Introduction
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Let’s be honest: We all hate it when our computers run slowly or freeze up. Life is too short to wait for a PC to boot up, load a browser or app, or complete a task. Sometimes our computers are slow because we are running too many programs at once or have too many programs running in the background. However, the truth is that it could be an issue of hardware, outdated drivers, or not doing appropriate maintenance work. In this blog post, I’m going to show you how to tune up your PC to outpace a lightning bolt.
1. Clean up your hard drive
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One of the foremost significant reasons why your computer’s performance is diminishing is due to a cluttered hard drive. Accessing and recovering data from a cluttered hard drive takes longer and that begins to slow things down. A hard drive can store a lot of things such as temporary folders, system files, and third-party apps that have been installed years ago. Now is the perfect time to get rid of all these things.
On your PC, Go to the Start menu and find Disk Cleanup. Run the tool and it will start analyzing your disk for files to get rid of. Once you see the Disk Cleanup window, you will get a list of everything that it can delete. Ensure you review the list before clicking on the OK button.
You could also run a Defragment and Optimize Drives utility to piece together memories that are separated on the hard drive, maximizing storage locations, and reducing the reading time of the hard drive.
2. Disable Background Running Programs
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When you install a new program or application, it can start automatically and begins to hog your computer memory resources, causing the computer to slow down. Windows offers a way to monitor all programs that start when you turn on your system.
Go to your start menu, click on Run, type in “MSCONFIG,” and click OK. You will be prompted with the System Configuration Utility window. Here, you can choose which programs to enable or disable at boot time.
3. Update Your System
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Updating your system is vital to ensuring that the security vulnerabilities in the OS have been fixed. In addition to security fixes, there are features and capabilities that have been added to the system that can help run your machine in a better way.
On your Windows PC, go to the Start menu, and click on Settings. Then click on Update & Security. When the Windows Update window appears, click on Check for Updates. If any updates are available, make sure to install them immediately.
4. Update Your Drivers
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Windows OS has the ability to provide and install drivers for many hardware components. However, these drivers are just fundamental drivers that are adequate for the component. To ensure that the hardware components can perform optimally, it is best to ensure that the drivers are up to date.
To update your drivers, go to the Start menu and click on Control Panel. In the Control Panel, click on Device Manager. Once there, search for the hardware component that needs an update. Right-click and select “Update Driver Software.” You can also visit the manufacturer’s website to get the latest available driver software.
5. Gather information about your hardware
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It’s essential to know the kind of hardware that you have installed on your system. Most of the time, there will be technical information on your hardware components that make troubleshooting and maintenance easy.
Windows has a System Information utility that provides information about system hardware, components, and software environment. To open System Information, go to the Start Menu and search for System Information Tool or type msinfo32 into the search bar.
6. Run Antivirus Software
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Regularly running an antivirus software on your PC helps to detect and eliminate viruses, malware, trojans, and spyware that could cause your system to run slowly, freeze or cause further damage to your system.
If you don’t have one installed on your computer, consider purchasing one such as Norton, Kaspersky, or McAfee.
7. Upgrade your hardware
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If your computer is still struggling to perform despite taking these measures, it might be time to upgrade your hardware. Upgrading your RAM, adding a Solid-State Drive (SSD), or upgrading your graphics card can make a significant difference in your computer’s performance.
Conclusion
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If you want your Windows PC to outpace a lightning bolt, the measures outlined in this article can help you do just that. Regular maintenance of your PC can help prevent malware intrusion, speed up boot time, and ensure smooth operation of your system. Whether it is deleting temporary files or memory management, Windows has the necessary tools to help optimize and enhance your system.
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