Is your PC so slow that you want to throw it out the window? Or, more simply, you have an outdated computer and would like to try to refurbish it, thus postponing the economic outlay for the purchase of a new one. Did we guess? If so, our complete guide on optimizing Windows 10 will be very helpful in solving the problem.
In fact, in this article we will illustrate what are the best ways to optimize Windows 10 , both by acting in person on certain system settings and automatically by installing some programs (for each of which we will provide a description with the most important features). Let’s get started right away!
Best programs to optimize Windows 10
Ashampoo WinOptimizer Free
Ashampoo WinOptimizer is one of the best free programs around for those interested in optimizing the PC with Windows 10 as an operating system. It is called this because it promises to clean Windows like a shampoo. In fact, on the one hand, it deletes obsolete files, disables the loading of unnecessary services at startup and clears the browser cache. On the other hand, it deletes registry entries that are no longer needed, optimizes system and security settings, as well as monitors for any broken links.
The free full version is called Ashampoo WinOptimizer Free and is available on the official website of the German company Ashampoo. There are also other paid versions, with a greater number of tools and more advanced features, but in almost all cases the use of free software will be more than enough.
Download link Ashampoo WinOptimizer Free
CCleaner
If Ashampoo is certainly not a name you have often heard about on the net, the same cannot be said for CCleaner , which on the contrary is one of the most popular programs, even by the so-called “non-experts”. Known above all as a tool to delete useless files and thus recover precious MB / GB in storage space, the program created by the company Piriform also allows you to speed up Windows 10 by eliminating obsolete settings in the system registry. And it all does just a click away, literally. Due to its immediacy and simplicity, we are not surprised that it is one of the most popular tools among newbies.
Another strength of CCleaner is that it offers free of charge all the functions that have made it so popular in the online world. If you want to be picky, however, there is also a paid version: it’s called CCleaner Professional and as extra options it offers a more thorough cleaning of the system, real-time checking of obsolete files and automatic updates.
IObit Advanced SystemCare Free
Closed the CCleaner parenthesis, we introduce another equally valid program but which – at least here in Italy – does not have the same popularity as the Pireform software. As you will have read in the title above, we are talking about Advanced SystemCare Free from the IObit company. It is no coincidence that over 250 million people around the world have already chosen it to improve Windows performance, earning countless citations in authoritative specialized magazines (from today we also add ours!). The secret? Everything it promises to do it does it excellently, going from words to deeds with one click: it clears temporary files, system logs and update cache, it also deactivates unnecessary processes at startup, making your PC significantly faster at work concluded.
Advanced SystemCare Free also has a more complete version, but for a fee: the name is the same, only the word Free changes, replaced with Pro, indicating the transition from a basic program to a professional one. Are you wondering if it’s worth upgrading to the Pro version? We tend to say no, since there are no significant benefits if the goal is solely to optimize Windows .
IObit Advanced SystemCare Free download link
Glary Utilities
Before presenting a script that seems capable of real miracles, let’s conclude our list of the best programs to optimize Windows 10 with Glary Utilities , second in fame behind only CCleaner. In this regard, the company declares 40 million customers globally. Here is a short list of all its most useful features, which the system will benefit from instantly when completed successfully:
- Registry cleanup
- Repair connections
- Spyware removal
- Disk repair
- Deleting cookies
- Cleaning temporary files
- Automatic execution management
In addition, Glary Utilities will eliminate empty folders and duplicate files, as well as manage the uninstallation process for unused software . On balance, they are the same features offered for free by the other software mentioned above. If, for any reason, you are interested in a more advanced tool, you can always turn to Glary Utilities Pro, which unlike the free version implements real-time system control, introduces over 20 premium tools and makes the PC 8 times faster.
Script via PowerShell
If you remember, we mentioned above the possibility of optimizing Windows 10 for slow PCs with a script, but now it’s time to talk more about it. Let’s start with one thing: the script was created by the user Disassembler and shared on GitHub , while the version below is the one modified by IlSoftware.it colleagues.
By clicking on the link you will download the zip file containing the script. To start it, just double-click on the Default.cmd file : the application of each change will be operational by pressing the Enter key , if instead you do not want to activate one of the proposed settings select the N key followed by Enter . Furthermore, the latest version allows you to apply all the changes simply by pressing Enter or the S key when the warning “Warning: accept all the default changes (no further questions will be asked)?” However, if you want to decide from time to time which adjustment to implement or not, press the N key .
Note : if you have the SmartScreen filter enabled on your PC, you will be prevented from opening the Default.cmd file. However, you can easily get around the block by deactivating the filter: open Start, then click on Settings and select Update and Security first, then Windows Security; in the new screen that opens, presses on App and browser control, finally add the check mark next to Disabled under the heading of Windows SmartScreen.
Important : Before running the script we recommend that you make a full backup of your files and system.
How to optimize Windows 10 by acting manually
If you feel that the use of the programs suggested in this first part is superfluous, below you will find some methods to achieve an equally effective Windows 10 optimization by acting in person on certain system settings. Here is what we will talk about in the final part of our guide:
Disable autorun of programs when Windows 10 starts
Let’s start with perhaps the most important function in the list. In fact, disabling the automatic execution of apps and programs at startup has the direct consequence of a marked improvement in the speed with which Windows will start, after getting rid of the ballast of programs substantially useless for system loading.
The procedure is very simple:
- Move your cursor to the taskbar, then right-click and open Task Manager
- Click on More Details
- Select the Startup tab
- Locate the useless program, then click on the right mouse button and from the drop-down menu that opens select Disable
Note : Under the Startup Impact tab you specify how each app affects the system load time. The most critical programs are marked with a High value.
Activate the Defragment & Optimize Drives app
In addition to that, we suggest that you check if the Defragment & Optimize Drives system app is active (by default it is on all Windows 10 PCs). In fact, disk defragmentation helps speed up the opening of files and software. Conversely, fragmentation leads to a general slowdown of the system.
Here’s how to check if disk defragmentation and optimization is on:
- Open Start
- Type the word “defragment”
- Click on Open under the heading Defragment and optimize drives (App)
- Check that under Scheduled optimization there is Enabled
- Click Optimize to start the disk defragmentation and optimization process
Note : as mentioned, the system application is active by default and set to automatically start defragmentation once a week. If you find it useful to change the frequency, click on the Change settings button, then press on Every week and from the menu that opens, choose Every day or Every month.
Disable graphic effects
The last element on which we advise you to act for a complete Windows 10 optimization concerns the graphic effects, that is the set of animations present by default in Windows. If you think about it, for the purposes of using the PC they have no use, other than to satisfy the tastes of people who are more attentive to the graphics. As if to say: you can do without it.
These are the steps to complete the deactivation of the graphic effects :
- Open File Explorer
- Select disk (C 🙂
- Quickly open the Windows > Resources > Themes folders
- Locate the aero.theme file
- Right-click, then select Open with and choose Notepad
- On the fifth line replace the current string with this: DisplayName = Aero Lite
- Locate the [VisualStyles] section and replace the string Aero.msstyles with Aerolite.msstyles
- Click on the Save button
