{"id":4612,"date":"2008-11-10T19:54:39","date_gmt":"2008-11-10T14:24:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=4612"},"modified":"2026-10-23T18:08:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T12:38:47","slug":"run-computer-faster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Ways to Make Your Computer Run Faster (Windows 11 and 10)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Is your computer slow? When guest author Ruchir first wrote this post, his PC took over 10 minutes to start, and a few clean-ups brought it down to about a minute. The same ideas still work in 2026, with newer tools: fewer startup apps, less bloat, an SSD and enough RAM. Here are 10 ways to <strong>make your computer run faster<\/strong> on Windows 11 and 10, most of them free.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-59378\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/slow-computer-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Make your computer run faster\" width=\"760\" height=\"506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/slow-computer-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/slow-computer-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/slow-computer-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/slow-computer-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/slow-computer.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Restart the PC, disable unneeded startup apps in Task Manager, uninstall bloatware, free up disk space with Storage Sense, close extra browser tabs and extensions, run a Windows Security scan, and install updates. If it&#8217;s still slow, upgrade to an SSD and add RAM (16 GB is a comfortable amount in 2026).<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ae35c3c4813e\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ae35c3c4813e\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/#10_ways_to_make_your_computer_run_faster\" >10 ways to make your computer run faster<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/#1_Restart_properly\" >1. Restart properly<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/#2_Disable_startup_apps\" >2. Disable startup apps<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/#3_Uninstall_bloatware\" >3. Uninstall bloatware<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/#4_Free_up_disk_space\" >4. Free up disk space<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/#5_Tame_your_browser\" >5. Tame your browser<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/#6_Scan_for_malware\" >6. Scan for malware<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/#7_Install_updates_and_drivers\" >7. Install updates and drivers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/#8_Choose_a_performance_power_mode\" >8. Choose a performance power mode<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/#9_Reduce_visual_effects\" >9. Reduce visual effects<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/#10_Upgrade_to_an_SSD_and_add_RAM\" >10. Upgrade to an SSD and add RAM<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/#Tips_from_the_original_post_that_changed\" >Tips from the original post that changed<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/#Still_slow\" >Still slow?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/#Why_is_my_computer_so_slow_all_of_a_sudden\" >Why is my computer so slow all of a sudden?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/#Do_PC_cleaner_apps_help\" >Do PC cleaner apps help?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/#How_much_RAM_do_I_need\" >How much RAM do I need?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_ways_to_make_your_computer_run_faster\"><\/span>10 ways to make your computer run faster<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Restart_properly\"><\/span>1. Restart properly<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Windows Fast Startup means &#8220;Shut down&#8221; doesn&#8217;t fully reset the system. Use <strong>Restart<\/strong> every few days to clear memory and finish updates.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Disable_startup_apps\"><\/span>2. Disable startup apps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Press <strong>Ctrl + Shift + Esc<\/strong> to open Task Manager, go to <strong>Startup apps<\/strong> and disable anything you don&#8217;t need at login: chat apps, updaters, game launchers, cloud tools you rarely use. If you don&#8217;t know what an app does, search before disabling it.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Uninstall_bloatware\"><\/span>3. Uninstall bloatware<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>New PCs ship with trial antivirus, games and vendor utilities. Go to <strong>Settings &gt; Apps &gt; Installed apps<\/strong> and remove what you don&#8217;t use.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Free_up_disk_space\"><\/span>4. Free up disk space<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Turn on <strong>Storage Sense<\/strong> in Settings &gt; System &gt; Storage to clear temp files and the Recycle Bin automatically, and use <strong>Cleanup recommendations<\/strong>. Keep at least 15 to 20% of your drive free.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Tame_your_browser\"><\/span>5. Tame your browser<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Dozens of tabs and extensions use more memory than most apps. Remove unused extensions, and turn on Memory Saver in Chrome or Sleeping Tabs in Edge. One browser is usually enough.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Scan_for_malware\"><\/span>6. Scan for malware<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Run a full scan with the built-in <strong>Windows Security<\/strong>. For a second opinion, use the free <a href=\"https:\/\/www.malwarebytes.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Malwarebytes<\/a> scanner. Malware and crypto-miners can slow a PC to a crawl.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Install_updates_and_drivers\"><\/span>7. Install updates and drivers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Windows Update and your PC maker&#8217;s support app deliver performance fixes and drivers, especially for graphics and storage.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Choose_a_performance_power_mode\"><\/span>8. Choose a performance power mode<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In <strong>Settings &gt; System &gt; Power &amp; battery<\/strong>, set Power mode to <em>Best performance<\/em> when plugged in.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_Reduce_visual_effects\"><\/span>9. Reduce visual effects<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>On older PCs, search for &#8220;Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows&#8221; and choose <em>Adjust for best performance<\/em>, or turn off Animation effects in Settings &gt; Accessibility &gt; Visual effects.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_Upgrade_to_an_SSD_and_add_RAM\"><\/span>10. Upgrade to an SSD and add RAM<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The biggest speed boost for an older PC is replacing a hard disk (HDD) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/go\/sata-ssd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow noopener\">with an SSD<\/a>: startup drops from minutes to seconds. Adding RAM helps if Task Manager shows memory near 100%. 8 GB is the minimum for Windows 11; 16 GB is comfortable.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_from_the_original_post_that_changed\"><\/span>Tips from the original post that changed<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>One IM client (Digsby)<\/strong> and <strong>IE Tab for Windows Update<\/strong> are long gone: Windows Update is in Settings now.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Startup delay tools<\/strong> are less needed; Windows already staggers startup apps.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Desktop shortcuts<\/strong> don&#8217;t slow startup noticeably, but a tidy desktop and the Start search are still faster to use.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Still_slow\"><\/span>Still slow?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Use <strong>Settings &gt; System &gt; Recovery &gt; Reset this PC<\/strong> with &#8220;Keep my files&#8221; for a fresh Windows install (step-by-step guide: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/10\/how-to-factory-reset-windows-11\/\">how to factory reset Windows 11<\/a>). Or give an old laptop a second life with a lightweight system; here&#8217;s how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/install-ubuntu-linux\/\">install Ubuntu Linux<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_my_computer_so_slow_all_of_a_sudden\"><\/span>Why is my computer so slow all of a sudden?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Often a big update running in the background, a full disk, malware, or one app using all the CPU. Check Task Manager&#8217;s Processes tab.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_PC_cleaner_apps_help\"><\/span>Do PC cleaner apps help?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Mostly not. Windows&#8217; own tools do the job; many &#8220;optimizer&#8221; apps add bloat or adware.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_much_RAM_do_I_need\"><\/span>How much RAM do I need?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>8 GB for basic use, 16 GB for multitasking and photo editing, 32 GB for video editing and heavy gaming.<\/p>\n<p><em>Originally written by guest author Ruchir Chawdhry, who blogged about gadgets, software and Windows tips at TechVivo. Updated for 2026 by QuickOnlineTips.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, QuickOnlineTips earns from qualifying purchases.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is your computer slow? When guest author Ruchir first wrote this post, his PC took over 10 minutes to start,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":59378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[44,52],"class_list":["post-4612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-computers","tag-guest-posts","tag-popular"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4612"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4612\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67997,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4612\/revisions\/67997"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}