Make your Windows 11 (or Windows 10) PC run faster without compromising its interface or functionality.
As PC hardware continues to speed up, so does software, and the Windows operating system is no exception. This is especially true of startup time. Once you’re up and running, however, there are other performance factors to consider. Even the most current version of Windows isn’t immune to slowdowns, and not everyone is ready to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 yet. Most of these tips for speeding up Windows work just as well no matter which version you’re running.
The problem with a lot of articles that tell you how to speed up Windows is that they tell you to turn off some of the operating system’s more appealing features, such as visual animations. Most of our tips show you ways to speed up your Windows system without compromising its appearance and functionality. Most can be done for free, but some involve spending a little cash on software or hardware. For people with older, low-power machines who want a speed boost but don’t care about extra goodies, a few of the tips you’ll find toward the end of this list do boost system performance at the expense of visual bling.
Note that you should beware of those “Speed Up Your PC!” ads for registry cleaners, which often lead to malware. Microsoft categorically does not support the use of registry cleaners for Windows.
Something that is recommended is to keep your OS version up to date, though we didn’t list it as a tip because everyone should already be doing it. Periodically, head to Settings > Windows Update to see whether there are any security and reliability updates you should install. Your PC may run faster after an update since it can include hardware driver updates. Do it even if you don’t want a big feature update—you can delay those major updates in the same section of Settings.1. Uninstall Crapware
Though the situation is improving, an issue with some new computers is that they come with a lot of unnecessary software, sometimes called bloatware, crapware, or PUPs (potentially unwanted programs). A few years ago, a Lenovo PC we at PCMag tested had nearly 20 so-called helper programs that would occasionally pop up and interrupt what we were doing.
Right-click on any unwanted app icon in Start and choose Uninstall. Doing so will immediately uninstall the program. You can also right-click on the Windows logo Start button and choose the top choice, Programs and Features. Or just type Programs in the search box next to the Start button.
You can usually find crapware culprits by sorting the list of installed apps on the name of your PC maker. Other good options are to sort by Recent to see if there are any programs you didn’t know you installed; or by Size, to get rid of very large items you don’t need. When you find junk apps you don’t want, select them and click Uninstall. Unfortunately, you can only remove one at a time. Set aside a quarter of an hour or so for this project if you have a bunch of bloatware.
Don’t forget to take the hatchet to apps you installed yourself but no longer want—and to software you don’t want that was installed alongside software you do want.
Keep in mind that Windows 10 and 11 have two kinds of applications: traditional desktop apps and modern Microsoft Store apps. You’ll see both kinds in the modern Settings app’s Apps & Features page. For non-Store apps, Control Panel opens where you can uninstall good old desktop programs. In both places, you can sort them by size, date installed, or name, or search for a particular app.
One reason removing apps helps performance is that many programs load processes at boot time and take up valuable RAM and CPU cycles. While you’re in the Programs and Features section of Control, you can also click Turn Windows Features On or Off and scan the list to see if there’s anything you don’t use. For more help on what to remove, read How to Rid a PC of Crapware.2. Limit Startup Processes
As mentioned, a lot of programs install side processes that run every time you start your PC, and some of them are not things you need running on your system all the time. With earlier Windows versions, you had to run the MSCONFIG utility from the command prompt. You can still do it, and you may want to in order to prevent auto-running services as well as programs. But newer versions of Windows give you an easier way to limit programs that run at startup from the updated Task Manager.
The easiest way to invoke the Task Manager is by pressing Ctrl-Shift-Esc. Switch to the Startup tab, and all the programs that load at Windows startup appear. The dialog box even has a column that shows you the Startup impact for each. The Status column shows whether the program is enabled to run at startup or not. Right-click on any entry to change this status. It’s usually fairly easy to see things you don’t want to run. For example, if you almost never use iTunes, you probably don’t need iTunesHelper running all the time. 3. Clean Up Your Disk
From the Start menu, type Disk Cleanup to open the trusty utility that’s been part of Windows for several generations of the OS.
