- Less errors + crashes
- 1-click repairs + backups
Tom M., Utah, USA
Wondering how to make your Windows PC faster? So your Windows PC’s not as impressive as it used to be — now what? It’s probably not going to crash — at least, let’s hope not — and it’s probably not a hardware problem. More likely, your PC has just gotten the normal bloat that occurs after years of use. Sadly, there’s no magic “Make PC faster” button on your keyboard, but here’s how I make my Windows PC faster. Got a little time? We can make your Windows PC faster, too.
1. Kill the bloat: If you’re a more-or-less typical PC user, then you’ve probably accumulated a boatload of unused programs and files that do nothing but clog your system and take up space. Start by going to your Add/Remove Programs wizard in the Control Panel and zapping any and all programs that you’ll never have a use for. After that, go through all your files and clear out all those old documents and photos that have no business lingering on your PC. Finish up by running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter, both in the Accessories/System Tools folder of your start menu.
Whenever I want to speed up my PC, these are the first things I do.
2. Reduce startup programs: If you’ve gotten in the habit of getting some coffee or taking the dog for a walk while waiting for your PC to start up, it’s probably because you have too many programs and processes running automatically. Go to Run in your start menu, type “msconfig,” and hit enter. Under the Startup tab, uncheck all programs that you don’t need running every time your Windows PC starts up. If you’re a slightly more advanced user, you can even go to the Services tab and uncheck whatever you don’t need running.
3. Streamline performance: If you use Vista or Windows 7, you may notice there are a lot of little animations and pieces of visual flair that are not entirely necessary. If you turn at least some of these off, you can make your PC run faster.
Go to System in the Control Panel and open Advanced System Settings. In the Performance box of the Advanced tab, click the Settings button. This will bring you to a list of visual options you can select or unselect according to your preference. The more you unselect, the faster your PC will run. Your Windows may become less visually stimulating, but that’s no big deal.
4. Scan for badware: There may be a slew of programs that can be deleted from your PC with no problem, but one thing you do need is a good antispyware program. PC users who try to go without security software almost always end up regretting it. Even if you think you’re the safest web user in the world, have at least a minimal security program, and run scans regularly. Whenever I’m stumped for how to make my old PC faster, I start with a badware scan.
5. Update software: It’s a good idea to have Windows 7, if possible—though this doesn’t mean you can’t make an XP or Vista PC faster. If you don’t want to pay the hefty price tag for the Windows upgrade, at least update all programs that are not in their latest versions. For example, if you use a version of IE from a couple years ago, then you are missing out on some incredible speed boosts introduced in the last few versions. Update what you can—as long as the updates don’t introduce further bloat—and you should notice a marked improvement in your PC’s performance.
Because updating your Windows computer’s software is such an important way to speed up your PC, better registry repair software will do it for you. download PC Health Advisor — which, I’ll admit, is one of my fav — helps you update drivers, finds programs to open file extensions, cleans your registry, removes malware, defrag your PC’s disk, all while offering one-click repairs and backups. If you try PC Health Advisor — and I recommend it — , click here to download PC Health Advisor.
