Most of the time, a sluggish and cluttered Windows PC is down to a handful of problems you can fix fast: too many programs launching when you boot, a system drive that’s almost out of space, power settings that hold your CPU back and a browser stuffed with open tabs. Follow the steps below and you can recover most of your lost speed without reinstalling anything. If the machine still drags afterward, look at an SSD or RAM upgrade next.
Why a Windows PC slows down over time
Clutter creeps in gradually. Old downloads, leftover update files and settings you haven’t looked at in months build up in the background. Many apps also add themselves to the startup list when you install them, so they load on every restart and stay in your system tray. No single item does much, but added together they slow your PC down.
Turn off startup apps you don’t need
Startup programs can make a big difference to how quickly your PC runs. Leave on the few work apps you need right away and switch off everything else.
- Right-click the Start button and pick Task Manager.
- Open the Startup apps tab in the left pane.
- Click the Status column to group apps by whether they’re enabled or disabled.
- Look in the Startup impact column for apps with a high or moderate rating.
- Right-click any high or moderate impact app you don’t need at startup and disable it.
- Disable anything else that isn’t one of your work apps.
Free up space on your Windows drive
To run efficiently, Windows needs at least 15% of the drive it’s installed on to be free, although the exact amount depends on the drive’s capacity. If your drive is close to full, start with the tools that come with Windows.
- Launch the built-in Disk Cleanup tool.
- Select old Windows updates, antivirus definitions, temporary internet files and the Recycle Bin, then delete them.
- Turn on Storage Sense so Windows clears out this kind of clutter on its own from now on.
If you still need more space, install TreeSize. It draws a visual map of what’s taking up your storage, which makes it easy to spot the biggest files and decide what to remove.
Change your power mode to Best performance
Windows offers three power modes: Balanced, Best performance and Best power efficiency. On laptops, Windows usually runs in Balanced when plugged in and in Best power efficiency on battery. These defaults save power and extend battery life, but they can throttle your CPU, meaning Windows runs the processor slower on purpose.
- Go to Start > Settings > System > Power & battery.
- Expand the Power mode section.
- Select Best performance from the Plugged in drop-down menu.
- If you don’t want Windows throttling performance on battery either, also select Best performance in the On battery drop-down menu.
Changing the On battery setting will shorten your battery life.
Lower the Energy Saver threshold
Energy Saver turns on once your battery falls to a set percentage, and it reduces performance to save power. The default trigger point is 30%.
- While still on the Power & battery page, find the Energy Saver settings.
- Change the battery percentage that turns on Energy Saver from 30% to 20% or 10%.
With a lower threshold, your laptop runs at full speed for longer before it starts throttling to save battery.
Cut down on open browser tabs
It’s easy to get into the habit of leaving dozens of tabs open in case you need them later. That clutters your workspace, and because every tab uses memory, it can slow down both your browser and the other apps running next to it.
- Save tabs rather than leaving them open. An extension like Session Buddy stores your open tabs as a collection you can bring back later. Microsoft Edge’s Collections used to offer something similar, but it no longer lets you add all your open tabs to a collection in one go.
- Give yourself a tab limit. Aim to keep fewer than 10 tabs open at once.
- Go through your tabs when you finish each session. Close anything you don’t need anymore.
- Write links down instead of leaving them open. The Sticky Notes app is a quick place to jot down notes and links you want to revisit later that day.
Upgrade to an SSD or add more RAM
If your PC is still slow after a cleanup, the hardware may be to blame. Storage and memory are the two easiest components to swap out, and they’re often the main reason a system feels slow.
If you still run a conventional hard disk drive (HDD) as your main or secondary storage, switching to an NVMe or SATA SSD can make your PC much faster and cut down on high disk usage. You’ll see the difference in games as well.
On the memory side, 16GB of RAM is now standard on modern desktops and laptops. That leaves enough headroom for multitasking, even if most of what you do is browse the web with lots of tabs open. If you have 8GB, adding another 8GB RAM module is a cheap upgrade that can make a noticeable difference.
On many laptops, upgrading just means taking off the back panel and slotting in the NVMe drive and RAM. Often the hardest part is keeping track of the tiny screws. Not every laptop can be upgraded like this, so check with your manufacturer before you open yours up.
Do a clean install for major Windows versions
When a major new version of Windows comes out, think about doing a clean install rather than an in-place upgrade. It can save you trouble later.
Frequently asked questions
How much free space does Windows need to run well?
To run efficiently, Windows needs at least 15% of its installation drive to be free, though the exact amount depends on the drive’s capacity.
When does Energy Saver turn on by default?
By default, Energy Saver turns on at 30% battery and reduces performance. You can lower the threshold to 20% or 10% to keep full performance for longer.
How much RAM does a Windows PC need?
16GB is standard on modern desktops and laptops and leaves enough headroom for multitasking. Adding an 8GB RAM module is a cheap upgrade.
Can I upgrade the SSD and RAM in any laptop?
No. Many laptops let you swap parts once the back panel is off, but not all of them do. Check with your manufacturer before you open yours.
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