Before you replace your slow PCs…

You rely on your team to be efficient and productive. But slow and sluggish computers can make it difficult for them to do their work – and could affect you personally too. Which impacts your business’s overall performance.

Before you jump to the (expensive) conclusion that you need to replace your PCs, there are several ways you can increase computer performance on Windows 10 and 11.

Here are just a few…

Restart your computer

Yes, it might be our favourite advice as IT support professionals, but a basic shutdown and restart can work wonders. Restarting your computer clears background processes, applications, and memory data. This often resolves common performance issues, especially if your computer has been running for a while.

Manage start-up apps

Many apps register themselves to start automatically with Windows 11, and this can slow down your computer’s start-up process. To regain some speed, consider disabling unnecessary start-up apps:

  • Open Settings
  • Click on Apps
  • Select the Start-up page
  • Sort apps by their “Start-up impact”
  • Turn off the toggle switch for any unnecessary apps
  • Restart your computer

This will prevent these apps from launching automatically during start-up and save valuable system resources.

Disable restartable apps

Windows 11 has a feature that saves and restarts certain applications when you reboot your computer. While it can be convenient, it may not be ideal for performance. To turn off this feature:

  • Open Settings
  • Click on Accounts
  • Go to the Sign-in options page
  • Turn off the “Automatically save my restartable apps and restart them when I sign back in” toggle switch

Disabling this feature can help improve your computer’s speed, especially if you have many applications that you don’t use regularly.

Uninstall unnecessary apps

Unused or unnecessary apps can clutter your system and slow it down. To remove them:

  • Open Settings
  • Click on Apps
  • Select the Installed apps page
  • Choose the app you want to uninstall and click the Uninstall option
  • Follow the on-screen directions if necessary

By removing apps you don’t need, you’ll free up space and resources for better performance.

Always be cautious about what software you install on your computer. Poorly designed or outdated applications can have a negative impact on performance. Stick to reputable apps (preferably those available in the Microsoft Store) because they have thorough reviews for both security and performance.

Before installing any software, do some online research to check for user experiences and potential issues. Trustworthy sources and well-known companies are your best bet.

Take the time to optimise your existing Windows computers before you consider upgrading your devices. Of course, rather than doing all of this yourself, why not get our team to do it for you. They can check every aspect of your computers and network to look for other hidden problems. Get in touch.

Recent posts

Beware these free tools – they may be hiding ransomware

Beware these free tools – they may be hiding ransomware

Ever needed to quickly convert a file, say, from a Word doc to a PDF? And found yourself Googling for a free tool to do it? It seems harmless enough, right? A quick download, a fast conversion, job done. But what if I told you that one small click could secretly open...

read more
This tiny tweak to Teams will make meetings smoother

This tiny tweak to Teams will make meetings smoother

Have you ever sat in a Teams meeting and found yourself gritting your teeth every time someone said, “next slide, please”? Me too. And if your business runs a lot of online meetings or webinars, you’ll know the frustration of clunky handovers and awkward pauses when...

read more
Overconfident employees: Your hidden cyber security threat?

Overconfident employees: Your hidden cyber security threat?

You trust your team, right? They’re smart, capable, and they know better than to click on suspicious links or open unexpected attachments. They already know that phishing emails look trustworthy on purpose. To trick them into giving away sensitive data or downloading...

read more