Is your Windows PC feeling sluggish? Programs taking forever to open? This guide will walk you through the most effective steps to speed up your computer.

Symptoms

Programs take a long time to open
Frequent freezing or lag, especially after startup
High disk or CPU usage in Task Manager

Step-by-Step Resolution

1. Restart Your PC

Click Start > Power > Restart. After restart, wait 2-3 minutes before opening apps. This clears temporary files and refreshes system processes.

2. Check What's Using Resources

Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager
On the Processes tab, sort by CPU and then Memory
If a program you recognize is constantly at the top and you're not using it, right-click it and choose End task

3. Remove Startup Programs

In Task Manager, go to the Startup apps tab
Disable anything you don't need starting automatically (for example: Teams, Spotify, Adobe Updater)
Restart your PC to apply changes

4. Free Up Disk Space

Go to Settings > System > Storage
Turn on Storage Sense if available
Click Temporary files, select Downloads (if safe), Recycle Bin, and previous Windows installations
Click Remove files

5. Run a Malware Scan

Open Windows Security from the Start menu
Click Virus & threat protection > Quick scan
If anything is found, follow the removal prompts and restart

6. Update Windows and Drivers

Go to Settings > Windows Update and install all important updates
For display and network drivers, open Device Manager, right-click the device > Update driver > Search automatically

Still experiencing issues? If your PC remains slow after these steps, it may need hardware upgrades (SSD/RAM) or deeper cleanup. Our team at My IT Butler can help optimise your system with a remote session.

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