For more help on what to remove, read How to Rid a PC of Crapware.įrom the Start menu, type Disk Cleanup to open the trusty utility that's been part of Windows for several generations of the OS. While you're in the Programs and Features section of Control, you can also click Turn Windows Features On or Off and scan the list to see if there's anything you don't use. One reason removing apps helps performance is that many programs load processes at boot time and take up valuable RAM and CPU cycles. In either, you can sort them by size, date installed, or name, or search for a particular app. For non-Store apps, Control Panel opens, where you can uninstall good old desktop programs. You'll see both kinds in the modern Settings app's Apps & Features page. Keep in mind that Windows 10 and 11 have two kinds of applications: traditional desktop apps and modern Microsoft Store (formerly called Windows Store) apps. Set aside a half hour or so for this project if you have a bunch of bloatware.ĭon't forget to take the hatchet to apps you installed yourself but no longer want-and to software you don't want that was installed alongside software you do want. Unfortunately, you can only remove one at a time. When you find junk apps you don't want, select them and click Uninstall. Other good options are to sort by Recent to see if there are any programs you didn't know you installed or by Size, to get rid of very large items you don't need. You can usually find crapware culprits by sorting the list of installed apps on the name of your PC maker. Or just type Programs in the search box next to the Start button. You can also right-click on the Windows logo Start button and choose the top choice Programs and Features. Doing so will immediately uninstall the program. Right-click on any unwanted app tile in Start and choose Uninstall. Even Microsoft is not blameless in this game, as it has included a couple of games and mixed reality software in computers that you may not be interested in. A few years ago, a Lenovo PC we at PCMag tested had nearly 20 so-called helper programs that would occasionally pop up and interrupt what we were doing. Though the situation is improving, an issue with some new computers is they come with a lot of unnecessary software, sometimes called bloatware, crapware, or PUPs for potentially unwanted programs. Do it even if you don't want a big feature update-you can delay those major updates in the same section of Settings. Your PC may run faster after an update since it can include hardware driver updates. Periodically head to Settings > Windows Update to see whether there are any security and reliability updates you should install. Something that is recommended is to keep your OS version up to date, though we didn't list this as a tip because everyone should be doing it regardless. Microsoft categorically does not support the use of registry cleaners (Opens in a new window) for Windows 10. Note that you should beware of those "Speed Up Your PC!" ads for registry cleaners, which often lead to malware. For people with older, low-power machines who want a speed boost but don't care about extra goodies, a couple of the tips that you'll find toward the end of this list do boost system performance at the expense of visual bling. Most of the tips can be done for free, but some involve spending a little cash on software or hardware. Most of our tips show you ways to speed up your Windows system without compromising its appearance and functionality. The problem with a lot of articles that tell you how to speed up Windows is that they tell you to turn off some of the operating system's more fun features, such as visual animations. These tips for speeding up Windows work just as well whether you're running version 10 or 11. Even the most current version of Windows isn't immune to slowdowns, and not everyone is ready to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 yet. Once you're up and running, however, there are other performance factors to consider.
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