Windows 10 is Microsoft’s newest operating system and boasts many improvements over previous editions of Windows, such as universal apps that work across computers, smartphones and video game consoles.
People looking to maximize the performance of their computer should consider upgrading to Windows 10 Pro, which offers additional features specifically targeted towards business users and advanced users.
1. Disable Windows Tips and Tricks
Microsoft is making strides in consumer education with Windows 10, and they’re striving hard to engage users by sending notifications and offering tips that allow them to maximize its potential.
While alerts can be useful, they can become irritating for others. Here’s how to disable them in Windows 10 easily and swiftly.
To switch off these notifications, head to the Settings app and select “System.” You should find an option called “Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and suggestions as you use Windows” here and set it to Off – this will prevent any tips or suggestions from popping up in Action Center or your lock screen, and it will also stop “Occasionally show suggestions in Start.” Be warned however; editing the registry is an advanced procedure and any mistakes could potentially cause severe problems for your PC.
2. Disable Background Apps
Unnecessary background apps running in Windows 10 may cause performance to decrease, drain battery power and consume network bandwidth, thus decreasing battery life and speeding up the system. Deactivating such applications may help extend its lifetime while speeding it up for improved battery life and overall system speed.
Many apps on your computer run in the background to update data, send notifications and stay current even when they’re not being used by you. This can lead to increased RAM and CPU utilization which causes system slowdowns.
As it’s simple and quick to stop apps running in the background, simply open your Settings app and navigate to “Privacy”. Toggle off “Background Apps”. Alternatively, use “Choose Which Apps Can Run In Backgrounds” option for specific Apps running in background. Just be sure that before making any system settings changes you create a restore point, which can save both time and headache in case something goes amiss! This could save both!
3. Update Drivers
Microsoft responded to user criticism of their complicated user interface with Windows 10, offering a simplified user experience through a centralized settings menu and Action Centre, as well as providing a sandbox environment so users could test applications before allowing them to run in full on Windows 10.
Cortana, Microsoft’s digital assistant, can perform simple tasks while offering personalized features. It tracks email and text history, voice input personalization preferences and search history so as to provide an experience tailored to individuals – IT professionals can manage this functionality through Group Policy.
Windows 10 Pro provides numerous security features specifically tailored for enterprise environments, including ReFS with fault tolerance and optimized storage performance, BitLocker encryption of disks and removable media and even virtualized encryption technology.
4. Disable Special Visual Effects
Windows 10 features many special visual effects to give it an appealing aesthetic, yet they may have an adverse impact on performance for older and slower PCs. By disabling these visuals effects, you can give your desktop or tablet an improved performance boost without compromising its appearance.
Narrator, one of Windows 10’s accessibility features, is another invaluable element. As a screen reader, Narrator reads text appearing on-screen including error messages, websites and in-app content as well as describe actions such as opening/minimizing/closing applications/menus etc. Additionally, its latest version boasts improved text to speech voices with faster top rates.
Enhance PC performance further by clearing away old junk files using the Storage Sense tool, freeing up space on your hard drive and improving system responsiveness. This step is particularly beneficial if your hard disk has become overrun with temporary files, downloads from recent months or old Recycle Bin files that need clearing away.
5. Change Power Settings
Windows 10 contains numerous power settings, some accessible through the Settings App while others through the Control Panel. We will focus in this guide on basic sleep power settings for when your computer is unplugged or asleep, ensuring optimal usability while saving power based on your individual needs. For instance, selecting high performance settings will allow CPU speeds to run faster while lessening energy-saving throttling – prolonging battery life on laptops.
6. Add More RAM
If your computer is operating slowly and you want it to speed up faster, adding more RAM could be the answer. Doing this will enable you to run multiple programs or browser tabs simultaneously without slowing down your device.
Before installing new RAM, be sure to ensure it fits into the right type and size for your device. Crucial offers a free scanning tool which will show what type of PC hardware has been installed as well as its maximum RAM capability as well as which sizes to purchase.
Close any programs or applications which are using up too much memory or CPU resources. If they can’t be closed off immediately, set their priority higher in Task Manager.
To do this, press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC and navigate to the Processes tab. Select any program using an excessive amount of RAM by pressing “Set Priority,” selecting High or Above Normal for its priority level and click on it.
7. Disable Windows Tips and Tricks
Microsoft released Windows 10 as its latest operating system in July 2015 and it features a traditional Start menu, improved performance and Cortana. Furthermore, this new OS supports universal apps – designed to work across devices like smartphones, PCs, video game consoles and HoloLens – making life simpler for consumers.
As well as its standard set of features, Windows’ operating system includes accessibility options like Narrator, High Contrast and Closed Captions for users with disabilities. Speech Recognition enables them to control their computer with their voice to navigate menus, surf the internet and dictate text documents – among many other functions.
Although these features are helpful for novice users, they may quickly become distracting for experienced ones. There are various methods available to disable such tips and tricks through Settings App and Registry Editor; just ensure to take backup before making any modifications to either.
8. Disable Background Apps
Many programs run in the background to send notifications or auto-update automatically, which can be beneficial but also consume system resources and drain your battery power quickly.
Disabling applications that you rarely use is an excellent way to save power and data usage when using metered connections, and there are multiple approaches you can take depending on your preferences.
Use the Settings app to disable background apps – find this under Privacy in the left menu – simply switch off their toggle switch by toggling to “Off.”
An alternative way of disabling background apps is using the Registry Editor. To do so, create a new key in Windows Registry under “AppPrivacy”, right-click and select New > DWORD value; name this value “LetAppsRunInBackground”, and set its value to 2; this will prevent Microsoft store apps from running in the background.
9. Disable Windows Tips and Tricks
Windows operating systems frequently display tips and suggestions as users use them, which may be helpful for beginners but become irritating for more advanced users. While this feature may provide guidance, tips may become distracting or annoying at times.
To disable this feature, open the Action Center and navigate to System in its left pane. Next, toggle off “Get fun facts, tips and tricks as you use Windows” by pressing its toggle button.
Windows 10 boasts some new features designed to make it more user-friendly and simpler than previous versions of the operating system. For instance, its Start menu provides faster app launches while Edge browser was designed for improved web surfing experiences. Furthermore, High Contrast theme makes text and images on your screen more visible – great for people with vision impairment or color blindness – while Microsoft Cortana now comes integrated within Windows 10, helping find information online more quickly.
