Windows slow? Try these solutions

Fast, faster, fastest. Did you know that the performance of your computer can often go a notch higher? Is Windows slow? Read on to find out how to kick Windows 11 and Windows 10 into top gear.

By default, Windows 11 uses a balanced power plan, which is the ideal combination of power consumption and performance. However, we are looking for the best performance. Time to adjust the power mode accordingly.

In the Windows settings window, choose System† On off and battery† With the option Energy mode do you choose Best performance† You can also force the processor to be fully utilized at all times. Open Start menu and type Energy† Choose Edit power plan† Then click on Change advanced power settings† Flip the section Processor power management from. At both Minimum Processor Status if Maximum Processor Status choose the mode Connected in front of 100%†

Learn more about power management in Windows here.

Yes or no again

Windows 11 can automatically restart some apps when you turn on your computer again or, for example, when Windows restarts after installing an update. You decide whether you appreciate this feature.

If you prefer to keep all resources free and nothing to run in the background unsolicited, you can disable the function. In the settings window, choose Accounts† Automatically save my restartable apps and restart when I log in again†

Necessary or not

When Windows starts, various programs and apps open in the background. Keep an eye on which apps these are. After all, unnecessary apps do not need to be launched. Go to Start menu and type Startup† Then click Startup apps† View the list of apps and pay particular attention to the apps that start automatically (recognizable by the slider On†

With each app you can read how much the app takes up the system, for example A lot of influence or Little influence† That information helps in assessing whether the app is worth your while. Via the sort function at the top you can sort the apps by impact (choose at Sort by in front of Impact on startup† Turn on the slider Out for apps that you no longer want to start.

Taming Storage

Restrict Windows’ use of the hard drive. In the Windows settings window, choose System / Storage† On the right side of the window you can see by category (for example Temporary files and Installed apps) how much disk space is taken up. click on Show more categories for the complete list. Then click on Storage Insight†

You can have Windows automatically clean temporary files via the option Keep Windows running smoothly by automatically cleaning temporary system and app files† The same possibility is available for the contents of user folders. Turn on the slider On Bee Clean User Content Automatically† Bee Run Storage Insight determine when the check must take place (for example, choose Weekly†

Via the option after – Delete files in my Recycle Bin if they have been kept longer than – determine after how many days the trash should be emptied automatically. You determine the same for the folder downloads, via the option Delete files in the Downloads folder if they have not been opened for more than†

Continue cleaning

Windows watches and makes suggestions for cleaning unnecessary files. click on Cleaning recommendations† You will find different sections here such as Temporary files, Large or unused files and unused apps† The latter category is especially interesting: here Windows shows an overview of apps that you have not used for a long time and that are eligible to be cleaned up. Place a check mark next to the unnecessary apps and click clean up†

below Temporary files a number of suggestions are made, but Windows does not show what can really be cleaned. Therefore click on Show advanced options† Here you see a complete overview of files to be deleted.

A good example is the option to remove previous Windows installations, an action that in practice quickly frees up 20-30 GB of disk space.

Hardware improvements

To be fair, you can fortunately take the necessary steps in the software field to make Windows perform better. However, to get Windows into the very top gear, it’s also good to look at the hardware. If you still use a mechanical hard drive, consider an upgrade to an SSD variant. These drives perform significantly better and allow for faster loading times in Windows. In addition, it always pays to expand the memory. Everything for the highest speed!

Special effects

While Windows 11 has received a visual refresh, you can still access the older options that let you disable the visual frills. Open Start menu and type Sysdm.cpl† on the tab Advanced click the button Settings in the field Performance† on the tab Visual Effects you will find a list of visual effects that are currently active. Not in the mood for those extras? Choose Best performance†

The best of both worlds is also possible: if you want to preserve some effects, choose Amended and manually check the desired effects. In Windows 11, you can also disable the effects at the root level. In Start menu, type Visual Effects† Turn on the slider Out Bee Animation Effects† You can also influence the transparency of windows here: set the slider to Out Bee Transparency Effects if you don’t appreciate this.

Performance under the microscope

Do you already know the Performance Monitor in Windows 10 and Windows 11? This section provides information about the performance of various operating system components. You open it via the start menu (type Performance Monitor†

More convenient is the option to have a report generated. This report gives you an idea of ​​system performance. Open the window To carry out (usage Windows key+R) and type the command perfmon /report† Various tests are now being performed: in a report you can read how the machine is performing per component (such as processor, working memory and storage).

Game Mode

Do you know the game mode of Windows 11? You can find this via the settings window: choose Gaming / Game Mode† This improves system performance while playing games. In that mode, Windows shuts down as many background processes as possible so that most of the resources can be allocated to the game itself.

Game mode is enabled by default, but you can disable it at any time via the aforementioned settings window. This comes in handy if you don’t play games and don’t want to free up extra resources for game-related things, such as screen recordings and audio recordings.

Dust comb by software

When optimizing Windows, ensure a tidy environment immediately, including by running a dust comb through installed software and removing unnecessary programs. Open Start menu and type Programs† Choose Install or remove programs† Go through the list of installed apps. For programs that you no longer use, click the button with the three dots and choose remove†

Reliability Check

Increasing Windows performance naturally goes hand in hand with computer stability. A useful tool for this is Reliability Checker. In both Windows 10 and Windows 11 you have this part at your disposal. Open Start menu and type Reliability† Choose View reliability history† You can see in a graph how the reliability of the computer has developed. You can read which events have taken place per day.

Pay special attention to the Critical Events: this concerns the more serious errors, for example a hardware error. Double click on an event to view its details. The Reliability Monitor also displays informational notifications, such as when a new version of Office is installed. You can therefore use the component to find out why the computer is performing less well, temporarily or otherwise.

To the fastest drive

If you use a combination between a traditional hard drive and an SSD, you can gain speed by installing apps as much as possible on the faster SSD. The mechanical drive can be used to store data, such as Office documents and photos and videos. You can determine in Windows where future apps should be installed by default, in our case on the fast SSD.

Open Start menu and type Default save locations† A new window will open. Then determine per data type where the files should be placed. For example, you can determine this for new apps, but also for photos and videos. For the best performance, you should in any case choose storage on the SSD with the apps.

Automatic maintenance

Windows regularly performs periodic maintenance on the computer through automatic maintenance. The option is enabled by default, but you may not like the time it happens (two o’clock in the morning). In such a case, you can now have the automatic maintenance performed at a time of your choosing.

Open Start menu and type Automatic maintenance† Choose Change Automatic Maintenance Settings† Bee Perform maintenance tasks daily to choose the desired time. click on OK†

Disk Cleanup

In both Windows 10 and Windows 11 you will still find the classic version of Disk Cleanup. Instead of the steps discussed elsewhere via the Windows settings window, you can also use the classic version of Disk Cleanup. That version gives you a more compact view of the parts you can clean.

Open Start menu and type Disk Cleanup† After the check is done, click on the button Clean up system files† Disk Cleanup will now run again, but will now show more items to clean up.