Speed up a computer running Microsoft Windows

People often complain that their Windows PC has gotten slower over time. These are some tips and tricks to help without arbitrarily formatting and reinstalling windows.

1) Use msconfig (taskmanager more recently) or ccleaner to turn off programs you don't need or use that start up with windows. After installing a lot of software over time a number of programs can be added to your system start up that you don't need. To much of this can have a significant impact on the start up time of your PC.

2) Remove malware. Malware can slow your PC incredibly. Malware can include Spyware, Adware, Rootkits, and less commonly viruses. Don't assume that intelligent computing or your antivirus software will prevent malware from being a problem on their own because they wont.

3) Clean up/delete unneeded files. Temp files, items in your recycle bin, cookies etc... can all build up over time. You can do this manually, use the Windows disk cleanup tool, or even use ccleaner. Mind you, freeing up disk space isn't really going to help your speed much unless your disk is very full to begin with.

4) Simply turn off windows features that you do not use. There is an entire list of these that I may cover in another article, but  I will mention  the Windows Indexing Service. It can consume a lot of resources attempting to keep files indexed. This speeds up searches but can slow the PC down. Just remember if you do a lot of searching it may be best to leave it on.

5) Completely uninstall any software you don't need or use on a regular basis.

6) If you can afford to and if your system supports it upgrade the amount of RAM in your computer and or install a faster CPU.

Installing BIOS Upgrades

Usually a firmware upgrade shouldn't be done unless there is a hardware compatibility issue, performance problem, or exploit. There is always a risk with firmware upgrades that should be taken into consideration. An upgrade gone wrong may cause your computer to not start properly. If there is a power loss or other interruption your computer may not be able to boot afterwards. If you determine that you need a firmware upgrade there are steps to go through to make sure the upgrade is successful.

1. Check the current version of the BIOS against the version you are upgrading to. Also it may be a good idea to obtain a copy of your current version should you need to roll it back for any reason.
2. Use a reliable power source. Don't trust your battery with a laptop. Plug it in. Use a UPS with a desktop if possible.
3. Ensure that you have the appropriate boot media for your system if needed. In most cases on modern systems the process can be completed with a utility that runs in Windows but this may not be the case with older systems. You may need a bootable floppy disk or CD-ROM for the process on older systems.
4. For modern systems that use an executable within Windows it is a good idea to ensure everything is patched and up to date before you attempt the firmware upgrade. Also close any unnecessary programs that may be running before you start the process.
5. The utility for upgrading your BIOS will vary by manufacturer, but is usually a straight forward process as long as you take some simple precautions and read the documentation before attempting the upgrade.

Firmware makes use of nonvolatile memory and is present on a variety of devices. It isn't just limited to your computer's BIOS/CMOS. When you power off your device the information stored in the firmware is still there. In the case of the BIOS it instructs the computer what to do with all the devices when the system receives power. Your computer can't start without it so only upgrade your BIOS when necessary and be cautious.

Disabling Flash

There are more reasons to uninstall flash than to keep it, but I'm not going to cover those at this time. Uninstalling Flash completely does more to help kill the sickly standard and usher in better choices from content providers, but some people may not be ready to remove it completely just yet. For them I suggest simply disabling it in their web browser of choice. This will give a feel for which sites which sites still use flash and for whether or not it is actually needed. It will gives a way to go back easily should the need arise.

Disable Flash in Chrome:

• Type chrome:plugins in the address bar to open the Plug-ins page.
• On the Plug-ins page that appears, find the “Flash” listing.
• To disable Adobe Flash Player completely, click the Disable link under its name.
• If you have two listings you have both the Adobe Flash Player plugin installed separately and the one shipped with chrome. Disable them both.

Disable Flash in Firefox:

• Go to the menu button in the upper right-hand corner.
• In the Add-ons Manager tab, select Plugins.
• Go to Shockwave Flash and select Never Activate

Disable Flash in IE:

• Select the gear button in the upper right-hand corner.
• Click Internet options.
• Click Programs.
• Click Manage add-ons.
• Click Shockwave Flash Client.
• In the lower right hand corner, click Disable.

Driver problems and Windows Update

You can roll back a driver via windows update and then block it from being installed. Here are the steps I used to remove an offending webcam driver from Windows Update.

• Press Windows Key + X and select Device Manager. 
• Right click device that uses the driver you want to uninstall and select Uninstall. 
• Check the “Delete the driver software for this device” option and click OK. 
• Windows will uninstall the device and delete the driver software downloaded from Windows Update. 
• You can install fresh drivers software afterwards

There is a “Never install driver software from Windows Update” option Windows 10. It seems to be hidden in the old Control Panel, but there is a shorter way to get to it and I don't recall at the moment.

This may or may not work. If Windows is replacing manufacturer drivers with its own you might give this a try. There is a tool that can be used if this doesn't help.

• Open the Control Panel (not the new settings menu) by right-clicking the Start button and selecting Control Panel. 
• Go to System and Security > System > Advanced system settings. 
• Select the Hardware tab 
• Select Device Installation Settings 
• Select the “No, let me choose what to do" option. 
• Select “Never install driver software from Windows Update.”

Microsoft was and may still be providing a downloadable tool to that can block or hide updates. It is meant for troubleshooting or handling bugs really. It was called “Show or hide updates” troubleshooter for Windows 10.
It will searches for available updates and allows the user to “hide” them and prevent Windows Update from automatically installing them. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3073930?utm_source=twitter is where it can be found.