Three Steps to Making Your PC Speedier

At Hungate Business Services (HBS), we like to see clients gain a competitive edge by having superior systems operations. It’s exciting to know that Windows 10 provides the fastest operating system yet, but there are still things you can do to “up the ante.” Below are three quick steps you can take yourself to improve your computer speed and get the best performance possible.

If you need help executing any of the steps outlined or have a question, don’t hesitate to call us at 276-243-4026 or email our help desk at info@hbsx.com. The more you know about your own computer and how to optimize its use, the better your office systems are going to run.

STEP ONE: Tune-up Your Startup. No, we’re not talking business startups here – but rather about how quick your computer cranks up after you hit the start button. Most people don’t realize that several programs automatically begin running invisibly in the background once an operating system is activated. Some of these you need, of course, but others you probably seldom use (or may never use). Postponing their launch (until they’re needed) will make everything speedier – and your whole day better.

You can disable the early startup of those programs by making some minor adjustments in your Task Manager. Mind you: You’re not disabling these programs entirely; you’re just preventing them from automatically kicking in and slowing you down during startup.

Here’s how to reach Task Manager and assess what could be interfering with a quick startup:

• Hit “Ctrl-Shift-Esc,” and the Task Manager box will pop up. Locate and click on the “Startup” tab in the top navigation bar, and all the programs that load on your computer when you launch Windows daily will appear. Included on the list is each program’s name, its publisher, its “Status” (whether it’s enabled to run on startup), and even its “Startup Impact” or level (none, low, medium, high) at which the program tends to slow your startup down.
• Examine your Startup programs list so you can determine for yourself which ones might need disabling. After making your decision, you will need to individually highlight those you want to stop; then just click the “Disable” button in the bottom-right corner of the box.

If you’re confused about which ones to disable, go to Reason Software called Should I Block It? and search for the file name. You’ll usually find very solid information about each program or service.

STEP TWO: Ditch Unwanted Software. You can also optimize your computer’s speed by uninstalling any programs you never use or no longer need. These might include trial versions of software that came with your computer, out-of-date antivirus programs, old software, or games you no longer enjoy playing. You might also have acquired some adware, which is a form of software that can get downloaded onto your computer while you’re surfing the internet – without your knowledge.

You can get rid of all this unwelcome software, which will free up storage space and memory, by sorting through your list of installed apps. Just click on the Windows icon located at bottom left of your screen (next to “Search the web and Windows”), then choose “All apps” at the bottom. Look through the list and just right-click on any you don’t want; an “uninstall” option will drop down on which you can click.

If you’re unsure what to get rid of, call us at HBS (276-243-4026) or email our help desk at help@hbsx.com. We will help you make the correct choices. While there is a free Malwarebytes Anti-Malware tool available that can be used to scan and remove malware, there’s also a paid version that we can get for you that runs continuously on your computer and prevents unwanted adware in the first place.

STEP THREE: Let Windows Troubleshoot for you. In Windows 10, there’s a useful tool that can do troubleshooting for you by scoping out and fixing underlying issues that might be generally slowing down your computer. To launch it, just type the word “troubleshooting” into the search box (“Search the web and Windows”) at bottom-left of your screen. You’ll get a box saying “Troubleshooting Control Panel”; click on that, and another box will appear on your main screen, showing various types of fixes you can run related to “Programs,” “Hardware and Sound,” “Network and Internet,” and “System and Security.” Each one contains specific types of fixes. Under System and Security, for example, you’ll see the following breakdown: “Fix problems with Windows update,” “Run maintenance tasks,” and “Improve power usage.”

Note that you may get a message that says, “Try troubleshooting as an administrator.” If you have administrative rights to the PC, click it, and troubleshoot will launch and do its work. The troubleshoot tool will find files and shortcuts you don’t use, identify any performance and other issues on your PC, report them to you and then fix them.

Remember: if you have questions or need help regarding any of the steps, call HBS at 276-243-4026 or email our help desk at help@hbsx.com.