Are you experiencing slowdowns or lag on your Windows 10 or 11 PC? As an intermediate Windows user, you likely know the basics—such as restarting your computer or clearing your Recycle Bin—but want to take your optimization skills further. The following expert-backed tips will help you achieve a more responsive and efficient system using proven methods and practical guidance.
Why Should You Regularly Remove Unnecessary Startup Programs?
Startup programs are among the most common sources of sluggish boot times and laggy initial performance. Many apps configure themselves to launch on Windows startup, which increases memory and CPU usage before you even begin working.
To remove unwanted startup programs:
1. Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager.
2. Go to the Startup tab.
3. Review the list of programs. For anything that’s “Enabled” but unnecessary (for example, chat clients or update managers), right-click and select Disable.
4. Restart your PC and note the improvement in boot time.
For more advanced control and batch disabling, Glary Utilities offers a Startup Manager. This provides a categorized view and lets you safely disable or delay startup items, making it easy to optimize your boot sequence without guessing.
How Does Disk Cleanup Impact Performance?
Over time, Windows accumulates temporary files, old updates, and system logs that can clog up valuable drive space. While the built-in Disk Cleanup tool helps, a more thorough sweep is often needed.
Manual cleanup with Windows tools:
1. Press Windows + R, type cleanmgr, and hit Enter.
2. Select your system drive and let Windows calculate space savings.
3. Check all boxes for items you want to remove, then click OK.
For a more comprehensive cleanup, Glary Utilities’ Disk Cleaner scans for additional junk files left behind by third-party apps, browsers, and system processes, ensuring a deeper clean that goes beyond Windows’ default options.
Should You Defragment or Optimize Your Drives?
If you’re using a traditional hard drive (HDD), fragmentation can reduce read/write speeds. Windows 10 and 11 automatically optimize drives on a schedule, but you can manually check and optimize them as needed.
How to defragment:
1. Open the Start menu, type Defragment and Optimize Drives, and select the tool.
2. Pick your HDD and click Optimize.
Note: SSDs don’t require traditional defragmentation. Instead, they benefit from the “Optimize” function, which runs the TRIM command to maintain performance.
For those managing multiple drives, Glary Utilities includes a Disk Defrag tool with a simple interface and additional options to analyze and optimize your drives—making it easier to schedule and automate maintenance tasks.
What About Unused Programs and Bloatware?
Unused software not only consumes disk space but can run background services, slowing down your PC. Regularly removing programs you no longer need is key.
Uninstall software manually:
1. Open Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
2. Sort by size or installation date to find candidates for removal.
3. Select an app and click Uninstall.
Glary Utilities improves on this process with its Uninstall Manager, which can batch-remove multiple applications and clean up leftovers that the standard uninstaller may miss.
How Can You Keep Your System Registry Healthy?
The Windows registry stores configuration settings for your OS and programs. Over time, unused or leftover entries can accumulate, potentially leading to errors or slowdowns.
While editing the registry manually is not recommended, intermediate users can leverage trusted tools for safe optimization. Glary Utilities’ Registry Cleaner scans for invalid or obsolete entries and lets you repair them with a single click. Always create a backup before making changes.
Why Should You Keep Windows and Drivers Updated?
Outdated system files and drivers can cause compatibility issues and performance bottlenecks. Regularly check for updates:
To update Windows:
1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
2. Click Check for updates.
For drivers, you can visit your hardware manufacturer’s website or use Device Manager (right-click Start, select Device Manager) to update drivers one by one. Glary Utilities also features a Driver Updater that scans your system and helps you update outdated drivers safely.
Does Disabling Visual Effects Boost Performance?
Windows 10 and 11 include visual flourishes that consume system resources. Disabling or reducing these can speed up your PC, especially on older hardware.
To adjust visual effects:
1. Right-click This PC and select Properties.
2. Click Advanced system settings.
3. Under Performance, click Settings.
4. Choose Adjust for best performance or manually select the effects you want to keep.
What’s the Easiest Way to Automate These Optimization Tasks?
If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution, Glary Utilities offers a 1-Click Maintenance feature. This tool bundles startup management, disk cleanup, registry repair, privacy cleanup, and more into a single automated scan. It’s an efficient way for intermediate users to maintain a healthy system without juggling multiple tools.
Conclusion
For Windows 10 and 11 users, a combination of built-in tools and comprehensive third-party solutions like Glary Utilities ensures peak performance and reliability. By managing startup programs, cleaning disks and the registry, defragmenting drives, removing bloatware, keeping everything updated, and fine-tuning visual settings, you’ll enjoy a smoother, more responsive PC experience. Regular attention to these areas will keep your system running at its best for years to come.