GEEK FREE
By Joe Callison
23 October, 2025
Windows 10 Computer Performance Tips
If you have decided to stick with Windows 10 for another year on an old and slow computer, hopefully, by taking advantage of the Extended Service Updates program that can be free by simply letting Microsoft back up your settings and apps, and nothing more if you wish, then the following is for you.
There are a few default Windows settings that can be changed to make significant improvements in Windows performance.
The first setting is only applicable to laptops. By default, the Power Mode is typically set to Balanced for both Plugged in and on Battery, meaning a balance of power savings and performance. This might be fine for running on battery power to extend the time it can run, but the setting for when it is plugged in can be set for Best Performance without affecting the battery. One way to access the settings is through the path: Settings – System – Power & Battery – Power Mode.
Performance settings for laptops and desktops are under a Control Panel item called Performance Options that is described as “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows”. This can be easily found by using the search on the taskbar located next to the Windows start icon by typing either Performance Options or its description. The default setting is typically “Let Windows choose what’s best for my computer,” and note that almost every box is checked to be on. By changing to “Adjust for best performance,” all boxes are unchecked to be off. Next, switch to “Custom” and only check the boxes that are important to you, like possibly “Show thumbnails instead of icons”. Most of the settings make subtle differences in the look of Windows, but require significantly more processing power. Click the Apply or OK at the bottom to save the changes.
OneDrive can also significantly affect performance if it is set to continuously sync files to the cloud. If you are not signed into OneDrive, it will not sync files, but on many computers, OneDrive is started every time the computer is started up if computers were set up with a Microsoft Account for the user profile. The cloud icon on the taskbar will indicate if OneDrive is active by not being light gray with a slash through it. Putting the cursor over the icon will also indicate the status by text. You can pause syncing by selecting the cloud icon, then clicking the settings icon that looks like a gear, and choosing “Pause syncing,” or after clicking the settings icon, you could choose “Settings” and then Account and click the text “Unlink this PC” to permanently stop syncing. The automatic starting of OneDrive when the computer starts up could also be changed by going to the Windows Settings – Apps – Startup – Microsoft OneDrive and changing the setting to off. While in the Startup settings, you might want to review other items that are being automatically started with each Windows startup that could be turned off. If there is no logical reason for them to be running in the background all of the time, they are just affecting performance.
If the changes above do not result in enough performance improvement for you, there are other options. The best performance boost for old computers is cloning the hard drive to a solid-state drive, which will make the computer 4 to 5 times faster at booting up and reading/writing files to disk. The cost depends on the drive capacity needed, which can be determined by using File Explorer to examine the C drive properties for the amount of GB being used. A solid-state drive should be around twice the capacity of the currently used capacity. For most users, a 256GB drive is adequate, but some may need 512GB. The cost of the solid-state drives would be around $25 for the smaller drive and $50 for the larger. Paying someone to do the cloning and installation would be around $50 for an independent computer hobbyist or technician, or $100 or more at a big box store.
An alternative to the cost of going with a solid state drive for just one more year of Windows 10 use, you could switch to the Linux operating system for no cost. The Linux operating system requires much less processing power and memory capacity and will run much faster than Windows on older computers. It does have a different look and feel than Windows, but there is a huge variety of graphical user interfaces to choose from, with many designed to make the transition from Windows easier. SenCom has members familiar with Linux, and there is a large community of users sharing information through APCUG programs available to SenCom members. We are exploring the level of interest among SenCom members to have some kind of Linux workshop, class, program, or special interest group. Our members would be able to assist with installing Linux on your old computer, or we have several loaner computers with various Linux versions that you could try out if interested.
