Do you feel that your computer or PC is running slower than normal? You’re not alone. Over time, computers can slow down due to the accumulation of unnecessary files, lack of RAM or even malware infection.
If you’re looking for ways to optimize your Windows computer, security solutions company ESET shared some tips to help you.
Cleaning your computer of unnecessary information, using Windows disk defragmenter, disabling some applications that start when you turn on the computer, and verifying that your PC is free of malware, are some of the experts’ recommendations.
Clean your computer of unnecessary information
Delete temporary files, items in the trash, installation log files, etc. You can do this by going to: Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup.
Once you access this application, select drive C: where the operating system is installed. The application It will automatically display a window where you can select what information you want to clean, such as temporary files, items in the trash, installation log files, etc. This is an easy way to free up space on your hard drive and improve your computer’s performance.
Use disk defragmenter
This tool helps you to rearrange the files, avoiding empty blocks on the disk. With continued use, information becomes discontinuous due to installation, uninstallation, and deletion of applications and files. The defragmenter is in charge of ordering the blocks of information continuously, which allows the operating system to access the information more quickly.
To use the defragmenter, go to: Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter. There you can select the disk to correct, in this case it is C:. First you must analyze it so that it recognizes the blocks of information.
Once the storage unit has been analyzed, the tool will know where each block is located and will be able to rearrange them contiguously where they correspond in the defragmentation.
Once the process is finished, which can take a few minutes depending on the amount of information, the operating system will be able to access the information much faster since it will not have separate blocks of information, but will have them all together and contiguous from start to finish. .
Disable unnecessary applications at system startup
Often, starting the operating system also starts services and applications that are not used or are simply unknown to start, which can slow down system boot. To disable them, In the Start menu, type msconfig in the run bar and press Enter.
Inside the tool, select the “Selective startup” mode, which lets you tell the operating system what to start at boot time. In the “Services” tab you’ll be able to find those that start with Windows and enable or disable the ones that you don’t want to start.
In the “Windows Startup” tab you can see the applications that start with the operating system and disable those that are not necessary.
It is advisable deactivate those that come from the “temporary” route and those that are suspicious, since they are usually applications that are downloaded and launched automatically, sometimes they can also be infected files. This will help speed up system startup and improve the overall performance of your computer.
Verify that your computer is not infected with malware
Malicious code, such as cryptominers, can perform background tasks that consume computer resources and slow down the computer, even rendering it inoperable. In addition to cryptocurrency mining malware, there are other types of malware that can affect the performance of a computer.
For this reason, the ESET Latin America Research Laboratory recommended verifying that the computer is not infected using a reliable and reputable antivirus solution. With a security solution, not only can the presence of malware be detected, but an infection attempt can also be prevented before it occurs, they explained.
“Carrying out this type of practice will allow us to learn more about the computers, what is happening with them and what is being executed, in order to get the most out of it,” said Camilo Gutiérrez Amaya, head of the ESET Latin America Research Laboratory.