Nothing is more frustrating than a slow-running PC. Two of the most common reasons pertain to programs and storage. Check out these four easy steps you can take to extend the life of your computer before having to look at upgrading it or having to purchase a whole new set-up.
Cause of slowness: Number of running programs
One of the most common causes is the number of programs running, sometimes they run in the background without your knowledge. Closing unused programs will better allow for your computer’s hardware to process information more efficiently since it will not be bogged down with unnecessary processes.
Solution: Open Task manager, close out of programs that are not being used.
You can open Task Manager a number of ways, the most common is to press Control + Alt + Delete. In Windows 10, that command will bring up a list of options, select “Task Manager.”
In Windows 10, you can also search “Task Manager” in the search section of the task bar. To close a program, simply right-click the program/s you wish to end and select “End Task”.
Once you have closed the necessary programs, close Task Manager.
Solution: Open Startup Apps, unselect programs you do not want to begin at startup
In Windows 10, use the search bar to open “Startup Apps”. Toggle on/off which programs you prefer to run when you turn on or restart your computer.
Cause of slowness: Stuffed Hard Drive
When a hard drive is almost full, PC performance can decrease dramatically. These two solutions will free up some disk space to assist the system components to run more efficiently.
Solution: Turn on Storage Sense
In Windows 10, use the search bar to open “Turn on Storage Sense”. Make sure it is toggled to “On.” Click “Configure Storage Sense or run it now”. In this menu, you can customize the utility to run on a schedule or do a one-time cleanup.
To perform the one-time clean-up, click “Clean now” at the bottom of the page. Depending on how much data is needing to be sorted through, this process can take a few seconds to a few minutes. Leave the window open in the meantime. Once completed, you will see a check mark and how much space has been freed.
Solution: Use Disk Cleanup tool
In Windows 10, use the search bar to open the Disk Cleanup app. Once the utility calculates the data, a list of options will populate. Select the items you wish to delete, select “Okay”. Select “Delete Files” and the utility will take care of the rest.
These few tips take less than ten minutes to complete and can have a positive impact on your performance. Still have questions? Visit mytechrehab.com/contact
