1. Open the Windows Control Panel
To access the Windows Control Panel, open the Start menu by pressing the Windows key, or clicking the Start button in the lower left corner of your screen. Then, type “control panel” into the search bar and click the “Control Panel” icon that appears in the search results.
2. Change Power Options
Changing your computer’s Power Options can help optimize your system’s performance. To change your computer’s Power Options, click the “System and Security” tab from the Control Panel window. Then, click the “Power Options” link. From the “Select a power plan” window, choose either “Balanced” or “High performance” to help optimize your computer’s performance.
3. Adjust Processor Scheduling
Adjusting processor scheduling can help increase the availability of your processor’s resources for programs that require a lot of system resources. To adjust processor scheduling, click on the “System” tab from the Control Panel window. Then, click on “Advanced System Settings” located in the left hand side of the screen. Next, click on the “Advanced” tab, and then select “Settings” in the “Performance” section. Under the “Visual Effects” tab, select the “Adjust for best performance” option to optimize your processor scheduling.
4. Use ReadyBoost
ReadyBoost is a Microsoft feature that allows you to use a USB flash drive to supplement your computer’s RAM. To use ReadyBoost, insert your USB flash drive into an available USB port. Once the drive is recognized, click the “Removable Storage” tab from the Control Panel window. Then, click the “ReadyBoost” link, and follow the on-screen instructions to activate ReadyBoost.
5. Run Disk Cleanup
Disk Cleanup is a built-in tool that cleans up leftover files and other junk from your hard drive. To run Disk Cleanup, click the “Performance Information and Tools” tab from the Control Panel window. Then, click the “Open Disk Cleanup” link. This will open the Disk Cleanup application. From here, select what you would like to clean up and click “OK” to begin the cleaning process.
6. Uninstall Unused Programs
Uninstalling unused programs can help optimize your computer’s performance. To uninstall a program, click the “Programs and Features” tab from the Control Panel window. Then, select the program that you want to uninstall and click the “Uninstall/Change” button located at the top of the window. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation process.
7. Update Drivers
Ensuring that your computer has the most up-to-date drivers can help optimize your system’s performance. To update your drivers, click the “Device Manager” tab from the Control Panel window. From the Device Manager window, select the device whose driver you want to update, and then click the “Update Driver Software” button located at the top of the window. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the driver update process.
By taking the steps outlined above, you can optimize your computer’s performance using the Windows Control Panel settings. Making sure that your computer has the most up-to-date software, running Disk Cleanup, and using tools such as ReadyBoost can all help improve your system’s performance. Additionally, adjusting the Power Options, adjusting the processor scheduling, and uninstalling unused programs can help to further optimize your computer’s performance.