clears your RAM and closes extra programs and processes running in the background.
RELATED: True or false: You should reboot your computer every day
2. Disable unnecessary startup programs
Operating systems often come with many preinstalled startup programs, many of which you’ll never use. Downloading additional programs only adds to the bloat.
Most apps don’t need to start every time you boot your PC. Why not just open them when using them?
Here’s how to disable startup apps through settings in Windows:
- Open Settings through the Start menu or search for settings in the taskbar.
- Select Apps, then Startup.
- Click on the slider next to each app to disable or enable it.
- Each app has a description showing its impact level. You can disable high-impact apps to speed up your PC.
Don’t stop there! Here are more default settings to change.
3. Uninstall bloatware and other software that’s not needed
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If you’ve dealt with a computer that’s slow or lagging, you know how frustrating it can be. The spinning circle on a Mac or a delayed response time on a PC can cause major headaches, whether you’re in the midst of a work project or just trying to browse the web.
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Anyone who uses a computer has probably experienced a PC slowdown. Your programs open sluggishly, web browsing seems pokey, apps are lagging and your computer startup time is worse than you remember.
Even Windows 10 is not immune to these occasional lags, and it could be a bit frustrating trying to figure out what’s going on — especially with a relatively new operating system. Not running Windows 10 yet? Tap or click here to upgrade from Windows 7 to 10.