My computer is slow: 10 safe things to try

Quick wins (10 minutes)

1. Restart properly (not Shut down)

   Click the Start button (Windows logo, bottom of the screen) → Power → Restart.

   Windows' "Shut down" doesn't fully clear things out. Restart does. When it comes back, wait 5 minutes before judging the speed, as Windows does some jobs just after starting.

   If you normally just close the lid or press Shut down, your computer may not have properly restarted for weeks.

2. See what's using the computer

   Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc together. This opens Task Manager. If it's a small box, click More details.

   Click the CPU heading, then the Memory heading, to sort by what's busiest.

   A list of programs with percentages. Figures jumping up and down for a minute after starting is normal.
   If a program you recognise and don't need is at the top (for example a game launcher or a second web browser), right-click it and choose End task.
   Only close programs you recognise. Leave anything named "Windows", "Service Host" or "System" alone.

3. Close browser tabs you're not using

   Every open tab uses memory. If you have lots of tabs open, close the ones you don't need. If you want to keep them, add them as bookmarks first (the star icon at the end of the address bar).

Stop programs starting by themselves

1. Open the startup list

   Open Task Manager again (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).

   • Windows 11: click Startup apps on the left (the icon looks like a speedometer). If you only see icons, click the three lines at the top left to show the names.
   • Windows 10: click the Startup tab along the top.
   A list of programs with a "Status" column showing Enabled or Disabled.

2. Turn off the ones you don't need at start-up

   Right-click a program and choose Disable. This doesn't uninstall it. It just stops it opening by itself. You can still open it whenever you want.

   Usually safe to disable: Spotify, Steam, Teams (if you don't use it for work), Zoom, Adobe updaters, "Updater" or "Helper" programs, printer ink-level monitors.

   Leave enabled: your antivirus or Windows Security, anything from Realtek, Synaptics, Intel, AMD or NVIDIA (these control sound, touchpad and graphics), and OneDrive if you use it to back up.

   Not sure what something is? Leave it enabled. It's fine to only disable a few.

Free up space

1. Open Storage settings

   Press Windows key + I to open Settings. Click System → Storage.

   A bar showing how full your drive is. Under about 20GB free can slow things down and stop updates installing.

2. Clear temporary files

   Click Temporary files. Wait for it to measure. Tick:

   • Temporary files
   • Delivery Optimisation Files
   • Windows Update Clean-up (if shown)
   • Thumbnails

   Then click Remove files.

   Don't tick Downloads unless you've checked that folder: it deletes everything in it. Only tick Recycle Bin if you're sure there's nothing in it you want back.

3. Uninstall programs you never use

   In Settings, click Apps → Installed apps (Windows 10: Apps → Apps & features). Find the program, click the ⋯ three dots (or click the program on Windows 10), then Uninstall.

   Good candidates: trial games, "PC cleaner" or "optimiser" programs, toolbars, a second antivirus trial (such as McAfee or Norton when you already use Windows Security).

   Don't remove anything called Microsoft Visual C++, .NET, or anything from Intel, AMD, NVIDIA, Realtek, Synaptics or your computer's maker. Other programs need these.

Check settings that slow things down

1. Only one antivirus

   Windows has free, built-in protection called Windows Security. Having a second antivirus as well (McAfee, Norton, Avast and so on) can make a computer much slower, because they check each other. Keep one. If you pay for one and are happy with it, keep that and don't install others.

2. Set the power mode

   In Settings: System → Power & battery (or just Power on a desktop) → Power mode → choose Balanced or Best performance when plugged in.

   Windows 10: click the battery icon at the bottom right and move the slider towards "Best performance".

   "Best power efficiency" or battery saver makes a laptop noticeably slower. It's meant for saving battery, not everyday use.

3. Tidy your web browser

   Add-ons (extensions) can slow browsing right down and some are adware.

   • Chrome: click ⋮ (top right) → Extensions → Manage Extensions → Remove anything you don't recognise.
   • Edge: click ⋯ → Extensions → Manage extensions → Remove.

4. Install updates and scan for viruses

   Settings → Windows Update (Windows 10: Update & Security → Windows Update) → Check for updates. Install them and restart when asked.

   Then click Start, type Windows Security, open it → Virus & threat protection → Quick scan.

   Straight after a big update a computer can be slow for a day while it finishes off in the background. That's normal.

Is it the hardware?

If it's still slow, check what kind of drive it has. This is the most common cause of a slow older computer.

1. Check your drive type

   Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) → Performance → click Disk 0. Look at the top right of the graph.

   It says	What it means
   SSD	Fast, modern drive. Slowness is more likely software or too little memory.
   HDD	Older spinning hard drive. If the Disk graph often sits at or near 100%, the drive is the bottleneck.

   Swapping an old hard drive (HDD) for an SSD is the single biggest speed boost for an older computer. It usually takes start-up from minutes to seconds. It needs the computer opening and Windows copying across, so it's one I'd do for you rather than talk you through.

These guides are general advice for home users, checked in September 2026. Menus can differ slightly between versions of Windows and between phone makers. If something looks different or you're unsure, stop and ask rather than guessing. Parmar Tech Solutions can't accept responsibility for problems caused by following these steps, so please back up anything important first.