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Speed up my PC

Wondering how to speed up your PC? A computer is useful for so many things - work, fun and catching up with people. But it can be frustrating when your PC is slow. If all of a sudden, your machine starts taking much longer to run regular operations, you need to do something about it. Learn how to speed up PC using these simple tips below:

1. Disable startup programs

You may not know this, but having too many startup programs set to run automatically when you boot your computer can prevent your machine from starting quickly. Often, when you install apps, they set themselves to start automatically when you don’t need them to, so your computer’s list of startup programs can grow quickly, without you realizing!

On Windows, to speed up your PC’s boot time, you can go to task manager, select ‘Startup’ and then remove the programs you don't need to start automatically. Or, for a more thorough list of items to disable, you can use CCleaner’s Startup Tool. CCleaner also comes with some more free tools to help speed up and maintain your PC’s performance.

2. Clean up your hard drive

If you've used your PC for some time, you are likely to have apps installed that you no longer use. Getting rid of these files can help speed up your PC. CCleaner can help with this by quickly scanning your PC to give you a list of installed apps and how much valuable space they’re taking up, so you can make an informed choice on what to delete. Once installed, simply go to ‘Tools’ > ‘Uninstall’ to do this.

3. Clean your machine - inside and out

Every time you use your machine it collects cache and temporary files which - if aren’t deleted - can clutter up your machine. Cleaning these files is a tricky and time-consuming job, and unless you’re a PC whizz, you’re unlikely to know where to start. Luckily, PC optimizers like CCleaner are free and can do this for you. Once downloaded, you’ll see how easy it is to quickly and safely clean your machine (for free!). You only need to upgrade to CCleaner Professional if you want to clean your PC automatically, or get a few other benefits such as use of its built-in Software Updater, automatic updates and priority support.

Sometimes just cleaning up your computer physically can help speed up your PC. I know it’s hard to believe, but too much dust can clutter the fans in your computer that are meant to keep it cool. In turn, this causes heat that leads to slow performance. So, cleaning your PC regularly can speed up a PC and make your computer run faster.

4. Shut down and restart windows

If your computer starts suddenly slowing, you might need to restart it (this is especially true for slow laptops, which can go days, or even weeks, without being restarted!). Shutting down and restarting Windows clears excess RAM space that may be causing a decrease in your computer’s speed.

5. Update your machine

Although reminders to update can seem like a pain, your computer needs the latest Windows updates and software updates in order to ensure its stability and security. Without these updates, your machine will begin to lag over time, and you’ll become more vulnerable to hackers who have found security holes in old software.

If your machine requires Windows updates your machine will continue to alert you and eventually, will run them automatically. Software updates are not always as obvious and can require some searching for the latest files, or, you may only be alerted to update once you try to use the app. CCleaner’s Software Updater tool saves you the pain of updating apps individually, and will update your installed apps in one go. It’s a paid feature but you can try it for free, for 14 days (no credit card required) with a CCleaner Professional trial.

FAQs

  • How can I boost my FPS?

    Background processes and in-game settings can all have an impact on your PC’s frames per second (FPS) while you’re gaming. Speeding things up requires good graphics cards and other considerations to help you maximize the experience.

  • How can I make my PC games run faster?

    Getting PC games to run faster requires both an understanding of hardware and software. Graphics cards, video game settings, and programs running in the background all need to be streamlined to deliver the best results, which CCleaner Professional can do for you.

  • How do I clear my RAM on Windows 10 or Windows 11?

    Increasing your base random-access memory (RAM) may seem like an obvious choice, but checking for needless startup programs and other potential RAM-hogging background processes is good practice too.