1. Clean up your hard drive: Delete any unnecessary files that you don’t use and uninstall any unused programs.
2. Defragment your hard drive: To do this, go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter.
3. Close programs running in the background: To do this, go to Task Manager by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL. This will show all the apps and processes currently running on your computer. Close any unneeded programs or processes.
4. Adjust your power settings: Go to Start > Control Panel > Power Options. Select a high-performance setting instead of a power-saving one.
5. Disable unnecessary visual effects: Go to Start > Control Panel > System > Advanced System Settings. In the Performance tab, click “Settings”, then uncheck all the unnecessary visual effects.
6. Update your device drivers: Device drivers can become out of date, so it’s important to update them periodically. To do this, go to Start > Control Panel > System > Device Manager. Right-click any devices with an exclamation mark next to them and select “Update Driver Software”.
7. Check for viruses and malware: Run an anti-virus scan to make sure your computer is free from any malicious software.
8. Add more RAM: Installing RAM can have an immediate effect on performance. However, if you’re not comfortable doing this yourself, then you may want to consult an IT professional.