Instantly Speed Up Your Slow PC in 4 Easy Steps

When you think about it, the difference in speed between a new computer and one that’s just a few months old is staggering… and in the worst way. This slowdown happens simply because your computer collects information that it doesn’t need to retain. All this extra data metaphorically weighs your workstation down.

Fortunately, there are a few different ways to get rid of this digital detritus and put the pep back in your productivity.

1. 1 Restart from Scratch

• Be honest… how often do you end your day by simply locking your workstation and walking away? While this isn’t inherently a huge problem, you should still give your computer a break by letting it fully restart. The process allows your computer to clear out its RAM (temporary memory) and turns off any residual programs that are eating up resources.
  
  The Fix: Navigate to Start > Power > Restart, at least once every few days.

1. 2 Disable Autostart for Non-Critical Apps

• For your convenience, some programs will start automatically when you log in to your profile. Many of these programs can get in the way of other, more critical startup processes. At the very least, the more things that try to start up at once, the slower everything will go. Fortunately, these autostart processes can be deactivated… just make sure to ask IT for help if you aren’t comfortable with the process.
  
  The Fix: Open the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc, and access the Startup apps tab. There, find any non-critical apps that have a high startup impact, and Disable any you don’t immediately need by right-clicking the app and making the pertinent selection.
  
  This will not delete the app; it will just require you to actively start it up.

1. 3 Clean Out Your Storage

• If Windows seems to be having a hard time accessing or moving files, it could be a sign that the hard drive is running out of space.
  
  The Fix: Via the Start Button, type Storage Settings and press Enter. You then see a list of all the files and data on your system. Click Temporary files, then select Remove files. This will remove old installers, browser data, and other data that could very well be temporary but isn’t.

1. 4 Prune Unused Browser Tabs

• Believe it or not, those 50 browser tabs are using up a ton of resources. You can think of each as a mini-application running in the background.
  
  The Fix: Close tabs you aren’t actively using, and if you’ll need it later, save it as a bookmark via Ctrl + D.

Things Still Running Slow?

An update in the background may be the root cause, or your computer may need an update. You can check via Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.

We’re Here to Help!

If your business operates in Central Texas and you want assistance with your IT, reach out to us! Give us a call at (254) 848-7100.