One the best ways to get
the most of your PC is to make sure you have the latest version of Windows 10
installed. When you check for updates, your PC will also search for the latest
device drivers, which can also help improve your PC’s performance.
To check for updates
- Select the Start button, then select Settings > Update & security > Windows Update > Check for updates.
- Look under Update status and do one of the following:
- If the status says Your device is up to date, go to the next tip.
- If the status says Updates are available, select Install now, and go to the next step in this procedure.
- Select the updates you want to install, then select Install.
- Restart your PC, do what you were doing before, and then see if your PC is running better.
For more info about
updates, including how you can have them installed automatically for you, see
the Windows Update FAQ.
If your PC still runs
slow, continue to the next tip.
Having more open apps,
programs, web browsers, and so on can slow down your PC. If this is happening,
restart your PC and then close the apps, programs, and windows you’re not
using.
To restart your PC
1.
Select the Start button > Power > Restart.
2.
After your PC restarts,
open just the apps you need, then close them when you’re done.
Sometimes apps that were
made for an earlier version of Windows will still run on Windows 10, but
they might slow down your PC. If this happens after you open a certain program,
check the software company’s website for an updated version, or run the Program
Compatibility Troubleshooter.
To run the Program
Compatibility Troubleshooter
1.
In the search box on the
taskbar, type troubleshoot,
and then select Troubleshoot,
which has System settings listed underneath it.
2.
In Troubleshoot,
select Program Compatibility Troubleshooter > Run the troubleshooter.
3.
Select the program that
you’re having problems with. Then select Next and continue through the troubleshooter.
PC still running slow?
Continue on.
With memory, one of the first things
to do is find out how much memory (RAM) you have and how much of it is
currently being used. You can find out these things and much more in Task
Manager.
To check memory and memory usage
1.
Press Ctrl
+ Alt + Delete, and then select Task Manager.
2.
In Task
Manager, select More details >
the Performance tab
> Memory.
First, see how much you have total, and then check the graph and see how much RAM is being used.
First, see how much you have total, and then check the graph and see how much RAM is being used.
- Total amount of memory (RAM)
- Memory in use
If you find that much of your RAM is
regularly being used, consider adding more RAM if possible—especially if your
PC only has 1 or 2 gigabytes (GB) of RAM. To learn more about what kind of RAM
your PC model uses, first look at the memory info in Task Manager, and then
visit the PC manufacturer’s website for more specific info.
- Type of memory (RAM) PC uses
- RAM speed
- Memory slots used
Here’s some info about the minimum memory
requirements for Windows 10:
·
Windows 10
(32-bit) can run on a PC with 1 GB of RAM, but it runs better with 2 GB. For
better performance, add memory so you have 3 GB or more.
·
Windows 10
(64-bit) can run on a PC with 2 GB of RAM, but it runs better with 4 GB. For
better performance, add memory so you have 6 GB or more.
For more info about the system
requirements for Windows 10, see the Windows
10 Specifications page.
Use ReadyBoost to help improve performance
Like earlier versions of Windows,
Windows 10 has ReadyBoost. ReadyBoost lets you use a removable drive, like a
USB flash drive, to improve your PC’s performance without opening your PC and
adding more memory (RAM). To use ReadyBoost, you’ll need a USB flash drive or a
memory card that has at least 500 MB free and a high data transfer rate. For
more info about ReadyBoost, see ReadyBoost in Windows 10.
To use ReadyBoost
- Insert the USB flash drive into a USB port on your PC.
- On the taskbar, select File Explorer.
- Press and hold (or right-click) the USB flash drive (or SD card if you used one instead), then select Properties.
- Select the ReadyBoost tab, then select Use this device.
- Windows determines if the device can use ReadyBoost. If it can’t, a message appears to let you know.
- After Windows determines how much free space to use to optimize memory, select OK to reserve this space, so ReadyBoost can use it.
When you look at the contents of the USB flash drive in File Explorer, you’ll see a file named ReadyBoost.sfcache on the flash drive. This file shows how much space is reserved for ReadyBoost.
Note
If Windows is installed on a solid state drive (SSD), ReadyBoost
can’t be used because the SSD drive is already fast and you won’t get better
performance by using ReadyBoost.
Change the paging file size to improve
performance
The paging file is an area on your hard
disk that Windows uses like memory. Increasing the paging file size can help
improve your PC’s performance.
- In the search box on the taskbar, type advanced system, and then select View advanced system settings, which has Control panel listed underneath it.
- In System Properties, on the Advanced tab, select Settings in the Performance area.
- In Performance Options, select the Advanced tab > Change in the Virtual memory area.
- Clear the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives check box.
- Select Custom size, then enter an initial size (in MB) and maximum size in the corresponding boxes.
- Select Set > OK.
- Restart your PC by selecting the Start button > Power > Restart.
Use your PC then see if it’s running
better. If it’s not, try the next tip.
You may improve
performance if you free some disk space on your PC.
To check for low disk
space
1.
Select the Start button, and then select Settings >
System > Storage.
2.
Under Storage, your
drives will be listed. Note the amount of free space and total size for each
drive.
Note
If your PC is not low on
space, try the next tip.
To empty the recycle bin
and delete temporary files
1.
Select the Start button, and then select Settings >
System > Storage.
2.
Under Storage,
select This PC > Temporary files.
3.
Under Recycle bin,
select Empty recycle bin > Yes, I'm sure.
4.
Under Temporary files,
select Delete temporary files > Yes, I'm sure.
5.
Under Downloads,
select View downloads.
6.
Restart your PC and try
to reproduce the performance issue.
If your PC still runs
slowly, try uninstalling apps you don’t use anymore.
Tip
To see what's in your
recycle bin before you empty it, open it from your desktop.
Note
You may not want to
delete temporary files to improve performance. While these files may not be
used at the moment, they help your apps load and run faster.
To uninstall apps you
don’t use anymore
1.
Select the Start button, and then select Settings >
System > Apps & features.
2.
Search for a specific
app or sort them to see which ones are using the most space.
3.
When you find an app to
remove, choose it from the list and select Uninstall.
4.
Restart your PC and try
to reproduce the performance issue.
If your PC still runs
slowly, try moving files to another drive.
To move files to another
drive
If you have photos,
music, or other files that you want to keep but don't use often, consider
saving them to removable media, like a USB drive. You'll still be able to use
them when the drive is connected, but they won't take up space on your PC.
1.
Connect the removable
media to your PC.
2.
Open File Explorer from the taskbar and find the files you
want to move.
3.
Select the files, go to
the Home tab, and then select Move to > Choose location.
4.
Select your removable
media from the location list, and then select Move.
5.
Restart your PC and try
to reproduce the performance issue.
If your PC still runs
slowly, try the next tip.
Restoring your PC is a
way to undo recent changes to your PC that might be causing problems. If you
think an app, driver, or an update for Windows you recently installed might be
causing problems, you might get things running normally again by restoring your
PC to an earlier point. This is a called a restore point.
Notes
·
Restoring from a restore
point won’t affect your personal files, but it will remove apps, drivers, and
updates that were installed after the restore point was created.
·
System restore works for
recent changes that were made to your PC more recently—changes in the last 7 to
14 days.
To restore your PC from
a restore point
1.
In the search box on the
taskbar, type restore point,
then select Create a restore point from the list of results.
2.
In the System Properties
box, on the System Protection tab, select System Restore.
3.
Select Next, then choose the restore point related to
the app, driver, or update that might be causing the problem. Then
select Next > Finish.
4.
Restart your PC. Do what
you were doing before to see if performance has improved.
If you don’t see any
restore points, it might be because system protection isn’t turned on.
To turn on system
protection
1.
In the search box on the
taskbar, type restore point,
then select Create a restore point from the list of results.
2.
In the System Properties
box, on the System Protection tab, select Configure.
3.
In the Restore Settings
area, select Turn on system protection > OK.
If your PC still runs
slow, try the next tip.
When you turn on your
PC, some programs start automatically and run in the background. You can
disable these programs, so they don’t run when your PC starts.
Many programs are
designed to start automatically when Windows starts. Software manufacturers
often set their programs to open in the background, so you don’t see them
running, but so they'll open quickly when you go to use them. This is helpful
for programs you use a lot, but not for programs you don’t use often because it
slows down the time it takes Windows to start.
Find the programs that
start automatically
Sometimes you can determine
which programs start automatically by looking at the program icons in the
notification area that’s on the far right of the taskbar. Check there first to
see if there are any programs running that you don’t want to start
automatically. To try to find out the name of the program, point to the icon
with your mouse pointer. Make sure you select Show hidden icons , so you don’t miss any programs.
Notification
area with mouse pointing to show hidden icons
Even after you check the
notification area, you might still miss some programs that run automatically at
startup. Here’s how you can find all the programs that start automatically, and
stop the ones that you don’t want to start automatically when Windows starts.
To stop a program from
starting automatically
1.
Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, then select Task Manager.
2.
In Task Manager,
select More details in
the lower-left corner, then select the Startup tab.
3.
To stop a program from
starting automatically, select the program, then select Disable.
If you have questions about a specific app or program, see the program’s support page for more info.
If you have questions about a specific app or program, see the program’s support page for more info.
4.
Restart your PC. Do what
you were doing before to see if you’re still seeing the same performance
problems.
Note
If you disable a program
and it continues to start automatically when Windows starts, you should scan
for viruses and malware, which is explained in the next section.
A virus, malware, or
other malicious software could cause your PC to run slowly. Some other symptoms
include unexpected pop-up messages, programs that unexpectedly start
automatically, or the sound of your hard disk constantly working.
The best way to handle
viruses and malicious software is to try to prevent them by running antimalware
and antivirus software and keeping it up to date. Even if you take precautions,
your PC can still become infected.
You can scan your PC for
viruses or other malicious software by using Windows Defender, which is
included in Windows 10. For more info, see Protect your PC.
Notes
·
If you’re using other
antivirus or anti-malware software, see the documentation for that program
to learn how to scan for viruses. Also, make sure multiple antivirus programs
aren’t running at the same time. If they are, choose the one you want to
run, and then disable or uninstall any others.
·
If you have another
antivirus program installed and turned on, Windows Defender will be turned off
by default.
To scan for viruses
using Windows Defender (Windows 10 Version 1703)
1.
Select the Start button > Settings > Update & security > Windows Defender > Open Windows Defender.
2.
Select the Update tab > Update Definitions to make sure you have the latest
definition file.
3.
Select the Home tab > Scan Now, then wait for Windows Defender to finish
scanning for viruses and malware.
4.
Do one of the following,
depending on the results of the scan:
·
If Windows Defender
finds a virus or malware and can’t remove or quarantine it, contact Microsoft Support for
help.
·
If no viruses are found,
restart your PC and try to reproduce the performance problem you were having
with your PC.
Note
If Windows Defender
doesn’t open, can’t update the definition file, or can’t finish scanning for
viruses, try running Windows Defender in Offline Mode, which is explained below
in To scan for malware and viruses with Windows Defender Offline
(Windows 10 Version 1703).
To scan for viruses
using Windows Defender (Windows 10 Version 1709)
1.
Select the Start button > Settings > Update & security > Windows Defender > Open Windows Defender
Security Center.
2.
Select Virus & threat
protection, then select Protection updates > Check for updates to make sure you have the latest
definition file.
3.
Select the Virus & threat
protection tab and
select Quick scan,
then wait for Windows Defender Security Center to finish scanning for viruses
and malware.
4.
Do one of the following,
depending on the results of the scan:
·
Run the recommended
advanced scan. This scan takes longer but searches more extensively for threats
on your PC.
·
If Windows Defender
Security Center finds a virus or malware and can’t remove or quarantine
it, contact Microsoft Support for
help.
·
If no viruses are found,
restart your PC and try to reproduce the performance problem you were having
with your PC.
Note
If Windows Defender
Security Center doesn’t open, can’t update the definition file, or can’t finish
scanning for viruses, try running Windows Defender in Offline Mode, which is
explained below in To scan for malware and viruses with Windows Defender Offline
(Windows 10 Version 1709).
To see which version of
Windows 10 your device is currently running, select the Start button, then select Settings > System > About. For info about how to get the Windows 10
Fall Creators Update (Version 1709), see Get the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.
To scan for malware and
viruses with Windows Defender Offline (Windows 10 Version 1703)
1.
Save any documents or
anything else you might have open on your PC.
2.
Select the Start button > Settings > Update & security > Windows Defender > Scan Offline.
Your PC will restart, and Windows Defender Offline will run and scan for viruses and malware. The scan might take 15 minutes or so, and your PC will restart again after that.
Your PC will restart, and Windows Defender Offline will run and scan for viruses and malware. The scan might take 15 minutes or so, and your PC will restart again after that.
3.
Try to reproduce the
performance issue.
To scan for malware and
viruses with Windows Defender Offline (Windows 10 Version 1709)
1.
Save any documents or
anything else you might have open on your PC.
2.
Select the Start button > Settings > Update & security > Windows Defender > Open Windows Defender
Security Center.
3.
Select Virus & threat
protection, then select Advanced scan > Windows Defender Offline
scan > Scan now.
Your PC will restart, and Windows Defender Offline will run and scan for viruses and malware. The scan might take 15 minutes or so, and your PC will restart again after that.
Your PC will restart, and Windows Defender Offline will run and scan for viruses and malware. The scan might take 15 minutes or so, and your PC will restart again after that.
4.
Try to reproduce the
performance issue.
If your PC still runs
slow, continue to the next tip.
The Deployment Image
Service and Management Tool (DISM) is a utility in Windows that scans for
corrupted Windows system files. If it finds a problem, it will try to replace
the problematic system files from a cached version that’s on your PC. If DISM
can’t replace the files, the System File Checker (SFC) can check the corrupted
files then download and replace the files through Windows Update.
To use the Deployment
Image Service and Management Tool (DISM)
1.
In the search box on the
taskbar, type command prompt,
press and hold (or right-click) Command Prompt, and then select Run as administrator > Yes.
2.
At the command prompt,
type dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth (note the space between
"dism.exe" and "/" and each switch (/)).
3.
If DISM finds corrupted
files and replaces them, restart your PC and see that improves performance.
Note
You must be
connected to the Internet to use DISM, and it might take several minutes to
finish.
For more info about
DISM, see Fix Windows Update errors by
using the DISM or System Update Readiness tool.
To run System File
Checker (SFC)
1.
In the search box on the
taskbar, type command prompt,
press and hold (or right-click) Command Prompt, then select Run as administrator > Yes.
2.
At the command prompt,
type sfc /scannow (note
the space between "sfc" and the "/").
Scanning will take a few minutes.
Scanning will take a few minutes.
3.
Do one of the following,
depending on the results of the scan:
·
If SFC finds corrupted
files and replaces them, restart your PC and see if that improves your PC’s
performance.
·
If SFC doesn’t find
corrupted files or finds corrupted files but can’t replace them, try using the
Deployment Image Service and Management Tool (DISM).
For more info about
System File Checker, see Use the System File Checker tool to repair missing or
corrupted system files.
Windows 10 includes many
visual effects, such as animations and shadow effects. These look great, but
they can also use additional system resources and can slow down your PC—this is
especially true if you have a PC with a smaller amount of memory (RAM).
To adjust the visual
effects in Windows
1.
In the search box on the
taskbar, type performance,
then select Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows.
2.
In the Performance Options dialog box, on the Visual Effects tab, select Adjust for best
performance > Apply.
3.
Restart your PC and see
if that speeds up your PC.
If your PC still runs
slow, continue to the next tip.
Your PC settings let you
choose where files will be saved by default. You can save files on your PC or
to OneDrive by default and sync files between the two locations. This lets you
get to your files from any device that can connect to the internet, and it
helps make sure your files are backed up in case your PC is ever damaged or
lost. However, files must sync between your PC and OneDrive, and syncing
can slow down your PC.
To stop syncing to
OneDrive
1.
On the taskbar,
select File Explorer.
2.
Press and hold (or
right-click) OneDrive - Personal, and then select Choose OneDrive folders to sync.
3.
Clear the Sync all files and
folders in OneDrive check box, then
select OK.
4.
Restart your PC and see
if that improves things.
If this fixes the
performance problem with your PC, check out Fix
OneDrive sync problems to learn how to turn syncing back on and
keep your files synced.
If your PC still runs
slow, turn syncing back on for OneDrive by selecting the Sync all files and
folders in OneDrivecheck box again, and
then continue to the next tip.
Note
If you have the Window
10 Fall Creators Update, you can use OneDrive Files On-Demand to choose which
files you want to sync and always keep on your PC. This can help improve PC
performance if you reduce the number of files that are synced to your PC.
For more info on
how to get the Fall Creators Update, see Get the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.
For more info on
OneDrive Files On-Demand, see Learn
about OneDrive Files On-Demand.
When you reset your PC,
you can choose whether you want to keep your personal files or remove them,
then have Windows reinstalled. Resetting your PC should be one of the last
things you should try.
Do one of the following:
·
If you want to keep your
files, follow the steps in To back up your data.
·
If you want to remove
your files and not back them up, follow the steps in To reset your PC.
To back up your data
1.
Select the Start button > Settings > Update & security > Backup > Add a drive, and then choose an external drive or network
location to back up your files to.
2.
On the Backup screen, select More options > Back up now.
This backs up all the files in your Users folders—including Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Favorites, Music, Pictures, and more.
This backs up all the files in your Users folders—including Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Favorites, Music, Pictures, and more.
Note
The backup might
take several minutes to finish. Your external drive or network location
must have enough free space for all the files that you want to back up.
To reset your PC
1.
Go to Settings > Update & security > Recovery .
2.
Under Reset this PC, select Get started.
For more info about resetting your PC, see Windows 10 recovery options.
For more info about resetting your PC, see Windows 10 recovery options.
To restore your data
After you reset your PC,
here’s how to restore your data from your backup. When you do this, all the
personal files you backed up will be put back on your PC.
1.
Select the Start button > Settings > Update & security > Backup > Add a drive, and then choose the external drive or network
location that you backed up your files to.
2.
On the Backup screen,
select More options > Restore files from a
current backup.
3.
When the external hard
drive or network location that you backed up to is available, select the green
circle at the bottom to start restoring your files and folders.
It might take several minutes for Windows to restore your files.
It might take several minutes for Windows to restore your files.
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