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How to Make Windows 10 Faster?

Published in Windows Performance Tuning 4 mins read

Making Windows 10 faster often involves freeing up disk space and managing your installed applications effectively. Slow performance can frequently be linked to a cluttered hard drive or too many programs running or installed unnecessarily. By addressing these areas, you can significantly improve your system's responsiveness.

Free Up Disk Space

Low disk space is a common culprit for a slow Windows 10 experience. When your main drive (usually the C: drive) is close to being full, Windows struggles to perform tasks like creating temporary files, installing updates, or running applications smoothly. Checking for low disk space is a critical first step in troubleshooting performance issues.

Here are effective methods based on the provided references to regain valuable disk space:

Use Storage Sense

Windows 10 includes a built-in tool called Storage Sense that can automatically free up space by deleting unnecessary files.

  • Turn on and Configure Storage Sense:
    1. Go to Settings > System > Storage.
    2. Toggle the switch under "Storage Sense" to On.
    3. Click on "Configure Storage Sense or run it now" to customize its behavior.
    4. Here, you can set how often Storage Sense runs (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, or during low free disk space) and specify which files it should delete, such as temporary files, items in the Recycle Bin, and files in the Downloads folder.
  • Delete temporary files with Storage Sense: Once configured and turned on, Storage Sense automatically deletes temporary files and other unnecessary items based on your settings, keeping your drive cleaner without manual intervention.

Run Disk Cleanup

For a more manual approach or to clean system files not covered by Storage Sense, you can use the traditional Disk Cleanup utility.

  • Run Disk Cleanup:
    1. Search for "Disk Cleanup" in the Windows search bar and open the app.
    2. Select the drive you want to clean (usually C:) and click OK.
    3. Disk Cleanup will scan the drive for files you can safely delete.
    4. Review the list and check the box next to the types of files you want to remove (e.g., Temporary files, Recycle Bin, Temporary Internet Files).
    5. Click Clean up system files to scan for even more options, like previous Windows installations or Windows Update cleanup files.
    6. Select the system files to remove and click OK, then Delete Files.

Move Large Files

If your personal files, like videos, photos, or documents, are taking up significant space on your primary drive, moving files to another drive can help.

  • Move files to another drive:
    1. Connect an external hard drive or ensure you have access to network storage or cloud storage.
    2. Browse to the folders containing large files (e.g., Videos, Pictures, Documents).
    3. Select the files or folders you want to move.
    4. Copy or cut the files and paste them to the external drive or cloud storage location.
    5. Important: After verifying the files are successfully moved, you can delete them from the original location on your primary drive.

Manage Your Apps

Having too many apps installed, especially those that run in the background or are never used, can consume system resources and slow down your PC.

Uninstall Apps You Don't Use Anymore

Periodically reviewing and removing unnecessary applications can free up disk space and potentially reduce background processes.

  • Uninstall apps you don't use anymore:
    1. Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
    2. Wait for the list of installed apps to load.
    3. Scroll through the list and identify applications you no longer use.
    4. Click on an unused app and select Uninstall.
    5. Follow any on-screen prompts to complete the uninstallation. Repeat this process for all unwanted apps.

By consistently applying these methods – managing disk space through Storage Sense and Disk Cleanup, moving large files, and uninstalling unused apps – you can help ensure your Windows 10 system runs more efficiently.