ALL THE BEST TIPS AND TRICKS TO MAKE YOUR OPERATING SYSTEM RUN FASTER, BY CHRISTIAN GUYTON
With support for Windows 7 gone and Windows 8 bearing an ominous expiration date (albeit one that is three years from now), there’s never been a better time to make the jump to Windows 10. For our money, it’s the best operating system since the Old Faithful that was XP Professional. Actually, if you haven’t upgraded already, what’s holding you back? The 10th iteration of Microsoft’s flagship OS has been around for almost five years now.
If you’re already a card-carrying member of the Windows 10 club, though, you probably want to squeeze the absolute best out of your OS, whether you’re using your computer for gaming, work, or just a spot of Netflix and chill. There’s plenty of ways to do this, mostly using tools that are built into Windows 10; a huge selection of nifty functions, apps, and settings to be tweaked to make for the ultimate experience. It’s not just ease-of-use stuff, either; if you’re a hardware head, Win 10 is a powerful tool for system optimization and monitoring. Lots of things that might demand third- party software elsewhere can be done directly in the OS, be that disk defragmenting, malware eradication, or something else entirely.
Yes, it lacks the raw flexibility of Ubuntu or the super-sleek interfaces of macOS Catalina, but the fact remains that Windows 10 is the most popular OS for home computers right now. We don’t think it’s a stretch to claim that everyone reading this has used Windows at some point. If you haven’t, write to us with your life experiences, because they sound interesting. Windows has permeated almost every aspect of computing over the years, and in 2020, it’s no different.
Of course, it’s not perfect, but there’s customisation aplenty; even the bad elements of Win 10 can be adjusted, mitigated, or disabled entirely. Annoyed that Cortana won’t leave you alone? Frustrated with your CPU always running hot due to background programs? Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Over the next few pages, we break down all the best tips for creating your ideal OS experience, whatever you use your system for.
GENERAL TIPS FOR WINDOWS 10
01 KEEP WINDOWS FULLY UP TO DATE
Ah, the Windows Update. Truly the modern-day raven, rap-tap-tapping on Edgar Allen Poe’s operating system with menacing intent. Taking control of your updates is objective number one for anyone trying to optimise their PC, so jump into Settings and remember to smash that Check For Updates button. You can turn on auto-updates, too, under Advanced options, but if you have a limited data allowance we advise against this, and instead recommend manual updates. You can also pause all updates for up to two weeks; useful if you want to try something in a specific version of Windows 10.
