Is your PC so slow that you want to throw it out the window? Or, more simply, you have an outdated computer and would like to try to refurbish it, thus postponing the economic outlay for the purchase of a new one. Did we guess? If so, our complete guide on optimizing Windows 11 will be very helpful in solving the problem.
In fact, in this article we will outline what are the best ways to optimize Windows 11, either by acting personally on certain system settings or automatically by installing some programs (for each of which we will provide a description with the most important features). Let’s get started right away!
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Best programs to optimize Windows 11
Ashampoo WinOptimizer Free
Ashampoo WinOptimizer is one of the best free programs around for those interested in optimizing the PC running Windows 11 as an operating system. It is called this because it promises to clean Windows like a shampoo. In fact, on the one hand, it eliminates obsolete files, deactivates the loading of unnecessary services at startup and cleans the browser cache. On the other hand, it clears registry entries that are no longer needed, optimizes system and security settings, as well as monitors for any broken links.
The free full version is called Ashampoo WinOptimizer Free and is available on the official website of the German company Ashampoo. There are also other paid versions, with a greater number of tools and more advanced features, but in almost all cases the use of free software will be more than enough.
Ashampoo WinOptimizer Free download link
CCleaner
If Ashampoo is definitely not a name you’ve often heard of on the net, the same can’t be said for CCleaner, which on the contrary is one of the best known programs, even by the so-called “laymen”. Known above all as a tool to delete useless files and thus recover precious MB / GB in the storage space, the program created by the Piriform company also allows you to speed up Windows 11 thanks to the elimination of obsolete settings in the system registry. And it all does just a click away, literally. Because of its immediacy and simplicity, we are not surprised that it is one of the most popular tools among newbies.
Another strong point of CCleaner is to offer free of charge all the features that have made it so popular in the online world. If you want to be picky, however, there is also a paid version: it’s called CCleaner Professional and as extra options it offers a more thorough cleaning of the system, real-time checking of obsolete files and automatic updates.
IObit Advanced SystemCare Free
Closed the CCleaner parenthesis, we introduce another equally valid program but which – at least here in Italy – does not have the same popularity as the Pireform software. As you may have read in the title above, we are talking about Advanced SystemCare Free of the IObit company. It is no coincidence that over 250 million people in the world have already chosen it to improve Windows performance, earning countless citations in authoritative specialized magazines (from today we also add ours!). The secret? Everything it promises to do it does it excellently, going from words to deeds with one click: clears temporary files, system logs and update cache, also deactivates unnecessary processes at startup, making your PC noticeably faster at work concluded.
Advanced SystemCare Free also has a more complete version, but for a fee: the name is the same, only the word Free changes, replaced with Pro, to indicate the transition from a basic program to a professional one. Are you wondering if it’s worth upgrading to the Pro version? We tend to say no, since there are no significant advantages if the goal is exclusively that of optimize Windows.
IObit Advanced SystemCare Free download link
Glary Utilities
Before presenting a script that seems capable of real miracles, let’s conclude our list of the best programs to optimize Windows 11 with Glary Utilities, second in fame behind only CCleaner. In this regard, the company declares 40 million customers globally. Here is a short list of all its most useful features, which the system will benefit from instantly when completed successfully:
- registry cleanup
- repair connections
- spyware removal
- disk repair
- deleting cookies
- cleaning temporary files
- automatic execution management
In addition Glary Utilities will eliminate empty folders and duplicate files, as well as manage the process of uninstalling unused software. On balance, they are the same features offered for free by the other software mentioned above. If, for any reason, you are interested in a more advanced tool, you can always turn to Glary Utilities Pro, which unlike the free version implements real-time system control, introduces over 20 premium tools and makes the PC 8 times faster. .
How to optimize Windows 11 by acting manually
If you think the use of the programs suggested in this first part is superfluous, below you will find some methods to achieve an equally effective Windows 11 optimization by acting on certain system settings in person. Here is what we will talk about in the final part of our guide:
Disable automatic execution of programs when Windows 11 starts
Let’s start with perhaps the most important function in the list. Indeed, disable automatic execution of apps and programs at startup has the direct consequence of a marked improvement in the speed with which Windows will start, after getting rid of the ballast of programs that are essentially useless for loading the system.
The procedure is very simple:
- Move the cursor to the taskbar, then click the right mouse button and open Activity management
- Click on More details
- Select the tab Start
- Locate the useless program, then click on the right mouse button and select from the drop-down menu that opens Disable
Note– Under the Startup Impact tab, you specify how each app affects the system load time. The most critical programs are marked with a High value.
Activate the Defragment & Optimize Drives app
In addition to that, we suggest you check if the system app Defragment and optimize drives is active (by default it is on all Windows 11 PCs). In fact, disk defragmentation helps speed up the opening of files and software. Conversely, fragmentation leads to a general slowdown of the system.
Here’s how to check if disk defragmentation and optimization is on:
- You open Start
- Type the word “defragment”
- Click on You open under the heading Defragment and Optimize Drives (App)
- Check that under the heading Scheduled optimization there is Activated
- Click on Optimize to start the disk defragmentation and optimization process
Note: as mentioned, the system application is active by default and set to automatically start the defragmentation once a week. If you find it useful to change the frequency, click on the Change settings button, then press on Every week and from the menu that opens, choose Every day or Every month.
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