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. These tips for speeding up Windows work just as well whether you’re running version 10 or 11.
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 fun 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 of the tips 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 couple of the tips that 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 10.
Something that is recommended is to keep your OS version up to date, though we didn’t list this as a tip because everyone should be doing it regardless. 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.
Run a Tune-Up Utility
There are a few third-party system cleanup utilities for Windows 10 that may speed up your computer, but this category of software isn’t as popular as it once was. Most of these utilities do boost PC performance, but sometimes only by a modest amount. There are plenty of malicious downloads out there claiming to speed up your PC, so be sure to stick with a product that has been tested and vetted. Utilities such Iolo System Mechanic is a good option.
We also recommend CCleaner as we have been using CCleaner for many years on different versions of Windows. Please check our downloads section for website link to the free version of CCleaner.