Summary of tips to fix slow computer errors on Windows 10/8 / 8.1 / 7 and Windows XP

1. Remove unnecessary Startup programs

Startup programs are operating system programs that automatically run when the computer starts. These programs are not only the cause of slow Windows start-up, but they can run continuously until you close them manually. The continuous running process will consume system resources (CPU and RAM) on your computer. So if you want your computer to start up faster, smoother, and save your system resources, it's best to disable unnecessary startup programs.

See how to do this in: Tracing "guys" makes Windows boot slowly

To disable unnecessary Startup programs, follow the steps below:

First enter msconfig into the Search box on the Start Menu (with Windows 10, Windows 7 and Windows Vista) or on the Start Screen (with Windows 8 and Windows 8.1).

On Windows XP, open the Run command window and then enter msconfig in the Run command window.

At this time, the System Configuration utility window appears. Here you click on the Startup tab, then proceed to disable all unnecessary applications.

Next restart your computer to apply changes. Note that security programs should not be disabled to protect your computer in "safe" state at all times.

2. Use alternative programs and applications

If you are using applications and applications that require computing power to work, it is best to replace them with other "lighter" applications and programs. faster and smoother. Such as:

1. Replace antivirus applications and programs with Microsoft Security Essentials.

2. Microsoft Office can be replaced by OpenOffice, WPS Office.

3. Adobe Reader can be replaced with Foxit Reader for free.

4. New versions of Internet Explorer, Chrome and Firefox browsers always consume less resources, run better . Therefore, if you are using the old version, it is best to update and replace the old version with the new version to use.

3. Check for errors on the hard drive

After a long time of use, it is possible that your hard drive will stick with some errors and this affects your computer's performance. In this case the best way is to use the Disk Check utility built into the Windows version to fix the error.

First open Command Prompt under Admin , then enter the command chkdsk / r into it. You will now receive a message asking you to restart your computer. Press to select Y to restart your computer.

The chkdsk / r command will scan the hard drive on your computer to detect errors and recover data that the utility can read. The process is fast or slow depending on the size of your hard drive.

4. Disable unnecessary Visual Effects

Visual effects help your computer look more beautiful but this is also the reason why your computer is getting slower and slower. Therefore, to make your computer run smoother, performance is faster than best to disable all Visual Effect.

To disable Visual effects, follow the steps below:

1. Press the Windows + R key combination to open the Run command window.

2. Enter the command sysdm.cpl into the Run window.

3. A new window appears on the screen. Here you click the Advanced tab, then click Settings at Performance .

4. At the Adjust for best performance section , type the selection of visual and theme styles you want to use.

5. Click Apply to apply the change.

Disabling Visual effects can significantly improve your system performance, especially if you are using Windows 7 or Windows Vista and are using the Aero interface without a graphics card.

6. Do not run too many applications, antivirus programs

Did you know that antivirus applications and programs make up a huge portion of your system's resources, and this is one of the reasons your computer is slowing down. So the advice for you is to choose and use the most effective anti-virus software and applications to ensure improved PC performance while freeing up more hard drive space.

7. Disable Sound Schemes

Every time you perform an action on a Windows computer, a sound will be issued to let you know. Although this feature is quite good and useful for users, in the long run this feature will make your computer work slowly. In order for your computer to work with better performance, you should disable this alarm sound.

To disable Sound schemes, first open Control Panel , then click on Sounds , or alternatively open the Run command window and then enter mmsys.cpl into it.

On the next window, click the Sound tab, then click No Sounds from the dropdown Sounds menu menu and then click Apply to apply the changes.

8. Delete temporary files (File Temporary)

Temporary files are stored on your computer during Windows operation. Temporary files include log files, browsing history, cookies and files in the "temporary internet files" folder .

After a long time of use, these files will gradually fill up, and take up disk space on your system, so you must proceed to "clean up" these files.

You can use CCleaner or use the Windows Disk Cleanup utility built into Windows to clean these files.

Open the Windows Disk Cleanup utility by opening the Run command window, then entering cleanmgr.exe and pressing Enter .

Also you can create a specific scan schedule for Disk Cleanup to automatically delete files.

9. Disable the service index Search Indexing

Search Indexing Service (Search Indexing Service) on Windows scans all files and folders on your system and stores the information on the database for users to search faster.

Many users will wonder if Service Indexing is a good service, but why disable this service. The simple reason is that when Search Indexing works, the service will slow down the system speed. In addition, this service consumes a lot of cache (pagefile) as well as CPU's 'time and effort'.

To disable the Search Index index service, follow the steps below:

First open the Run command window, then enter services.msc into it. On the window that appears on the screen, in the right pane, find and double-click the Windows Search service.

On the Properties window, click on Genearal tab, then in Startup type, click Disable then select OK to save the changes.

Restart your computer. From now on the search process on your computer will be a bit slow but in return your computer will work faster.

10. Update Windows and make sure you are using the latest hardware driver version

The latest Windows versions always include the most complete new features, while the vulnerabilities or hardware bugs on previous versions are also fixed. Therefore, it is recommended to regularly update (update) the latest version of Windows to use, just to experience new features and also fix hardware errors to improve your system performance.

In addition, using the latest Windows version also ensures your system security is higher and safer.

11. Check Device Manager to 'search for' hardware conflicts

Open the Device Manager window to check if all connected hardware is stable or not. If any hardware conflicts are detected, take steps to fix them, resolve them. If the problem cannot be fixed, the simplest solution is to disconnect the hardware that is having trouble until you find a reasonable solution that can fix the error.

12. Change the Power scheme to High Performance

If you're using a laptop and you notice that your laptop is running slowly, then you can change the Power scheme to High Performance to improve the system speed.

Note that when in High Performance mode, the system will run at full capacity, and the speed will be fastest, but will also consume the most battery power.

To change the Power scheme, open Power Option on Control Panel, then click High Performance .

Also on Windows 7, Windows 8 / 8.1 and Windows 10 you can open Power Options directly by entering Power Options in the Search box on Start Menu or Start Screen.

13. Never let your computer "overheat"

If your computer is "too hot" it will cause many problems that you cannot anticipate. When a hot computer leads to a processor that will slow down, your computer performance will slow down over time.

The best way to prevent your computer from getting hot is to use a heat sink, radiator fan.

14. Upgrade RAM

RAM, also called Random Access Memory, is where all the files of the programs running on the computer are stored. Accessing files from RAM is much faster than accessing from the hard drive.

This means that the more RAM you have, the more programs you run on the system will not affect the speed of the system. Upgrading RAM is not too expensive, and this is also one of the best ways to speed up your 'slow-growing' computer.

15. Check for spyware (spyware) and malware (malware)

Because most computer users often surf the web, chat online and email, the computer is easily infected with spyware and malware (malware) from the various websites you visit. By removing spyware and malware, your computer speed will be significantly increased.

According to Microsoft, the best way to protect your computer from spyware is to use a free service called PC Safety Scan scanned from Windows Live OneCare to check for viruses and remove them.

You can also download Microsoft Security Essentials (free) to protect your computer from viruses, spyware, adware and other things that slow down the performance of the system. Or if you are running Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 2000, you can use the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool.

16. Empty the trash

The 'Empty Recycle Bin' operation is very simple but it is quite effective. Leaving the trash container with a large amount of data also contributed to slowing down the performance of the computer because it was a Windows file system, so when it operated it would be 'looked over', the more 'garbage' The system will get worse.

17. Defragment the hard drive

Fragmentation of files on a computer can slow down your computer because it takes longer to "find" all the necessary files. To avoid this, you can defragment the computer yourself. If you use Windows XP / Vista / 7, you can follow these instructions (note that all open programs must be closed before doing this):

Go to My Computer > right-click the operating system installation drive (usually drive C ) and select Properties . On the window that appears, select Tools > click Defragment Now . Then click Defragment . While the program is running, you should not use the computer. The process of defragmenting process depends on the size of the hard drive and the amount of fragmentation.

1. These quality hard drive defragmentation software

Or simply follow the instructions provided by Microsoft here with the topic " Speed ​​up data access " by selecting the operating system you use and following the step-by-step instructions.

18. Delete unused files

Carefully check everything on your computer, first on the desktop, clean up and delete programs and files you never use. This will create some extra disk space on your hard drive, and help your computer run faster.

If you don't want to erase many pictures and music files that slow down your computer, it's best to buy an external hard drive to store these items. That way you can keep your favorite files without suffering from a slow computer. Finally, you can use the built-in tool that is Disk Cleanup to identify temporary Internet files as well as other junk files and delete them to increase free space for the hard disk.

19. Fix Registry errors

Another reason also contributes to the reduction of computer activity is the errors in the registry. You can download a free program like Registry Easy to scan and fix these errors that will increase productivity for your computer.

20. Repair and protect Windows system files

During the process of using the computer, there will be one or more system files damaged or errors that may affect the performance of the system. Therefore, checking all system files is necessary and important.

The best way to check files on your operating system is through System File Checker. To run System File Checker, open the Command Prompt under Admin then enter the sfc / scannow command into it.

The sfc / scannow command will check all system files, detect corrupted files or files that need to be edited and replace the corrupted files with the original files. This process will take about 5 to 15 minutes, but the process may take longer if your computer is attacked by a virus.