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Speed Up a Slow Computer

Your computer doesn't have to feel sluggish. These simple, free steps can make a noticeable difference — no new hardware or technical knowledge required.

⏱ 8 min read 🟢 Beginner 🖥️ Windows 10 & 11

What you'll accomplish

  • Disable unnecessary startup programs
  • Free up disk space with built-in tools
  • Adjust power settings for better performance
  • Clear temporary files and browser cache
  • Check for malware slowing things down
1

Disable startup programs

Every program that launches when Windows starts slows down your boot time and runs in the background eating up memory. Most of them you don't need running all the time.

  • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
  • Click the Startup apps tab (or "Startup" in Windows 10)
  • Look at the Status column — anything marked "Enabled" launches at startup
  • Right-click anything you don't need immediately on boot (Spotify, Discord, OneDrive, etc.) and click Disable
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Screenshot: Task Manager Startup tab showing enabled programs

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Tip: Disabling a startup program doesn't uninstall it — it just stops it launching automatically. You can still open it manually whenever you need it.

2

Free up disk space

When your hard drive gets close to full, Windows slows down significantly. The built-in Disk Cleanup tool can usually recover several gigabytes in minutes.

  • Click the Start button and search for Disk Cleanup
  • Select your main drive (usually C:) and click OK
  • Check all the boxes — Temporary files, Recycle Bin, Downloads, etc.
  • Click Clean up system files for even more space
  • Click OK and then Delete Files to confirm
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Screenshot: Disk Cleanup tool with file categories checked

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Note: The Downloads folder cleanup will delete your downloaded files. Make sure you've moved anything important before checking that box.

3

Change your power plan

Windows sometimes defaults to a "Balanced" or "Power Saver" mode which throttles your processor to save energy. Switching to High Performance can make a real difference.

  • Click Start and search for Power plan
  • Click Choose a power plan
  • Select High Performance (you may need to click "Show additional plans")
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Screenshot: Power Options showing High Performance plan selected

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Tip: If you're on a laptop and care about battery life, keep Balanced for everyday use and only switch to High Performance when plugged in.

4

Clear temporary files

Windows constantly creates temporary files that build up over time. Clearing them is safe and can recover significant disk space.

  • Press Windows key + R to open the Run box
  • Type %temp% and press Enter
  • Press Ctrl + A to select all files
  • Press Delete — skip any files that say they're in use
  • Empty your Recycle Bin when done
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Screenshot: Run dialog with %temp% typed in

5

Check for malware

Viruses and malware are a common cause of slow computers. Windows Defender (built into Windows) is good enough for most people — just make sure it's running a scan.

  • Click Start and search for Windows Security
  • Click Virus & Threat Protection
  • Click Quick Scan and wait for it to finish
  • If it finds anything, follow the prompts to remove it
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Screenshot: Windows Security showing Virus & Threat Protection scan options

6

Restart your computer regularly

This sounds obvious but many people leave their computer on for weeks. Restarting clears memory, installs pending updates, and often makes a significant difference to speed.

  • Click Start → Power → Restart (not Shut down)
  • Aim to restart at least once a week
  • Let any pending updates install during the restart
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Tip: Restart clears memory more effectively than Shut down, because Shut down uses "Fast Startup" which saves memory state to disk.

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