12 Ways How You Can Make Windows 10 Faster

Upgrading to Windows 10 can lead to an increased demand for system resources due to the numerous features it provides. Consequently, older computers may not perform as fast as desired after upgrading. To mitigate this issue, we highly recommend utilizing a solid-state drive (SSD) as your system drive, as this provides a significant boost in performance compared to any optimization techniques you may apply.

Additionally, upgrading to higher capacity RAM and other hardware devices can also improve system performance. However, if you are unable to upgrade your hardware, the following methods can be used to make Windows 10 faster. Although some of these techniques may not result in significant boosts, they can still contribute to enhancing your computer’s speed, especially if you have a lower-spec computer.

Defragment Hard Drives

When the Hard Disk Drives (HDD) on your system become fragmented, it can lead to a significant decrease in performance. Therefore, it is recommended to defragment them regularly. Additionally, you may choose to automate this process by enabling the setting to defragment the drives at specific intervals, thus eliminating the need for manual defragmentation on a regular basis.

1. Open Run.
2. Type dfrgui and press Enter to open Disk Defragmenter.
3. Select all your HDDs and click Optimize for each.
4. Then, click on Change settings or Turn on.
5. Check Run on schedule and Increase task priority.
6. Set the frequency as you wish and click on Choose next to Drives.
   
7. Enable your HDDs, disable SSDs and click OK.
8. Hit OK again.

Use High Performance Power Plan

Windows offers various power plans such as High Performance, Balanced, and Power Saving, each with preset functions that determine power and performance options. By default, the Balanced power plan is enabled, but you may switch to High Performance to boost system speed.

However, note that this power plan increases the processor’s clock cycle, leading to a higher rate of heat production and a slight reduction in the CPU’s lifespan. Therefore, we recommend enabling this power mode only when necessary, or if you have a sufficient cooling system to handle the increased heat output.

1. Open Run.
2. Type powercfg.cpl and press Enter to open Power Options.
3. Click on Show additional plans and check High Performance.
   
4. You can also go to Change plan settings next to it and then Change advanced power settings to modify your power options individually.
5. After doing so, click OK.

If the High Performance power plan is not present there,

1. Open Run.
2. Type cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the Elevated Command Prompt.
3. Enter the command powercfg -duplicatescheme 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c
   
4. Then, check if the option shows up now.

You can also use the Ultimate Performance plan if you have a high-end PC.

Disable or Uninstall Unnecessary Apps

Upon installation, numerous programs automatically configure themselves to open at startup, and your system also designates some default apps to do the same. As a result, these apps consume your system’s resources even if you do not actively use them, unless you manually close them. Therefore, it is recommended that you disable these startup apps to free up valuable system resources.

1. Open Run.
2. Type ms-settings:startupapps and press Enter to open Startup Settings.
3. Toggle off all unnecessary apps.
   
4. Then, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
5. Go to the Startup tab.
6. Select all unnecessary Enabled apps and click Disable.
   

In addition to disabling unnecessary apps from running at startup, it is also advisable to uninstall any programs that are no longer needed. By doing so, you can free up valuable storage space and prevent any unwanted processes from running in the background. It is a good idea to regularly assess and remove any programs that are not in use to optimize your system’s performance.

1. Open Run and enter appwiz.cpl to open Programs and Features.
2. Select any apps you don’t need and click Uninstall.|
   
3. Follow the on-screen instructions.
4. Then, open Run again.
5. Type appdata and press Enter to open the AppData folder.
   
6. Delete the user folders of the app you uninstalled from within all the folders inside AppData. You can search on the internet if you don’t know what the folder names are.

We also recommend you visit our dedicated article on How to Debloat Windows to learn how to remove other unnecessary programs you can’t uninstall with the above process.

Disable Third-party Services

Like startup apps, Windows also includes many services that run at startup or while launching certain processes. You can similarly check for such services and disable them if they are not necessary.

1. Open Run.
2. Type msconfig and press Enter to open System Configuration.
3. Go to the Services tab.
4. Check Hide all Microsoft services.
5. Disable all the services you feel are unnecessary. You can also search on the internet to know more about each service before doing so.
   
6. Click Apply and OK.

Enable Hardware-accelerated GPU Scheduling

The Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling feature, available on select computers, assigns the GPU to handle video processes instead of the CPU, thus reducing the load on the CPU and improving overall performance. However, it is essential to note that if you have a low-spec GPU, it may bottleneck other devices and further slow down your system.

If you have this feature, it is advisable to enable it and check for any performance issues. Only keep it enabled if it does not cause any problems or bottlenecks.

1. Open Run.
2. Type ms-settings:display-advancedgraphics and press Enter.
3. Enable Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling if the option is available.
   

Disable Search Indexing

The search indexing feature in Windows creates and updates an index of your files and folders to expedite search results. Nevertheless, if your system has a slow CPU, indexing can significantly consume your system resources, further slowing down your computer. Therefore, it is recommended to disable indexing if you have a slow CPU to avoid any performance issues.

1. Open Run.
2. Type services.msc and press Enter to open Windows Services.
3. Look for Windows Search and double-click on it to open its Properties.
   
4. Set the Startup type to Disabled and hit Stop.
5. Click Apply and OK.

Note: If you ever re-enable Search Indexing, your system will be even slower for some time while it is re-building the index.

Modify Virtual Memory Settings

In addition to RAM, your system designates a portion of your system drive as virtual memory by generating a special file known as the pagefile. By default, Windows automatically determines the location of the pagefile and its maximum/minimum size, but you can adjust these settings manually.

However, if the pagefile is created on an HDD volume, it will perform slower than if it were generated on an SSD partition. Moreover, if your system does not have an SSD, the pagefile on your system drive will provide the best performance results.

1. Open Run.
2. Type systempropertiesadvanced and press Enter to open the Advanced tab of System Properties.
3. Under Performance, click on Settings and go to the Advanced tab.
   
4. Select Change under Virtual memory.
   
5. Uncheck Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
6. Select an SSD partition or your system partition, and check System managed size.
7. For other partitions, check No paging file.
   
8. Keep clicking OK to exit the Properties while saving the changes, and restart your PC to apply them.

Enable USB ReadyBoost

If you do not possess an SSD, you can utilize the USB ReadyBoost feature to create swap space in a USB flash drive or SD card. This creates a cache between the RAM and your drives, using flash memory technology that performs faster than the magnetic technology used by an HDD. Thus, the USB ReadyBoost feature can significantly enhance your computer’s speed.

However, if you use an SSD, the feature will have a negligible effect on your computer’s performance. Hence, the option remains disabled by default for systems equipped with SSDs.

1. Insert a USB flash drive into your PC.
2. Open the File Explorer by pressing Win + E.
3. Navigate to This PC and right-click on the USB drive.
4. Click on Properties and go to the ReadyBoost tab.
5. If the options are available,
   • Check Dedicate this device to ReadyBoost to allocate the whole USB to ReadyBoost.
   • Check Use this device and set the slider to reserve only a portion for this feature.
     
6. Click OK.

Disable Visual Effects

Windows offers some visual settings that augment its appearance, such as window shadows, thumbnails, and other effects. While these settings enhance the visual appeal of the operating system, they can also consume a portion of your system resources. Therefore, you can disable them if you prioritize performance over appearance.

1. Open Run.
2. Type systempropertiesadvanced and press Enter to open the Advanced tab of System Properties.
3. Under Performance, click on Settings.
4. On the Visual Effects tab, check Adjust for best performance.
   
5. You can also apply any effect you want to keep
6. Then, click Apply and OK.

Configure Storage Sense

Windows 10 comes with an upgraded feature called Storage Sense, which serves as an alternative to the Disk Cleanup tool. Storage Sense provides a more convenient way to schedule the cleanup process at specific intervals.

By using Storage Sense, you can effortlessly eliminate temporary and redundant files, freeing up your disk space. This is particularly important as insufficient disk space can prevent your system from creating a pagefile, which is essential for virtual memory. This ultimately leads to a slowdown in your computer’s performance.

1. Open Run.
2. Type ms-settings:storagepolicies to open Storage Sense Configuration.
3. Toggle on Storage Sense.
   
4. Set Run Storage Sense and other settings as you prefer.
5. You can also click Clean now to run Storage Sense manually if you want.
   

Update OS and Drivers

To ensure optimal performance, it’s important to keep your Windows system and device drivers up to date with the latest updates and fixes provided by Microsoft. Regular updates offer new features and bug fixes that can enhance the performance of your system.

Moreover, keeping your device drivers up to date is equally important. If you notice that any device isn’t functioning correctly or not as fast as it should, it may be because of outdated drivers. So, it’s a good practice to manually check for updates regularly and keep them up to date to avoid any performance issues.

To update your system,

1. Open Run.
2. Type ms-settings:windowsupdate and press Enter to open Update Settings.
3. Click on Check for updates, or Install now if any updates are available.
   

To manually update your drivers,

1. Open Run.
2. Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter to open the Device Manager.
3. Expand the categories and right-click on the devices.
4. Select Update Driver and then Search automatically for drivers.
   

Check System for Integrity Issues

To ensure that your system is running smoothly, it is recommended to check for any integrity issues and fix them. This can be done using the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) and System File Checker (SFC) tools. Even if your system is not currently experiencing any issues, performing this process can help prevent future problems and will not cause any harm to your computer.

1. Open the Elevated Command Prompt
2. Enter the commands below:
   • dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
   • sfc /scannow
     

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are several ways to make Windows 10 faster, which can help you get the most out of your computer’s performance. You can defragment your hard drives, change your power plan, disable startup apps, enable hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling, disable search indexing, optimize virtual memory, use ReadyBoost, disable visual effects, regularly use Storage Sense, keep Windows and device drivers up to date, and check your system for integrity issues using DISM and SFC. By following these steps, you can improve your Windows 10 performance and have a better experience using your computer.