Computing technology has made rapid advancements in the past few years, and it continues to get better. Our PCs (and even smartphones) are getting faster and more powerful by the day. Whenever you start up your computer, it's pretty much a given that it gets up and running in a few seconds.
However, as advanced modern-day PCs are, they can (and do) get sluggish over time due to everyday usage, errors, and more.
But it doesn't have to be that way, as there are numerous tips you can follow to improve your PC's performance. Read on to find out how:
2. Get a Solid State Drive (SSD)
Hard disks are one of the most important hardware components of PCs, as they store all our important files and data. But even more than that, the hard disk is also where the operating system is installed. Majority of the PCs come with 'mechanical' hard-disks, which are slower as they have to spin to access specific programs (and also OS).
This is why you can upgrade your PC to a Solid State Drive (SSD), which uses electronic integrated circuits as opposed to mechanical rotating parts. Consequently, accessing data stored on SSDs is much faster. But do note that SSDs are also more expensive as compared to traditional hard disks.
3. Disable startup programs
We install a lot of software applications on our PCs on a routine basis. Majority of these programs are configured to start up every time you boot your PC, thus adding to the startup times. This can be easily rectified by disabling programs from that startup list. Go to Task Manager > Startup, and disable the programs you don't want to start with the PC.
4. Change boot order
Our computers can start from a variety of hardware devices, such as hard disks, CD/DVDs, and even USB flash drives. Normally, a PC scans all these devices to check which one has the OS to start up from. But obviously, there's no point in scanning the devices that you know don't have the operating system. Just go to your computer's BIOS settings, and change the boot order to make your hard disk (which has the OS installed most of the time) the first boot device to make it start faster.
5. Use third-party apps to delay startup programs
Although you can increase your PC's startup speed by disabling programs that run at startup, some important applications can't be disabled as they are required for the PC to work properly. For such programs, you can use third-party software applications (e.g. Startup Delayer) so that they are started with the computer, but only after a specific delay.
6. Disable unused hardware
When a PC boots, a lot of hardware peripherals (e.g. Bluetooth chip, CD/DVD drives) also start with it and add to the startup time. However, if there are certain hardware devices that you're sure you won't use, you can disable them by going to Control Panel > Device Manager.
7. Use antivirus programs
It's always a good idea to have a good anti-virus program installed on your computer. You can either use popular software like Avast, Comodo etc., or use the built-in Windows Defender. These programs not only keep your important files secured against malware, but also defend them malicious bloatware 'bundled' with some free applications that can slowdown your PC.
8. Keep software updated
From web browsers to media players, we use a whole range of software applications on our computers. However, old (or obsolete) versions of such programs can often pose security risks to important data. For this reason, always ensure that you have the latest version of the most frequently used programs installed on your PC. This is because these programs are optimized for the latest hardware, and consequently don't slowdown the system.
9. Enable 'fast startup' (Windows 10 only)
If you use Windows 10, you can use the 'Fast Startup' option built into the OS to make it start faster. Fast Startup is a feature of Microsoft's latest operating system that caches a part of system-related files and drivers to a hibernation file upon shutdown. This means these files and drivers don't have to be loaded again and again during every time you start your PC, thus speeding up the entire process.
However, as advanced modern-day PCs are, they can (and do) get sluggish over time due to everyday usage, errors, and more.
But it doesn't have to be that way, as there are numerous tips you can follow to improve your PC's performance. Read on to find out how:
2. Get a Solid State Drive (SSD)
Hard disks are one of the most important hardware components of PCs, as they store all our important files and data. But even more than that, the hard disk is also where the operating system is installed. Majority of the PCs come with 'mechanical' hard-disks, which are slower as they have to spin to access specific programs (and also OS).
This is why you can upgrade your PC to a Solid State Drive (SSD), which uses electronic integrated circuits as opposed to mechanical rotating parts. Consequently, accessing data stored on SSDs is much faster. But do note that SSDs are also more expensive as compared to traditional hard disks.
3. Disable startup programs
We install a lot of software applications on our PCs on a routine basis. Majority of these programs are configured to start up every time you boot your PC, thus adding to the startup times. This can be easily rectified by disabling programs from that startup list. Go to Task Manager > Startup, and disable the programs you don't want to start with the PC.
4. Change boot order
Our computers can start from a variety of hardware devices, such as hard disks, CD/DVDs, and even USB flash drives. Normally, a PC scans all these devices to check which one has the OS to start up from. But obviously, there's no point in scanning the devices that you know don't have the operating system. Just go to your computer's BIOS settings, and change the boot order to make your hard disk (which has the OS installed most of the time) the first boot device to make it start faster.
5. Use third-party apps to delay startup programs
Although you can increase your PC's startup speed by disabling programs that run at startup, some important applications can't be disabled as they are required for the PC to work properly. For such programs, you can use third-party software applications (e.g. Startup Delayer) so that they are started with the computer, but only after a specific delay.
6. Disable unused hardware
When a PC boots, a lot of hardware peripherals (e.g. Bluetooth chip, CD/DVD drives) also start with it and add to the startup time. However, if there are certain hardware devices that you're sure you won't use, you can disable them by going to Control Panel > Device Manager.
7. Use antivirus programs
It's always a good idea to have a good anti-virus program installed on your computer. You can either use popular software like Avast, Comodo etc., or use the built-in Windows Defender. These programs not only keep your important files secured against malware, but also defend them malicious bloatware 'bundled' with some free applications that can slowdown your PC.
8. Keep software updated
From web browsers to media players, we use a whole range of software applications on our computers. However, old (or obsolete) versions of such programs can often pose security risks to important data. For this reason, always ensure that you have the latest version of the most frequently used programs installed on your PC. This is because these programs are optimized for the latest hardware, and consequently don't slowdown the system.
9. Enable 'fast startup' (Windows 10 only)
If you use Windows 10, you can use the 'Fast Startup' option built into the OS to make it start faster. Fast Startup is a feature of Microsoft's latest operating system that caches a part of system-related files and drivers to a hibernation file upon shutdown. This means these files and drivers don't have to be loaded again and again during every time you start your PC, thus speeding up the entire process.
Post a Comment