If your figurer is constantly cursed by the spinning wheel of death, or y'all feel like you're using a xc's Netscape browser to surf the web, fear not -- information technology doesn't necessarily mean you demand a new computer.

You tin can implement some simple fixes to brand your computer run faster, and virtually of them only accept a few minutes to complete. Let'south flesh them out below.

13 Non-Technical Ways to Brand Your Computer Run Faster

  1. Bank check your difficult disk space
  2. Categorize desktop icons into folders
  3. Save quondam pictures and videos to the cloud or an external hard bulldoze
  4. Close unused tabs
  5. Uninstall unused programs
  6. Delete temporary files
  7. Stop programs from automatically launching when your figurer turns on
  8. Remove unnecessary language resources
  9. Update your computer's software
  10. If your computer is hot to the touch, let it absurd down
  11. Shut down or restart your computer at least once a week
  12. Remove unused dashboard widgets or gadgets
  13. Delete browser extensions or plugins y'all don't utilize

ane. Check your hard disk space.

A common rule of thumb to keep your computer running fast is to have at least 15% of its hard disk infinite free. If your hard disk drive is almost full, you need to remove some programs and files to improve your computer'south speed. But if your disk has plenty of room, there could be something wrong with your operating arrangement.

2. Organize desktop icons into folders.

Organizing desktop icons into folders cleans up your groundwork, and it also cuts downward your computer's RAM usage. Your calculator has to load each private icon when you don't organize your desktop, which takes up a lot of RAM infinite. If each icon is in a binder, then your figurer just needs to load each folder.

three. Relieve sometime pictures and videos to the cloud or an external difficult drive.

If you have old pictures and videos on your calculator that you rarely look at just don't want to delete, transfer them to the deject or an external hard drive. You'll salve a ton of retentiveness on your computer and better its speed.

4. Shut unused tabs.

Sometimes, you need to continue a bunch of tabs open to consummate an important project -- but if you're done looking at a spider web page, it'southward best to close it. Unused tabs on net browsers hog a ton of memory and slow down your computer.

five. Uninstall unused programs.

Most computers take pre-installed programs that y'all'll never utilise, but fifty-fifty though you've never opened them, they slow down your reckoner by using upward memory, wasting a ton of disk infinite, and running background processes. Be careful not to remove any programs you lot don't recognize, though. They could be crucial for the function of your estimator or other applications.

6. Delete temporary files.

Temporary files like net history, cookies, and caches take up a ton of infinite on your difficult disk. Deleting them frees up valuable space on your hard disk drive and speeds up your computer.

On Mac Bone X, you tin download CCleaner to detect and delete temporary files in your hard disk. To delete temporary files on Windows, you tin can run a deejay cleanup, which you tin access past clicking Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup.

7. Stop programs from automatically launching when your reckoner turns on.

If you can't justify Spotify launching every fourth dimension yous plough on your reckoner, consider stopping it from happening. Programs that automatically launch and go along running consume up a lot of your computer's memory.

To remove the items that automatically launch on Os X, click the Apple icon, navigate to Systems Preferences, then to Users & Groups, and finally to Login Items. Hither, y'all'll run across all the programs that automatically launch when your figurer starts, and y'all tin can uncheck each 1.

On Windows, click the Start carte, search for "msconfig", then click on the Startup tab. A listing of programs volition pop up, and y'all can uncheck the ones yous don't want automatically launching.

8. Remove unnecessary language resources.

Each default linguistic communication on your reckoner uses a ton of resources and files that devours free infinite on your hard disk. To remove any unused languages on OS X, download Monolingual. To remove them on Windows, go to Settings > Time & Language > Region & Language, click on the languages you don't use, and, finally, click Remove.

nine. Update your computer'southward software.

Updating your computer'due south software tin can exist a elevate, but information technology'south definitely worth it: new software updates prepare bugs and glitches that slow down your calculator. To cheque if your current software is up-to-date on a Mac, go to Apps under the Apple icon card and click on Updates. On Windows, click the Showtime Button > All Programs > Windows Update > Check for Updates.

10. If yous can scramble an egg on your figurer, requite it a break.

A constantly overheated computer will eventually plough into a sluggish computer. If your laptop is hot to the impact, it'southward working besides hard and you demand to allow it absurd downwardly. To ventilate your calculator, signal a fan at it and utilise information technology on a flat surface, and so air can properly flow underneath it.

11. Shut down or restart your computer at least once a week.

When yous leave your computer on, background programs and applications squealer its memory. Shutting down or restarting your computer refreshes your memory and prompts of import tools to run maintenance on it. Equally a full general guideline, shutting downwards or restarting your figurer at least once a week will assistance speed it up.

12. Remove unused dashboard widgets or gadgets.

Dashboard Widgets on OS X and Gadgets on Windows devour RAM space considering they run groundwork updates, fifty-fifty when yous're not using them. You tin use Widget Manager on OS X to delete these space-wasters. And on Windows, all you lot have to practice is right click and uninstall the Gadgets you don't use.

xiii. Delete browser extensions or plugins you don't use.

Browser extensions and plugins are some of the nigh convenient applications on the internet. But installing too many can slow down your web browser's speed -- especially if you lot forgot about most of them. To help boost your browser'south speed, uninstall the extensions or plugins that yous don't use anymore.

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Originally published Jun 21, 2018 vii:00:00 AM, updated June 10 2021