The fastest way to make your PC faster is to close programs running in the background, clear out old files taking up space, and restart your computer regularly

A slow computer usually comes from three things: too many programs open at once, a hard drive that is nearly full, or software that has not been restarted in weeks. You do not need to buy new hardware or pay for software to fix most of these. The steps below work on both Windows and Mac, take less than an hour total, and cost nothing.

Start with a restart. Shut down your computer completely, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on. This clears your computer's memory and stops programs that have been running invisibly. Many slowdowns disappear after this single step.

Key Takeaways

  • Restarting your computer weekly clears memory and stops background programs that slow performance without you noticing.
  • Closing programs you are not using right now, especially web browsers with many tabs open, frees up memory when ready.
  • Deleting old files and emptying your trash or recycle bin gives your hard drive room to work faster.
  • Disabling startup programs that run automatically when you turn on your computer prevents slowdowns before they start.
  • Updating your operating system and drivers fixes bugs that cause lag and improves how your hardware runs.

Close programs running in the background right now

Programs you are not looking at still use your computer's memory and processing power. Web browsers are the biggest culprit—each open tab uses memory, and 20 tabs can slow your computer noticeably. Close browser tabs you are not reading, then close the browser itself if you are done with it.

On Windows, open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Look at the list under "Processes." Click on any program you recognize and are not using, then click "End Task" at the bottom right. Start with programs at the top of the list under "Memory"—these are using the most resources. Do not close anything labeled "Windows" or "System" unless you know what it is.

On Mac, open Activity Monitor by pressing Command + Space, typing "Activity Monitor," and pressing Enter. Click the "Memory" tab at the top. Look for programs you recognize and are not using. Click the program name, then click the X button labeled "Force Quit" at the top left. Again, leave anything labeled "kernel" or "system" alone.

Delete files and empty your trash to free up hard drive space

When your hard drive is more than 80 percent full, your computer slows down because it has no room to work. Check how much space you have left, then delete files you no longer need.

On Windows, open File Explorer, right-click "This PC" on the left, and click "Properties." Look at the bar under "Storage"—if the blue section takes up most of the bar, your drive is too full. Delete old downloads, videos, or photos you have backed up elsewhere. Then right-click your Recycle Bin on the desktop and click "Empty Recycle Bin" to permanently remove them.

On Mac, click the Apple menu at the top left, click "About This Mac," then click "Storage." If the colored bar is mostly full, you need to delete files. Move old files to an external hard drive or cloud storage, then empty your Trash by right-clicking the Trash icon in the dock and selecting "Empty Trash."

Stop programs from starting automatically when you turn on your computer

Many programs are set to launch the moment you start your computer, even if you do not use them. Each one slows down startup and uses memory while running invisibly. Disabling the ones you do not need speeds up both startup time and everyday performance.

On Windows 10 or 11, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, then click the "Startup" tab at the top. You will see a list of programs with a "Status" column showing "Enabled" or "Disabled." Right-click any program you do not need to start automatically—Spotify, Discord, Adobe updates, printer software—and click "Disable." Leave antivirus software and Windows Defender enabled.

On Mac, click the Apple menu, then "System Settings" (or "System Preferences" on older versions). Click "General," then "Login Items." You will see a list of programs that start when you log in. Click any program you do not need, then click the minus sign at the bottom to remove it.

Update your operating system and drivers

Operating system updates and driver updates fix bugs that cause slowdowns and improve how your hardware runs. Checking for updates takes five minutes and often results in noticeable speed improvements.

On Windows, click the Start menu, type "Update," and click "Check for updates." Windows will search for available updates and install them automatically. You may need to restart your computer. On Mac, click the Apple menu, click "System Settings" (or "System Preferences"), then click "General" and "Software Update." Mac will check for updates and let you install them.

For drivers—the software that controls your printer, graphics card, or other hardware—visit the manufacturer's website. Search for your device model and read the latest driver. On Windows, right-click the downloaded file and select "Run as administrator." On Mac, open the downloaded file and follow the installer.

Disable visual effects you do not need

Windows and Mac both use animations and visual effects that look nice but use processing power. Turning off the ones you do not care about frees up that power for programs you actually use.

On Windows 10 or 11, right-click "This PC" or "My Computer" on the desktop, click "Properties," then click "Advanced system settings" on the left. Under the "Performance" section, click "Settings." Check the box next to "Adjust for best performance," which disables most animations. You can also check individual effects you want to keep—for example, "Smooth edges of screen fonts" uses almost no power and many people prefer to leave it on.

On Mac, click the Apple menu, then "System Settings," then "Accessibility." Click "Display" on the left. Check the box next to "Reduce motion" to disable animations. This is a smaller change than on Windows but still helps older Macs run faster.

Run a disk cleanup or storage optimization tool

Your computer collects temporary files, old installer files, and cache data that you do not need. Built-in tools can find and remove these safely.

On Windows, click the Start menu, type "Disk Cleanup," and open it. Select your main drive (usually C:), then click "OK." Check the boxes next to "Temporary files," "Recycle Bin," and "Temporary internet files," then click "Delete Files." Do not delete anything else unless you recognize it and know you do not need it.

On Mac, there is no built-in cleanup tool, but you can manually delete cache files. Open Finder, press Command + Shift + G, type "~/Library/Caches," and press Enter. Look through the folders—anything labeled with a program name can usually be deleted safely. You can also delete old downloads by opening Finder, clicking "Downloads," and deleting files you no longer need.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I restart my computer?

Restart at least once a week, or more often if you leave your computer on all day. A weekly restart clears memory, stops background processes, and prevents slowdowns from building up over time.

Will deleting files from my Downloads folder make my computer faster?

Yes, if your hard drive is nearly full. Deleting old files frees up space so your hard drive can work more efficiently. If your drive has plenty of free space, deleting files will not make much difference.

Is it safe to disable startup programs?

It is safe to disable most programs you recognize and do not need at startup. Never disable anything labeled "Windows," "System," or your antivirus software. If you disable something and your computer stops working properly, you can re-enable it the same way.

What if my computer is still slow after trying these steps?

Check Task Manager or Activity Monitor to see which program is using the most memory or processing power. If one program is using 80 percent or more, that program may have a problem. Try closing and reopening it, or uninstalling and reinstalling it. If no single program stands out, your computer may need more memory (RAM), which requires hardware replacement.

Do I need to buy cleaning software to speed up my computer?

No. The built-in tools in Windows and Mac are sufficient for most users. Paid cleaning software often does the same work as the free tools and sometimes causes problems. Stick with the steps above before spending money.