How to Speed Up a Slow Windows PC: 12 Proven Methods

A slow PC doesn’t mean you need a new one. In most cases, a combination of software optimizations and one strategic hardware upgrade can make your computer feel brand new.

This guide covers 12 proven methods, ordered from easiest (free, 5 minutes) to most impactful (hardware upgrades). Try them in order for the best results.

Free Software Optimizations

1. Disable Startup Programs

Too many programs launching at boot is the #1 reason for slow startup times.

How to do it:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
2. Click the Startup tab (or Startup apps in Windows 11)
3. Right-click any program with High impact that you don’t need immediately
4. Select Disable

Safe to disable: Spotify, Discord, Steam, Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Teams (if not needed at boot), OneDrive (if not used)

Don’t disable: Windows Security, audio drivers, touchpad drivers

2. Run Disk Cleanup

Windows accumulates temporary files, cache, and old update files that take up space and slow down your system.

How to do it:

1. Press Win + S and type “Disk Cleanup”
2. Select your C: drive
3. Check all boxes, especially Temporary files, Thumbnails, and Delivery Optimization Files
4. Click Clean up system files for deeper cleaning
5. Check Previous Windows installations and Windows Update Cleanup
6. Click OK → Delete Files

This can free up 5-20 GB of space on most PCs.

3. Switch to High Performance Power Plan

Windows may be throttling your CPU to save battery, even when plugged in.

How to do it:

1. Press Win + S and type “Power plan”
2. Click Choose a power plan
3. Select High performance (click “Show additional plans” if hidden)
4. For laptops: use Balanced on battery, High performance when plugged in

4. Reduce Visual Effects

Windows animations look nice but consume resources, especially on older hardware.

How to do it:

1. Press Win + S and type “performance”
2. Click Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows
3. Select Adjust for best performance (disables all animations)
4. Or select Custom and keep only: Show thumbnails instead of icons and Smooth edges of screen fonts

5. Scan for Malware

Background malware can silently consume CPU, RAM, and bandwidth.

How to do it:

1. Open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection
2. Click Scan options → Full scan → Scan now
3. Let it complete (can take 30-60 minutes)
4. For a second opinion, download and run Malwarebytes Free

6. Update Windows & Drivers

Outdated software can cause slowdowns, crashes, and security vulnerabilities.

How to do it:

1. Go to Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates
2. Install all pending updates and restart
3. For drivers: Device Manager → right-click each device → Update driver
4. Or visit your laptop manufacturer’s website (Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc.) for the latest drivers

Deeper Optimizations & Hardware Upgrades

7. Clean Up Your Browser

Browsers are often the biggest resource hog on modern PCs.

Quick fixes:

• Close tabs you’re not using (each tab uses 50-300 MB RAM)
• Remove extensions you don’t use
• Clear browsing data: Ctrl + Shift + Delete → select all → Clear data
• Consider switching to a lighter browser if Chrome is too heavy

Resource usage by browser (approximate):

8. Optimize Virtual Memory

When RAM is full, Windows uses your hard drive as overflow (paging file). Optimizing this helps especially on systems with low RAM.

How to do it:

1. Press Win + S and type “advanced system settings”
2. Under Performance, click Settings
3. Go to Advanced tab → Virtual Memory → Change
4. Uncheck Automatically manage
5. Select C: drive → Custom size
6. Set Initial = 1.5× your RAM, Maximum = 3× your RAM
7. Click Set → OK → Restart

9. Defragment Your HDD

Only for traditional hard drives (HDD) — do NOT defragment an SSD.

How to do it:

1. Press Win + S and type “Defragment”
2. Select your HDD drive
3. Click Optimize

Windows 10/11 usually does this automatically, but if it shows high fragmentation (>10%), run it manually.

10. Upgrade Your RAM

If your computer has 4 GB RAM or less, upgrading to 8-16 GB is a game changer.

Do you need more RAM?

• Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) → Performance → Memory
• If usage is consistently above 80% during normal work, you need more
• 4 GB → Barely enough for Windows + 1 app
• 8 GB → Good for general use, browsing, office work
• 16 GB → Ideal for multitasking, light creative work

Cost: ₹800-2,500 for a RAM stick, depending on type and capacity.

11. Upgrade to an SSD ⭐

This is the single most impactful upgrade you can make. If your PC still has a traditional spinning hard drive (HDD), replacing it with a Solid State Drive (SSD) will transform your experience.

HDD vs SSD comparison:

How to check if you have an HDD or SSD:

1. Open Task Manager → Performance → Disk
2. It will show “HDD” or “SSD” in the type

Cost: ₹2,000-4,000 for a 256 GB SSD (enough for Windows + apps). ₹3,500-6,000 for 512 GB.

12. Fresh Windows Install (Nuclear Option)

If nothing else works, a clean install gives you a fresh start. This wipes everything and reinstalls Windows from scratch.

When to consider this:

• Computer has been used for 3+ years without a reinstall
• Too many accumulated software conflicts
• Persistent malware that won’t go away
• Registry is corrupted beyond repair

Before you do this:

1. Back up ALL important files to an external drive or cloud
2. Note down all software you need to reinstall
3. Download Windows installation media from Microsoft’s website
4. Have all product keys and license information ready

Still Struggling?

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