5 tips to improve the performance of your Windows computer

It's not uncommon for your computer's performance to be slower than it was after you've been using it for a while. This is normal, as some applications may be running in the background, unused or obsolete. Certain practices are more than useful for giving your computer a second wind.

1. Uninstalling unused applications. To do this, click on the icon  and type "apps and features," then press Enter. In the following window, you can uninstall unnecessary applications by browsing through all the installed applications.

 

2. Disabling unnecessary startup applications. Click on the icon   and type "startup apps" then press Enter. Uncheck the applications that you deem unnecessary at startup. Only uncheck those that you are familiar with.

 

3. MUpdating windows drivers. Various drivers, such as network cards, graphics cards, printers, and monitors, are generally downloaded and updated automatically with Windows Update. However, you can do this manually (or even reinstall them) if you think a driver is not working correctly. To do this, click on the icon  and search for "Device Manager" then press Enter. In the list, select an item, right-click, and choose "Update driver," then select "Search automatically".

 

4. Deleting temporary files. Also known as foo or temp files, these files are created to hold data during the creation or modification of a file. Once the file is closed, the temporary file is no longer needed and can be deleted.

Press  + . In the following window, type %temp%, then press Enter.

In the opened folder, press   +  to select everything, then right-click and choose Delete. You will likely be asked for administrator rights; accept the prompt.

 

5. Using cleaning software. You can use a third-party application to perform an analysis and present potentially deletable items. Many applications are available online, such as the system optimization software CCleaner, which can be downloaded for free.