Why Is My PC Running Slow? Simple Ways to Speed It Up

Is your PC feeling sluggish lately? A slow computer can be incredibly frustrating, whether you’re trying to work, browse the web, or enjoy your favorite games. One common culprit behind a slow PC is low disk space. When your hard drive is nearly full, your computer can struggle to operate efficiently. Fortunately, freeing up disk space is often a straightforward process that can significantly improve your PC’s performance.

This guide will walk you through several easy methods to check your disk space and reclaim valuable storage, helping you breathe new life into your slow computer.

Check Your Disk Space

The first step is to determine if low disk space is indeed the issue. Windows makes it simple to check your storage status.

1. Click the Start button, and then navigate to Settings > System > Storage. This will open the Storage settings page directly.

2. In the Storage area, you’ll see a list of your drives. For each drive, note the Free space and the Total size.

If you see that your drives are nearly full (especially the drive where Windows is installed, usually C:), then low disk space is likely contributing to your PC’s slow performance. If you have plenty of free space, you may need to explore other reasons for a slow PC.

Free Up Space with Storage Sense

Windows has a built-in tool called Storage Sense that can automatically help you manage your disk space. Storage Sense can delete temporary files and manage your Recycle Bin to keep your storage optimized.

Delete Temporary Files with Storage Sense

Temporary files are created by your apps and the system to store information temporarily. Over time, these files can accumulate and take up valuable space. Storage Sense can easily remove them.

1. Go to Start > Settings > System > Storage again.

2. Click on Temporary files within the storage breakdown.

3. Windows will take a moment to scan and show you the categories of temporary files on your PC.

4. Review the list and check the boxes next to the items you want to delete, such as “Temporary files,” “Recycle Bin,” and “Downloads.” Be cautious when deleting files from your Downloads folder, as you might accidentally remove files you intended to keep.

5. Click Remove files to delete the selected temporary files.

Configure Storage Sense to Run Automatically

For ongoing maintenance, you can configure Storage Sense to run automatically in the background.

1. Navigate to Start > Settings > System > Storage.

2. Toggle the Storage Sense switch to On.

3. Click Configure Storage Sense or run it now.

4. In the Storage Sense options, you can choose how often Storage Sense runs (e.g., Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or When disk space is low).

5. Under Temporary Files, ensure “Delete temporary files that my apps aren’t using” is checked.

6. Choose how often you want to delete files from your Recycle Bin and Downloads folder (e.g., Never, 1 day, 14 days, 30 days, 60 days).

7. To run Storage Sense immediately, scroll down and click Clean now.

Use Disk Cleanup for More Thorough Cleaning

If your system doesn’t have Storage Sense or you want a more traditional approach, Disk Cleanup is another effective tool to remove temporary files and system files.

1. In the search bar on the taskbar, type disk cleanup and select Disk Cleanup from the results.

2. Select the drive you want to clean up (usually your Windows drive).

3. In the Disk Cleanup window, check the boxes next to the types of files you want to delete. You can click on each type to see a description. Common options include “Temporary Internet Files,” “Downloaded Program Files,” and “Thumbnails.”

4. To remove system files, click Clean up system files. This option requires administrator privileges and can remove files like previous Windows installations.

5. Select the file types again in the new window and click OK, then Delete files to confirm.

Caution: Disk Cleanup may offer to delete your “Previous Windows installation(s).” Only do this if you are certain you won’t need to revert to a previous version of Windows, as this action is irreversible.

Uninstall Apps You No Longer Use

Applications can take up significant disk space. Uninstalling apps you don’t use can free up a considerable amount of storage and potentially improve performance.

1. Click the Start button, then go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features. This opens the Apps & features settings.

2. The list of installed apps is displayed. You can sort apps by size by clicking “Size” to identify large applications.

3. Select an app you want to remove and click Uninstall. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the uninstallation.

4. Restart your PC after uninstalling apps.

Move Large Files to an External Drive

If you have large files like photos, videos, or music that you don’t access frequently, moving them to an external hard drive or USB drive can free up space on your main PC drive.

1. Connect your external drive to your PC.
2. Open File Explorer from the taskbar.
3. Navigate to the folders containing the files you want to move (e.g., Pictures, Documents, Music, Videos).
4. Select the files, go to the Home tab in the File Explorer ribbon, and click Move to > Choose location.
5. Select your external drive from the list of locations and click Move.

After moving files, restart your PC to see if performance has improved.

Still Slow? Consider Other Factors

If you’ve freed up disk space and your PC is still running slow, other factors might be at play. These can include:

• Too many programs running at startup: Limit startup programs in Task Manager.
• Malware or viruses: Run a virus scan.
• Outdated drivers: Update your device drivers.
• Hardware limitations: Your PC might simply be older and struggling to keep up with modern software demands.

Freeing up disk space is a great first step in troubleshooting a slow PC. By following these simple steps, you can often see a noticeable improvement in your computer’s speed and responsiveness.