To speed up a slow Windows PC, Microsoft recommends disabling two built-in features: visual effects and OneDrive syncing. Disabling visual effects reduces GPU resource usage, while pausing or quitting OneDrive sync frees disk I/O and CPU resources.
**Visual Effects**
Disabling visual effects eliminates unnecessary GPU usage, freeing up system resources for better performance. These effects include transparency, animations, blur, shadows, etc. By disabling them, you can significantly speed up your PC, especially on systems with limited RAM and less powerful GPUs. To do this:
1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and move to the Performance tab.
2. Click the Task Manager icon in the taskbar; it should minimize and maximize quickly.
3. Observe the GPU usage spike (average 25-30%); it will decrease to 5-7% with visual effects disabled.
**OneDrive Syncing**
Disabling OneDrive syncing reduces disk I/O and CPU resource competition, leading to better performance. While it might seem that OneDrive sync impacts network bandwidth, it’s actually more problematic for disk I/O and CPU resources. To pause or quit OneDrive sync:
1. Click the OneDrive icon in the system tray.
2. Click on Settings.
3. Select Pause syncing with a timer (2, 8, or 24 hours).
4. Alternatively, click Quit OneDrive to turn it off completely.
**Disabling Visual Effects Correctly**
Disabling visual effects can negatively impact appearance. To do this safely:
1. Type “performance” in Windows Search.
2. Open Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows.
3. Select Adjust for best performance.
4. Enable necessary visual effects, such as:
* Show shadows under mouse pointer
* Show shadows under windows
* Smooth edges of screen fonts
* Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop
These visuals have a negligible impact on resources and will improve your PC’s appearance without compromising performance.
By disabling these features, you can significantly speed up your slow Windows PC, especially on systems with limited RAM and less powerful GPUs.
Source: https://www.maketecheasier.com/disable-windows-features-for-better-performance