Windows 10 is definitely a better operating system than Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, but if you are not using it on a high-end computer, we may hear the PC slow down and get stuck in some situations, especially when loading heavier applications (3D, photo editing and games).Even if every hardware has its own story and so does every Windows installation, we can always improve the situation by learning the best ways to optimize Windows 10 performance, without giving up anything and making some targeted changes to the settings and some services present in the system.
By following this guide we will be able to use Windows 10 even with machines with less than 8 GB of RAM, ready to surf the Internet and read mail without necessarily having to change computers.
READ ALSO -> How to speed up your PC to the max
1) We disable the self-starting programs
The easiest trick to apply and also the most effective to optimize Windows 10 concerns self-starting programs, which inevitably place themselves at system startup, slowing down this delicate phase and slowing down the PC given the resources occupied in terms of RAM and disk. fixed always busy.
To disable all auto-start programs (or only those we don't need) just right-click the mouse on the bottom bar and open the menu Activity management.
Inside the window we click on More details and, in the advanced menu, let's go to the tab Start.
Here we will find all the programs set to start together with Windows: let's deactivate them all by right clicking on each single item and using the option Disable.
Alternatively, if we want to make a more accurate selection, we disable those that have an Impact at startup on the values Media e Alta.
2) Resource consumption
Even on Windows 10 we can keep an eye on the system resource consumption.
To do this, simply open the menu Activity management, make sure the extended menu with the option is open More details and finally bring us the tab Performances.
We can immediately check the activity of the CPU, of the RAM of the various disks present and of the peripherals for the network connection.
To obtain even more precise information we can click on the various graphs or click on Open Resource Monitor to get a more precise detail of which programs or services are consuming the most by slowing down the PC.
In addition to Windows Resource Monitoring, it is always important to keep an eye on the event log to understand the source of errors that can occur from time to time.
3) Disable graphic effects
Windows visual effects have always been a problem for older PCs, ever since Windows Vista.
In Windows 10, the Aero effect (that of transparencies) has been eliminated, but there are still many animations and graphic effects that are beautiful to look at, but heavy.
To disable the graphic effects, let's go to the path Control Panel -> System and security -> System, click on Advanced system settings and then Settings, under the Performance section.
The same screen can be obtained by right clicking on the icon What PC and opening the menu Property.
In the first tab just select the item Adjust for best performance.
A trick interesting for Windows 10 that allows gain a lot of speed and decrease the consumption of resources is to set the lightest graphic theme named Aero Lite, which unfortunately is hidden and cannot be set without a particular procedure.
Let's go to C: WindowsResourcesThemes, right-click on the aero.theme file and select Open with -> Notepad.
In the fifth line of the text file, find a property called DisplayName and change it by writing: DisplayName = Aero Lite
Similarly, find the VisualStyles property below and change where Aero.msstyles is written to Aerolite.msstyles
Save the file (it takes administrator rights to complete the procedure).
Now, from the desktop, you can right-click and choose the item Customize, then bringing us up Temi; from here we can choose the light theme among those available.
4) Stop indexing
Searching for programs and files in Windows 10 is very good but it takes a lot of effort on the computer.
You can then disable file indexing to improve overall system performance by replacing the default search tool with a lighter alternative.
To disable Windows search and indexing, press the Start menu icon and search for the system program called Indexing options.
From the window we click on Modification and remove the check mark from all the paths in the section Edit selected paths.
After removing everything, we click on OK and let's take it in Advanced, so you can re-create an empty index by clicking New index.
Here are several options explained in the article on how to search for file names and contents in Windows
5) Use the power saving settings to improve performance
If you are using a laptop, using the power management settings wisely will optimize your system significantly.
The maximum performance setting of all computer hardware components is best, although obviously it will consume more battery if the PC is not plugged into the power outlet.
We then open the Start menu, look for the item Energy saving options and select the item High performance.
If you prefer to find a better and more balanced custom combination, you can read the guide on Windows Power Options.
6) We turn off the PC completely from time to time (without fast boot)
In another article we saw that there is a new function for the fast startup of Windows 10: the PC is never completely shut down, but a special hibernation mode is used to be able to boot the system much faster after shutdown or a reboot.
To clean the memory of any errors and to confirm system updates, it would be good to turn off the computer completely from time to time.
To do this, just hold down the button Shift (SHIFT) as we click on the item Shut down the system present in the Start menu, so as to shut down the computer completely without active fast boot.
Alternatively we can search for the Command Prompt program from the Start menu and run the command
shutdown-s-t 0
To be able to shut down your computer completely without hybrid features.
We recommend carrying out this operation once a month, in order to solve any possible problem.
7) Use the integrated antivirus
Why install another antivirus when Windows has one built into it, optimized to remain lightweight and space-saving?
So with Windows 10 it is no longer necessary to look for an antivirus, which has entered by right among the programs that are no longer needed in Windows 10.
ALSO READ: Antivirus for Windows 10: better to install one or just Windows Defender?
8) Changes by experts
To conclude the guide we will show you a registry key that will appeal to the most geeks:
- MenuShowDelay is the name of a property in Windows of the time interval from the moment the mouse cursor is placed on a menu, until it appears.
By default, the value of this property is set to 400 milliseconds.
By changing this value you can make the menus appear faster.
Press Win + Q on your keyboard to start the search and type "regedit".
Navigate to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER key> Control Panel> Desktop, look for the MenuShowDelay property, right click and choose Edit.
In the window that appears, change the 400 to 20.
Click OK, restart your computer and check the difference.
In another article, we talked about other very useful tips to optimize Windows 7 for a fast PC and better performance, which we can use without problems even on Windows 10.
ALSO READ: Things to do to optimize Windows and have a fast and stable PC
Guide to optimize Windows 10 and decrease the use of PC resources
