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5 Tips to Speed Up Your Computer

published 8/31/2021

In today's fast-paced world, a slow computer can throw off your entire day by making you miss deadlines, fall behind schedule, and ruin your mood. Banging on your desk and hurling expletives at your computer won't do much to speed it up. You're even better off force restarting it and hoping things get better.

Well, you don't have to lose your mind over a slow computer. There are plenty of ways you can speed up your laptop or desktop PC, regardless of the operating system or computer model. If you're struggling with a slow computer, worry not; we're here to help.

Today we'll be highlighting a couple of tips to boost your computer's speed.

1. Get Rid of Useless Files

Those useless files and applications that you still keep on your computer are what could be slowing down your PC.

If you're an intrinsic digital hoarder, you'll probably have to contend with a super slow computer unless you break the habit. Even with the fastest processor and large RAM capacity, your hoarding habit will eventually catch up with you.

That's why you need to take some time to go over your files and delete whatever you don't need. An easy way to do so is to go to the control panel and click on the installed applications tab. Doing so will give you a list of all applications on your PC.

Select any application you don't use anymore, then click uninstall. Alternatively, you can find the application using file explorer, right-click on it and click uninstall. Do this for all unnecessary files, and your computer will run significantly faster.

2. Cleanup Your Disk/Perform a Disk Check

A disk check is exactly what it sounds like. A disk check is a feature that allows you to scan a specific drive for unused space or corrupt files. Corrupt files are any damaged files that don't work and are therefore a waste of space.

A disk check frees up processing speed to make your computer run faster by purging all corrupt files and retrieving unused space. If you own a Windows 10 PC, here's how you perform a disk check:

1. Open File Explorer and go to This PC to see all disk drives on your PC
2. Right-click on the drive you want to check and on the dropdown menu, click on Properties
3. On the window that appears, click on the Tools tab
4. Click on Check and then Scan Drive

Doing so initiates the disk check process, which may take up to 30 minutes if it's your first ever disk check. After the check is complete, restart the computer, and it should run way faster than it did before. If you're done with the disk check, try a disk cleanup to boost your PC's speed even further.

Performing a disk cleanup is way easier than performing a disk check. For a disk cleanup, all you have to do is:

1. Click the Windows key on your keyboard
2. Type "disk cleanup" on the search box
3. Click on the topmost option when the results pop up

The disk cleanup utility presents a safe way to delete temporary files that may be hogging space on your drive and slowing down your computer. Some of these temporary files include internet cache files and other unnecessary bloatware.

The disk cleanup tool saves you the trouble of manually searching for temporary files to delete them. If you're not satisfied with the default disk cleanup tool, you can download a memory cleaner to do your bidding.

3. Defragment Your Drives

Disk Defragmentation is the process of combining all components of a file and storing them in one single space. This helps free up disk space, which subsequently makes the computer run faster. To defragment your drives:-

1. Open File Explorer on the lower tab or by pressing the Windows key and letter "E" simultaneously
2. Right-click on the drive you want to defragment
3. On the dropdown menu, click on properties
4. Click the Tools tab on the window that appears
5. Click on optimize, and it'll open a new window
6. On the new window, click Optimize to initiate the defragmentation process

Take note of the defragmentation frequency at the bottom left of the window. This means the PC will automatically defragment the drive after the specified period. Windows sets it at weekly by default, but you can adjust it to daily, and even monthly, depending on your computer's performance.

4. End Unnecessary Startup Programs/Processes

Startup programs are those annoying programs that open the moment your turn on your PC. In truth, you don't need most of these programs, and all they do is bog down your computer's speed. If you can relate, it's time you get rid of these programs.

To get rid of startup programs or processes, follow the steps below.

1. Open task manager by pressing CTRL+ALT+DELETE keys on your keyboard
2. On the window that pops up, click the startup tab to see all programs that open on start up
3. You'll see a column that shows how each program impacts your PC's startup
4. Right-click on any program and choose whether to enable or disable it to run on startup

Doing so should help your computer boot much faster the next time you turn it on. However, be careful not to delete the programs you need on start up like firewalls or antiviruses.

5. Scan for Viruses and Other Malware

A simple virus scan could go a long way in boosting your PC's performance. However, you need to make sure you're using a credible antivirus to see any significant results.

It's also worth noting that some antiviruses might be a tad heavy on your system, but they're way better than having a ton of viruses limiting your PC's speed.

Speed Up Your PC Without Breaking a Sweat

The above information should help you speed up your PC without doing any major upgrades. However, you shouldn't write off upgrading your computer's RAM are getting an external USB for extra space if your PC is dreadfully slow.

That said, you should also consider taking your computer for repairs if you suspect it's something to do with its internal components. Feel free to contact us if you need help with data recovery, computer repairs, or have any queries regarding your computer. Data Doctors is at your beck-and-call.