Re: Windows 11 Performance Settings
Gifford Brickley
Although Windows 10 is a fast operating system, the performance will start degrading at some point due to many factors, including compatibility issues and bugs, viruses or other types of malware, hardware problems, and more.
When the device restarts, the computer usually terminates the applications and processes. The data loaded into memory also gets cleared, which helps to resolve everyday performance and stability issues due to keeping the operating system running for a long time.
Windows 10 has a feature that restarts the apps from your last session after a reboot, even before you sign in. Although this is a convenience feature that can speed up the process of quickly resuming where you left off, it can also impact system performance.
On Windows 10, some apps can continue to run tasks in the background even when you're not using them. If you want to speed up your computer as much as possible, you can decide which apps can operate in the background or disable the feature to block all apps.
Typically, new devices come with applications you do not need, including the usual bloatware and system tools you will never use, which will only waste space on the drive and resources. When trying to increase the system performance, you should always remove those non-essential applications.
Old and poorly designed apps and apps that load unnecessary features can negatively affect the performance of your computer. Also, just because an app comes from a company you trust does not mean it's a good app.
Only install good apps if you want to keep your device healthy and snappy. Typically, you want to install apps available from the Microsoft Store because they've been reviewed for security and performance. If the app is not in the store, only download apps from trusted sources and confirm they work on Windows 10.
If you are unsure, you can research online to get more information about the app. For example, you can check the software vendor's forums to check whether users are experiencing issues or post a question in the forums to find out more details.
Once you complete the steps, the app will install on your device. If the app is not in the Microsoft Store, download the installer from the trusted source, and follow the vendor support website steps to install and configure the program.
If the device has relatively new hardware and you notice apps, managing files, and other tasks are struggling to complete, it is likely because the drive is running out of space. Usually, this becomes more evident after the drive is filled with around 70 percent of the total capacity.
After you complete the steps, the tool will rearrange the files to make them accessible more quickly the next time they are needed, translating into noticeable performance improvement. The only caveat is that the process can take a long time, depending on the data stored on the drive. (If you have an older system, it is best to leave the process running overnight.)
If you have a computer with an SSD, using the defragmentation tool will run the trim command to inform the storage device of the blocks with data that can be safely erased. This process can significantly improve performance because the drive won't have to erase the blocks during the writing data process.
ReadyBoost is not new to Windows 10. It's been around for years as a feature that uses a flash drive or SD card to cache files to boost the overall system performance. (If the device has an SSD, this feature won't be available since it won't offer additional benefits.)
The SanDisk Extreme Go (CZ800) is an excellent choice to use with the ReadyBoost feature. The USB drive offers up to 128GB of storage with fast transfer speeds of up to 200MB/s, it's backed by a strong brand, and it is affordable.
When a device starts to run very slowly, this could indicate a malware infection. Typically, viruses, spyware, and other malware types are known to take up many system resources making a device unusable.
Although Windows 10 comes with the Microsoft Defender Antivirus, it does not guarantee that malware will make its way into the system. If you suspect the device has been infected, you should try running a full virus scan.
If you cannot use the default antivirus because it's not running, updates don't work, or scanning problems, the device probably has one of those tricky malware that cannot be removed while the system is running. If this is the case, the antivirus can perform an offline scan.
Once you complete the steps, the system will automatically restart into the offline experience of Microsoft Defender, and it will perform a scan to detect and remove any threats that could not be removed while Windows 10 was running.
Microsoft proactively releases updates to address problems, add new features, and patch security vulnerabilities. While sometimes updates are the reason for things not working correctly, maintaining the update can speed up your computer.
On Windows 10, updates happen automatically, but depending on the update or the device's configuration, they don't always download and install as soon as they become available. If your computer is running slower than usual, it could be possible that an update is available to improve performance.
If the device has an older version of Windows 10, upgrading to the most recent version can help speed up the performance or introduce new features that could make you more productive to get work done faster.
If your computer is running slow because of a compatibility issue or a poorly designed driver, you could resolve the issue by installing the most recent or pre-release version of the driver from the manufacturer's support website manually.
Before proceeding, you need to download the latest available driver package from the manufacturer's website, uncompress the files using the self-extracting or .zip extension file, and then use these steps:
While apps from the Microsoft Store can update automatically, you have to install updates manually for many traditional desktop apps. If you have an app affecting performance, check your software support website for a newer update and the instructions to apply it.
Windows 10 includes different plans (Balanced, Power saver, and High performance) to optimize the power usage on your computer. If you want to boost the system performance, use the "High performance" option since it allows the device to use more power to operate faster.
On laptops, you can also change the mode to increase performance by tapping or clicking the battery icon in the taskbar's notification area and selecting the Best performance option using the slider.
Although these effects can make the experience more visually appealing, they also require resources that can slow down computers with older hardware. However, you can disable these effects to save resources and make Windows 10 feel faster.
After you complete the steps, the device will restart, and you should notice a performance boost while using apps. The performance will be more noticeable when configuring the page file in a Solid-State Drive.
If the new settings are causing issues or performance does not improve, you can always revert the changes with the same instructions outlined above. However, on step 9, select the System managed size option and check the "Automatically manage paging files size for all drives" option.
Sometimes your device will slow down after installing a new system update, driver, or application. If you cannot determine why the computer is slow, you can undo any changes by restoring the previous working state using a System Restore point.
If the computer shows performance issues, it could be due to corrupted system files. If this is the case, you can use the Deployment Image Service and Management Tool (DISM) and System File Checker (SFC) command-line tools to fix the setup without reinstallation.
After completing the steps, the device should operate normally if the utility has finished successfully. You should also use the SFC command-line tool if the scan had issues. (You can always learn more about this feature in our DISM walkthrough guide.)
After you complete the steps, Windows 10 will be reinstalled, removing previous configurations, settings, and apps to help you boost system performance. If you select the option to remove everything, remember to restore your files from a previous backup after the process.
Upgrading to a Solid-State Drive is perhaps one of the best ways to increase performance on older hardware. Usually, SSDs do not have moving parts like traditional hard drives, meaning data can be read and written much faster.
The Samsung 870 EVO is one of the most popular Solid-State Drives (SSD) because of its reliability and price. It also offers excellent performance (up to 560MB/s read and 530MB/s write speeds) compared to traditional hard drives, and every drive is backed with a five-year warranty.
Although adding more memory is relatively straightforward, finding a compatible kit can be tricky. Always use Task Manager to find out the type of memory you need and whether any slots are available. It is also recommended to check your device manufacturer's website to find more specific information about the memory requirements.
Mauro Huculak is technical writer for WindowsCentral.com. His primary focus is to write comprehensive how-tos to help users get the most out of Windows 10 and its many related technologies. He has an IT background with professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, and CompTIA, and he's a recognized member of the Microsoft MVP community."}), " -0-10/js/authorBio.js"); } else console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); Mauro HuculakSocial Links NavigationMauro Huculak is technical writer for WindowsCentral.com. His primary focus is to write comprehensive how-tos to help users get the most out of Windows 10 and its many related technologies. He has an IT background with professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, and CompTIA, and he's a recognized member of the Microsoft MVP community.
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