Although there is always skepticism when it comes to tricks to speed up the computer, there are some procedures that can really speed up the PC, not only to make it come back as just installed, but also better since some settings are optimized. The increase in performance is possible because Microsoft uses very conservative predefined configurations, which favor aesthetics over speed, which tries to keep the system stable at maximum, often sacrificing performance (since it must then run on a different multitude of computers ).
We must also not forget the slowdowns caused by the programs installed by the manufacturers (HP, Acer, Asus etc.), which for promotional purposes, fill the PC with tools and games that are often useless.
In this guide we see together how to increase the performance of Windows 10 on each type of computer in a short time, applying some simple changes that do not require advanced computer skills.
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As mentioned in the introduction, the advice provided below can be applied to any version of Windows 10 but, with the right precautions, we can also apply them on PCs equipped with dated Microsoft operating systems such as Windows 8.1 and Windows 7.
1) Remove programs in automatic start
Removing programs from automatic startup has two advantages: it decreases the PC startup time and leaves more free memory to open the programs that we actually use .
Programs like Spotify, Office, Chrome, Adobe Acrobat and many others don't really need to stay active in the background and to start automatically; the only exceptions are the antivirus and some peripheral management program (printer, mouse etc.), which we must leave in auto-start in order to manage them better.
In Windows 10 it is possible to control programs in automatic start from the Task Manager, which can be called up by pressing the CTRL + Shift + Esc keys on the keyboard, opening the advanced menu with the More details item and selecting the tab called Start .
From this menu we right click on each item we want to deactivate (in particular those with an impact on the system cataloged as Alta ) and select the Deactivate item.
In Windows 8.1 it is the same thing, while in Windows 7 the program tab in auto startup we can find it by opening the Start menu and typing msconfig, so as to open the advanced startup manager.
2) Turn off Windows visual effects
This is perhaps the most effective trick to improve the performance of Windows 10 and its previous versions (Windows 8.1 and Windows 7).
By choosing to have less menu and window animations, Windows becomes lighter and more performing.
The menu to disable visual effects can be opened by opening the Start menu and typing " Change the appearance and performance of Windows " or by going to the path Control Panel> System and security -> System> Advanced system settings .
From this window we select the Advanced tab, we press Settings under Performance and, in the Visual Effects menu, we put the sign next to the item Adjust in order to obtain the best performance .
We click Apply on the bottom and then OK to close the window.
Now Windows 10 will be much lighter, the graphic effects will be reduced to a minimum and the processor can be used only for running programs (instead of also processing the graphic effects).
3) Type of energy saving
Activating an energy-saving profile makes sense on a battery-powered laptop, but it is not intended to save energy when we are connected to the power outlet.
In many PCs, in fact, the default energy saving plan is the balanced one and not that of maximum performance, which is the one that fully exploits the processor (even if the actual differences may not be so important and visible).
To make this change we open the following path Control Panel> Hardware and Sound> Power Options and select the plan called High Performance or one of the plans integrated by the PC or SSD manufacturer (it should be indicated as Performance or High Performance ).
Alternatively, you can open the advanced energy saving settings and change the various items set as Maximum performance option.
4) Uninstall unused, pre-installed or useless programs
Removing programs can have a positive effect on performance if you remove programs that run automatically in the background following certain actions such as Internet access or if you remove all the programs provided by the laptop or motherboard manufacturer.
To check the programs installed in Windows 10, open the Settings and click on Apps .
To uninstall a program, simply select it and click the Uninstall button.
In Windows 10 and also in Windows 7 and 8 you can always open the Control Panel to open the Programs menu, from which to uninstall in the "old way" (right click on an item -> Uninstall ).
In this regard, we can also read our guide with the best programs to uninstall software on Windows.
5) Clean the disc
Cleaning the disk from unnecessary files is always a useful maintenance operation, which can also improve Windows performance if the disk is almost full (over 80% of the maximum capacity).
Without using special programs, we can proceed to the cleaning of the disks by searching the Start menu for the Disk cleaning item, selecting the disk and the files to be cleaned.
The Disk Cleanup tool is quite fast in its work and can delete files from previous installations, which can take up a lot of space in Windows 10.
To unlock the advanced cleaning features, remember to press the Clean up system files button.
6) Anti-malware scan
Whatever version of Windows you are using and the antivirus installed, it is important to check it regularly with portable antivirus for quick scans.
Sometimes even silent malware or spyware can cause slowdowns in Windows loads and, if Defender does not react to the threat, we can intervene with these scanners.
7) Restore the operating system
If we have been using Windows 10 for more than 2 years and can reinstall all the programs we use on a daily basis, we can increase the performance of Windows 10 by performing a system restore.
With this procedure the personal files will be kept, while the operating system will be restored to the original conditions, as just installed.
To do this we open the Start menu, click Settings then go to the Update and security -> Restore path; from here we click the Start button, located under the Reset your PC section.
The system will ask us if we want to keep personal files or if we want to format everything; we choose the first solution and wait until Windows restores all its files (this is possible because Windows 10 keeps a copy of the original installation and can use it to recover itself in case of need).
Upon reboot the computer will be returned as newly formatted or just purchased, but with all our personal files in place.
With the system reset we will eliminate any kind of problem or slowdown, just reinstall the desired programs.
If the recovery does not work, we recover the files as described in our guide to recover important files from blocked or non-functioning Windows (in which we recommend downloading a GNU / Linux distribution such as Linux Mint ), then we proceed to manually format the computer by downloading the Windows 10 ISO and proceeding as described in the guide to format and install Windows from scratch, to have a clean and new PC.
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