That of the slow computer is a classic problem, which depends essentially on two factors of hardware weakness: low RAM and slow hard disk.As already explained, RAM is the most important part of the computer because it is its fast memory, the one that instantly loads the data saved in its space. On a computer with little RAM or where heavy programs are running, when the available RAM runs out, the processor is forced to use the hard disk in its place, which is the slowest part of the computer. The consequences of a PC with little RAM are two: the slow computer at startup and a delay in responding to commands so much that in some moments it is almost immobilized.
The hard disk, on the other hand, is the slowest part of a computer, which, fortunately, in the new PCs, is replaced by the faster and more efficient SSD unit. It is important to note that, due to its physical nature of a disk that runs and a head that reads data (like a turntable), any hard disk, even the best one, will still be slow to load. On computers with hard disks, continuous uploads and a very slow startup can occur. In this situation, the only way to make the PC faster in a sensitive and concrete way is to install new RAM and update the PC disk. Adding memory and replacing the hard drive with an SSD drive will bring benefits and give new life to any computer, even an older one that seemed to be thrown away. But if it is not possible to do these hardware upgrades, if the computer has limited capabilities, you can try to solve the problem of slowness through system settings and optimization programs, see here what can be done to speed up Windows on a computer that is always slow and what configurations should be avoided.READ ALSO: If the computer is slow, how to get the PC back fast
1) Uninstall all unused programs are those that start automatically, of whatever kind they are.
Then open the Control panel, go to Programs and features to view all installed programs. Order them by Author and then also for Installed on and uninstall, one by one, all programs that you do not recognize, except those whose author is Microsoft, Intel, AMD, NVidia or other developers that refer to hardware devices and who are probably drivers. Instead, remove almost all the programs whose author is the brand of the computer, such as Acer, Asus, Lenovo, HP. The only ones to maintain are the programs for recovery or “recovery” of the system, even if it is only a precaution that probably will never be used.
Then remove all the programs preinstalled by the manufacturer, if the PC was sold with the system already ready, including the antivirus. In fact, remember that in Windows 10 the Windows Defender antivirus is already present, more than good and safe.
To do this first, on Windows 10, you can use an integrated tool to clean up your PC from all programs.
2) Check the programs set to start automatically
If we have uninstalled all the programs that we do not use, restarting the PC you should already notice an improvement in speed, because many of those programs were in automatic execution. A program that starts automatically when you turn on your PC not only slows down Windows startup but keeping it in memory constantly makes your computer slower. Even a program that we use often if it is not a system driver (like the video card manager or the audio program), is worth removing it from the automatic execution.
In Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, this thing is really simple because you just need to open the task manager (press the keys together Ctrl-Shift-Esc), press up more details and then move to the card Start. Select, one by one, those indicated with high or medium impact and then press the button Disable.
In Windows 7, instead, you need to use a computer startup management program.
3) Delete temporary and useless files
After uninstalling programs, the computer leaves plenty of junk as the removal processes fail to delete all the files and data created by the various software. The same system then creates garbage during its use and during the use of the internet, in the form of temporary files.
It is therefore essential to clean up and delete these useless files using the disk cleaning tool, right-clicking on the disk icon and going to the properties, and then also using a program like Ccleaner in its cleaning and problem-solving functions.
This type of activity is the basis of computer maintenance and should be repeated at least once every two or three months. This not only makes the PC faster and leaner but also reduces the risk of viruses that can be hidden between these temporary files.
READ ALSO: Clean the slow PC and fix it with 5 basic operations
4) Decrease visual effects
Setting visual effects by limiting graphics animations is a good trick to speed up a slow computer if it is old or cheap. Then go in Control Panel> System> Advanced system settings (link on the left)> Card advanced > Key settings underperformance. Here you can use the option Customize and turn off some options by doing the tests or putting the settings directly for better performance, even if you give up a little aesthetics.
5) Remove any antivirus and use Windows Defender
In the new PCs, one or two antiviruses will be installed on trial, which must be eliminated as seen in point one. As mentioned above, however, if the PC has Windows 10, just leave it as it is and use the integrated Windows Defender antivirus, which works great and protects the computer without weighing it down and slowing it down. Due to its simplicity, it has a very low use of resources, is free, never requires user intervention and is constantly updated.
6) Speed up Windows
– Update the browser (Chrome or Firefox) always to the latest version and remove unused extensions. In another article, we saw what to do if the Internet browser is slow to load pages.
– Avoid changing BIOS settings to attempt hardware overclocking, unless you know what you are doing.
– If the disk is almost full, the computer can become very slow, so you need to free up disk space on your PC.
– If your PC is infected with malware, this can be slow due to the activity, so you have to check it with the antivirus scan or, even more, with a free antimalware scanner.
– Disable automatic Windows updates to prevent the computer from freezing during these installations.
7) Programs to use on a slow PC
Who has a slow PC it can, however, use some programs to improve the situation, which optimizes the speed to the maximum by suspending any unnecessary service and process and letting the computer always have some memory available to perform the required tasks? Remaining, as always, in the realm of free programs, let’s see then which to use on a slow PC with Windows system, to maximize its performance and make it as slow as possible.
– Piriform CCleaner, already mentioned in point 3, it is always the number one of the programs to optimize the Windows PC, both because it is free, and because it works well without errors.
– IObit Advanced SystemCare, which in addition to trying to optimize the use of the computer’s limited memory also adds tools for protecting the privacy and for deep cleaning of the registry.
– Razer Cortex: Game Booster, a free program that serves to concentrate all the hardware resources of the computer to keep the PC fast in the games.
– Process Lasso, a program to be used on computers that have an old or very limited processor, to prevent it from being 100% busy. With Process Lasso it is, therefore, possible, as explained in a specific guide, to avoid delays due to the 100% occupied CPU.
Memory Cleaner
Although the effectiveness of this type of program to optimize RAM on Windows PC is rather limited, if there is little RAM it is still worth trying. It is an automatic tool that recovers RAM from background processes so that there is always a certain amount free to run programs on the PC.
– ADWCleaner program to eliminate adware and spyware, fundamental in the case in which the PC was slow in internet browsing, to open sites and to download.
– Smart Defrag, the best program to optimize the performance of an HDD (traditional hard disk) disk, in order to make defragmentation of intelligent files and the correction of errors that can compromise uploads. If you install Advanced System Care, this tool is included.
FINALLY READ: How to speed up Windows 10