This article was published in 2011 and updated in October 2026.
Your computer is one of the most important tools you own — for work, study, banking, communication and entertainment. Even the most powerful PC slows down over time if it isn’t looked after. These three essential habits keep your computer efficient, reliable and safe.
1. Don’t overload your computer
Computers can multitask, but every open program, browser tab and background app uses memory and processing power. When the memory (RAM) is full, Windows has to swap data to the drive and everything slows down.
- Close programs and browser tabs you aren’t using.
- Check Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) to see which apps use the most memory and processor time.
- Disable unnecessary startup apps so they don’t run in the background all day.
- If you regularly run out of memory, consider a RAM upgrade — 16 GB is a comfortable amount for everyday use today.
2. Keep your operating system up to date — and supported
In 2011 we suggested upgrading from Windows 2003 to Windows XP. Times have changed, but the principle is the same: an up-to-date operating system is faster, more compatible and much safer. Install updates promptly, and make sure your version still receives security updates. Windows 10 reached the end of regular support in October 2025, so if your PC meets the requirements, upgrade to Windows 11 — or plan a replacement. A switch from a hard disk to an SSD is the single most effective upgrade for an older computer.
3. Use good, up-to-date protection
Prevention is better than cure. Malware can slow your computer down, steal your data or make it unusable. Keep the built-in Microsoft Defender (or another reputable security program) switched on and up to date, only install software from trusted sources, and back up your important files regularly so a problem never costs you your data.
Want more speed?
For more detailed tips, read our guides 10 ways to speed up your Windows computer and why is my PC crashing?
Priyangshu
Aug 29. 2011
Nice tips dude ! Keep up the good work !
Olawale Daniel
Aug 30. 2011
Hi friend, keep on going with your encouragement words. 🙂
shashank chinchli
Aug 30. 2011
Multitasking,keeping background task like disk defragmentation etc can give us optimum usage of our personal computer.
Olawale Daniel
Aug 30. 2011
Thanks friend for this comment 🙂
Suraj
Aug 30. 2011
Very Nice .
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful post!
Olawale Daniel
Aug 30. 2011
Thanks to Suraj for the comment 🙂
sibin
Sep 01. 2011
OS upgradation is not a easy one.If we have less hardware configuration,new os update reduce the overall efficiency.All new OS ,Windows or Linux now require more hardware facilities.In order to increase efficiency of a old computer we need lite OS .Windows XP,Puppy Linux ,Ubuntu 8 are lite compare with new OS’s
Atish
Sep 02. 2011
great tips Daniel. keep writing.
joomla development company
Sep 06. 2011
Nice thoughts, i like it and i will be using it for my personal system, thanks for sharing this information.
admin
Sep 06. 2011
You’re welcome … and Thanks for stopping by and commenting 🙂
Sandipan Mukherjee
Sep 06. 2011
Nice tips. Keep up the good work dude.
Rebi
Sep 08. 2011
Very clearly shared great ideas, thanks…..
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Oct 18. 2011
Good advice to increase desktop’s efficiency. Also, it would be wise to do monthly maintenance on your desktop like clearing cookies, scanning for viruses, deleting temporary files and uninstalling unused applications.
Open Source Develoment
Nov 25. 2011
Nice post…. very informative post… it is useful for increase the efficiency of our PC… i’ll take some idea from your post….
Phuong
May 17. 2012
Hello there I loved your informative article on Increase your PC’s Efficiency in 3 Ways. This blog has some extremely useful stuff on it! Thank you for helping me!