How to Speed Up a Slow Windows 10 or 11 Computer
A slow Windows computer is almost never a hardware problem — it is almost always software. Here is a practical step-by-step guide to finding what is dragging your machine down and fixing it without spending a penny.
Check what is running in the background
Open Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc and click the CPU and Memory columns to sort by usage. You will likely spot one or two programmes using far more resources than they should. Common culprits include antivirus scans, Windows Update, browser extensions and cloud sync tools like OneDrive running at full speed.
Disable startup programmes
Many programmes install themselves to run automatically every time Windows starts. Over years, this list grows enormous. In Task Manager, click the Startup tab to see everything that launches at boot. Right-click anything you do not need immediately and select Disable. This alone can cut startup time in half.
Check your storage drive is not full
Windows needs at least 10-15% of your drive free to operate properly. When storage drops below this, Windows struggles to create temporary files and virtual memory, causing dramatic slowdowns. Open File Explorer, right-click your C: drive and check Properties to see how full it is.
Run Windows Update
Outdated drivers and system files cause significant performance issues. Go to Settings > Windows Update and install any pending updates. This is especially true for graphics drivers, which affect the performance of everything on screen.
Check for malware
Run a full scan with Windows Defender or Malwarebytes. Malware often runs silently in the background consuming CPU and network bandwidth. A diagnostic tool like Cerebro Scan can also reveal suspicious processes using resources in the background.
Get a full computer health check in minutes
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