You can also right-click a process and then click “Disable” in the context menu.

If you’re unsure of which programs to disable, look at the “Startup impact” column on the right side of the Task Manager window; generally speaking, you should disable any “High”- or “Medium”-rated programs. It is recommended that you leave your antivirus enabled; otherwise your antivirus might not run at startup and thus you would be unprotected from viruses.

Fast startup is a new Windows 10 feature, which speeds up the startup time on your computer.

You can also tap the ⊞ Win key to open Start.

Adjust for best appearance - This will turn Windows effects all the way up, which is effectively the opposite of what you should do. Adjust for best performance - This will turn Windows effects down considerably, speeding up your computer in the process. Custom - Un-check the box next to any feature you wish to disable. For optimal performance on an older machine, disable every feature.

Downloaded program files Temporary internet files Recycle Bin contents Temporary files Thumbnails You may also see other options here depending on which default apps shipped with your device. It’s perfectly safe to check any box in this menu, so check these too.

Do not run the Disk Defragment program if your computer has a solid-state drive installed. SSDs are made to resist fragmentation, so running a defrag on them can seriously damage your files.

You can also move your files to any one of several free cloud storage services (e. g. , Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox).

You will also see folders here; they often contain more apps, so click them to view their contents.

If an app is crucial to your computer’s functionality, you won’t be able to delete it; that being said, most mandatory apps take up minimal processing power.

You may have to click “More” at the bottom of the context menu to access the “Uninstall” option.

Replace Microsoft Edge with Chrome or Firefox. Both of these browsers are faster, easier-to-use alternatives to Edge. [citation needed] Replace “Groove” with iTunes. Again, you can’t delete Groove, but it takes much more processing power to run Groove than it does to run iTunes. [citation needed] Replace your default video player with VLC. VLC can play almost any video format and has a simpler, cleaner interface than default Microsoft video players, which translates to quicker processing speed. [citation needed]