Practical Ways to Speed Up Windows 10

Subsequent versions of Windows are getting better and better at maintaining their performance over months and even years. This, of course, refers to the common complaint from some time ago that a computer or laptop was “slowing down.” Fortunately, Windows 10 and Windows 11 don’t suffer from the same issues as Windows XP, but you should still ensure proper system maintenance and follow best practices for using it. How can you speed up a computer running Windows 10/11? Read our guide!

You can purchase Windows 10 as a fully licensed digital key from Key-Soft.pl—this also gives you access to all manufacturer updates, which improves security and speeds up system performance.

Speed up your Windows 10 computer – delete unnecessary folders and programs

This advice may seem obvious, but a full hard drive is one of the most common causes of a slow computer. This is largely due to the design of SSDs, which begin to slow down once they reach about half their capacity (i.e., when 50% of the drive space is filled with data). This process becomes much more noticeable as the drive fills up even further… and it cannot be prevented—except by regularly cleaning out unused files and other digital “junk” from memory. These days, it’s rare to find any other type of drive with an operating system installed on it besides an SSD.

Another "common" sign of a noticeable slowdown in your computer's performance is various installed programs running in the background. Many applications attempt to “sneak in” other related programs during installation—such as browser add-ons, antivirus software, or download managers. Less experienced users sometimes accept the installer’s suggestions, resulting in a program that launches at system startup—a program that is unused but consumes computer resources.

You can find programs running in the background by opening Task Manager (press Ctrl + Alt + Delete) and going to the "Processes" tab.

Speed up Windows startup – autostart

Programs that load along with Windows have a significant impact on how quickly the system starts up. One way to speed up the startup of Windows 10 is therefore to keep this list to a minimum. You can find the list of programs by typing "Startup" in the Start menu

The list includes many system tools that you shouldn’t disable, so be careful when selecting them. Many programs run in the background—including those you don’t use every day (or at all)—so their presence in Startup may come as a surprise. The programs will stop launching automatically if you click the slider next to the app’s name and set it to “Disabled.”

Speed up your Windows 10 computer – disk defragmentation

Fragmentation is a phenomenon in which, over time and as operations are performed on data stored on an HDD, fragments of a file “migrate” to locations on the disk that are far apart from one another. This causes data read speeds to slow down, and the slowdown gradually increases.

Data fragmentation in newer versions of Windows isn’t as big of a problem as it used to be; in other words, the operating system is able to manage it to some extent. Nevertheless, regular defragmentation is a good way to maintain “digital hygiene” for your software and speed up Windows 10/11. 

To launch the built-in tool, type “disk defragmentation and optimization” into the search bar on the Start menu. Then select the appropriate drive and click “Optimize.” The entire process should take no more than a few dozen seconds or a few minutes.

Other methods for defragmenting a disk include the use of third-party software (such as Defraggler), but in the vast majority of cases, the built-in system tool will be more than sufficient.

How to speed up your laptop – Windows 10

The answer to the question of how to speed up a laptop, just like with a desktop PC, is complex. Also, be sure to update Windows 10 regularly.