1. Make sure you have the latest updates for Windows and device drivers
One of the best ways to get the most out 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.
Do one of the following:
If the status says "You're up to date," go to the next tip.
If the status says "Updates are available," select Install now.
Select the updates you want to install, then select Install.
Restart your PC and see if it seems to run better.
For more info about updates, including how you can have them installed automatically, see the Windows Update FAQ.
For Windows Update troubleshooting info, see Update Windows 10 and Troubleshoot problems updating Windows 10.
If your PC still runs slowly, continue to the next tip.
👉 Restart your PC and open only the apps you need
Having many apps, programs, web browsers, and so on open at once can slow down your PC. Having a lot of browser tabs open at once can also slow it down quite a bit. If this is happening, close any apps, browser tabs, etc., that you don't need and see if that helps speed up your PC. If it doesn't seem to help, restart your PC and then open just the apps, programs and browser windows you need.
To restart your PC
Select the Start button, then select Power > Restart.
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
In the search box on the taskbar, type troubleshoot, then select Troubleshoot settings, which has System settings listed underneath it.
In the list of troubleshooters, select Program Compatibility Troubleshooter > Run the troubleshooter.
Select the program that you’re having problems with, then select Next and continue through the troubleshooter.
PC still running slowly? Continue to the next tip
👉Use ReadyBoost to help improve performance
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.
To use ReadyBoost
Insert the USB flash drive into a USB port on your PC.
Select File Explorer from the taskbar.
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, it'll 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: ReadyBoost can't be used if Windows is installed on a solid state drive (SSD). An SSD is already fast, and ReadyBoost won't be able to improve its performance.
👉 Make sure the system is managing the page file size
The paging file is an area on your hard disk that Windows uses like memory. There's a setting in Windows 10 that manages the page file size automatically, which can help improve your PC’s performance.
To make sure automatic page file management is turned on
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, select the Advanced tab, then select Settings in the Performance area.
In Performance Options, select the Advanced tab, then select Change in the Virtual memory area.
Make sure the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives check box is selected. If it is, continue to the next tip. If it's not, select it and then restart your PC by selecting the Start button > Power >Restart.
Use your PC and see if it’s running better. If it’s not, try the next tip.
👉 Check for low disk space and free up space
You may improve performance if you free some disk space on your PC.
To check for low disk space
Select the Start button, then select Settings > System > Storage .
Your drives will be listed in the Storage area. 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.
You can use Storage Sense to delete unnecessary or temporary files from your device, which can also free up space.
If you turn on Storage Sense, Windows will automatically free up space by getting rid of unnecessary files—including files in your recycle bin—when you're low on disk space or at intervals you specify. The instructions below show you how to delete temporary files and how to turn on and configure Storage Sense.
If you can't find Storage Sense on your device using the following steps, see the "Free up space with Disk cleanup" section below instead.
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 delete temporary files with Storage Sense
Select the Start button, then select Settings > System > Storage .
Select Temporary files in the storage breakdown. Note: If you don't see Temporary files listed, select Show more categories.
Windows will take a few moments to determine what files and apps are taking up the most space on your PC.
Select the items you want to delete, and then select Remove files.
To see what's in your Recycle Bin before you empty it, open it from your desktop. If you don't see the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop, in the search bar on the taskbar, type recycle bin, then select Recycle Bin from the list of results.
Note: Windows moves files you delete to the Recycle Bin in case you change your mind and need them again in the future. You might be able to free up a significant amount of space by deleting Recycle Bin files to permanently remove files you've previously deleted.
To turn on and configure Storage Sense
Select the Start button, then select Settings > System > Storage .
In the Storage area, turn on Storage Sense.
Select Configure Storage Sense or run it now.
In theStorage Sense area, choose how often you want Storage Sense to run.
In the Temporary Files area, select Delete temporary files that my apps aren't using.
Select which files you want Storage Sense to delete (your choices are files in your Recycle Bin and in your Downloads folder), then select the corresponding time intervals.
Scroll down and select Clean now.
Windows will take a few moment to clean up your files, and then you'll see a message indicating how much disk space has been freed up.
If your system doesn't have Storage Sense, you can use the Disk Cleanup tool to delete temporary files and system files from your device.
To run Disk Cleanup
In the search box on the taskbar, type disk cleanup, then select Disk Cleanup from the list of results.
Select the checkbox next to the type of files you want to delete. (To view a description of each type of file, select the name.) By default, Downloaded Program Files, Temporary Internet Files, and Thumbnails are selected. Be sure to clear those check boxes if you don't want to delete those files.
To free up even more space, select Clean up system files. Disk Cleanup will take a few moments to calculate the amount of space that a can be freed up.
Note: If it’s been fewer than 10 days since you upgraded to Windows 10, your previous version of Windows will be listed as a system file you can delete. If you need to free up drive space, you can delete it, but keep in mind that you'll be deleting your Windows.old folder, which contains files that give you the option to go back to your previous version of Windows. If you delete your previous version of Windows, this can't be undone. (You won't be able to go back to your previous version of Windows.)
Select the types of files you want to delete, select OK, then select Delete files in the confirmation window to start the cleanup.
If your PC still runs slowly, try uninstalling apps you don't use anymore.
To uninstall apps you don’t use anymore
Select the Start button, then select Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
Search for a specific app or sort them to see which ones are using the most space.
When you find an app to remove, choose it from the list and select Uninstall.
Restart your PC and and see if performance has improved.
If your PC still runs slowly, try moving 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.
To move files to another drive
Connect the removable media to your PC.
Select File Explorer from the taskbar and find the files you want to move.
Select the files, go to Home, then select Move to > Choose location.
Select your removable media from the location list, then select Move.
Restart your PC and see if performance has improved.
Get more info about freeing drive space in Windows 10.
If your PC still runs slowly, try the next tip.