Here are simple and healthy manipulations for a PC running Windows 10 or 11. This allow you to have a more responsive PC for office and video games. These manipulations are without risk and can solve the slowness and crashes of your PC. These practices are not "magic", I do not promise an incredible gain, the most effective being to buy new and more efficient components.
Read everything before doing anything.
In order, to be repeated approximately once a month
- Update the drivers for your Nvidia or AMD graphics card, use DDU to remove old drivers properly. DDU is essential because it allows you to fix crashes and performance issues on your games
- Update Windows via Windows Update in settings
Once everything is up to date and the PC has been restarted
- Repair system files:
sfc /scannow - Repair Windows image:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth - In case of white icons on desktop, reset icon cache with my script
- In case of error during an update, delete the Windows Update files (
C:/Windows/SoftwareDistribution/Download/- Delete all folders inside) - Clean all drives (Type "Disk Cleanup" in the Windows search bar - Run as administrator)
First of all, I recommend the Pro edition of Windows for more control over the system
Update the BIOS and drivers via your motherboard's website. Avoid CCleaner, Driverscloud or DriverBooster, these utilities may install outdated or non-compatible drivers with your components. In BIOS, check that UEFI mode is enabled and for gaming use, also check that the XMP ram profile is enabled
Install only essential programs to avoid system slowdowns and bugs
Disable as many programs as possible that launch at Windows startup (Ctrl + Maj + Esc - Startup)
Disable Widgets on Windows 11: REG ADD "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Dsh" /v AllowNewsAndInterests /t REG_DWORD /d 00000000 /f - Restart PC | To cancel: REG DELETE "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Dsh" /v AllowNewsAndInterests /f
Disable Windows Copilot: REG ADD "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot" /v TurnOffWindowsCopilot /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
Disable Sysmain service which can cause drive performance issues: sc stop "SysMain" & sc config "SysMain" start=disabled | To cancel: sc config "SysMain" start=auto & sc start "SysMain"
Uncheck "Enhance pointer precision" to disable mouse acceleration (Control Panel - Hardware - Mouse - Pointer Options)
Disable fast boot and hibernation to free up space (~3GB) and avoid bugs, with these two commands: REG ADD "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Power" /v HiberbootEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 00000000 /f + powercfg -h off - Restart PC | To cancel: REG ADD "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Power" /v HiberbootEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 00000001 /f + powercfg -h on
Note
Disabling fast boot will make your PC start up a bit longer (1-2s), however your computer will completely shut down when you turn it off, which will make the system more stable
Uncheck as many options as possible in the "Privacy" section in Windows settings to limit the collection of personal data by Microsoft (diagnostic data, location, contacts...)
Install all versions of Visual C++ to avoid missing DLL errors
Disable persistent Xbox Game Bar recording that takes up resources in the background, with these two commands: REG ADD "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameDVR" /v AppCaptureEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 00000000 /f + REG ADD "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\System\GameConfigStore" /v GameDVR_Enabled /t REG_DWORD /d 00000000 /f - Restart PC | To cancel: REG ADD "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameDVR" /v AppCaptureEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 00000001 /f + REG ADD "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\System\GameConfigStore" /v GameDVR_Enabled /t REG_DWORD /d 00000001 /f
Disable Bing results in Windows Search: REG ADD "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer" /v DisableSearchBoxSuggestions /t REG_DWORD /d 00000001 /f - Restart PC | To cancel: REG ADD "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer" /v DisableSearchBoxSuggestions /t REG_DWORD /d 00000000 /f
Bring old Windows 10 context menu back on Windows 11: REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" /f /ve - Restart PC | To cancel: REG DELETE "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}" /f
For gaming use, Microsoft recommends disabling Memory Integrity and Virtual Machine Platform here
Microsoft Edge:
- I do not recommend using Microsoft Edge for privacy reasons, prefer Firefox
- Disable fast startup and background running in "System and performance" tab
- Disable data sharing with other Windows features in the "Profiles" tab
- Select "Strict" Tracking Protection in the "Privacy, search & services" tab
- Block third-party cookies and preloading in the "Cookies and site permissions" tab
Power plan in Control Panel:
- Intel CPU: choose "High performance"
- AMD Ryzen 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 CPU: choose "AMD Ryzen Balanced"
- AMD Ryzen 5000 CPU and newer: choose "Balanced"
- In advanced plan settings: disable USB selective suspend
Nvidia/AMD panel:
- Select the highest possible refresh rate (144Hz, 180Hz...)
- Enable G-SYNC/FreeSync + V-SYNC + lock FPS to 3 below screen refresh rate to avoid frame tearing (144Hz screen → lock to 141FPS)
- Nvidia specific: choose low latency mode on "On"
- AMD specific: it is better to lock FPS via RTSS rather than AMD panel for lower latency
Important
If you enable V-SYNC in the Nvidia/AMD panel, you must disable it in-game to avoid conflicts
Note
For games that allow FPS locking, it's better to lock the FPS in-game rather than the Nvidia/RTSS panel for lower latency
Use MPO-GPU-FIX to disable MPO (Multi-Plane Overlay) which can cause performance and stability issues in games
To go further and for gaming use only, you can think about overclocking/undervolting your GPU, learn about it and be sure of what you are doing. Personally I use MSI Afterburner and Kombustor to test the stability of my system. I consider that a GPU seems stable if its temperature does not exceed 85°C/185°F and that Kombustor does not detect any artifacts in at least 10 minutes
- Reinstall Windows (preferably Pro) completely, using a USB key, before applying these manipulations to start with a clean system. During the Windows installation, do not sign in with your Microsoft account, create a local account to limit data collection
- Use the Windows antivirus which does its job very well. Avoid Avast, Bitdefender...
- Always keep Windows and its programs up-to-date for security and stability reasons, especially the browser
- Prefer Firefox to Chrome for privacy reasons, configure it to block third-party cookies and use HTTPS only. Install uBlock Origin extension for blocking ads and trackers. Avoid any other adblockers and try to limit the number of installed extensions. Never save your passwords in the browser, use a manager like Bitwarden
- Use a custom DNS (DoH, in Windows settings) instead of your local provider's
- A good free VPN that I recommend is ProtonVPN or a paid one like Mullvad
- Enable BitLocker on your laptop to encrypt drive data and secure your files (Right click on a drive - Enable BitLocker)
Warning
Be sure to back up the BitLocker recovery key to a cloud or an external drive!
- Turn off the computer at night, do not put it to sleep to prevent bugs. Also regularly clean the PC of dust to prevent the components from heating up too much and therefore losing performance
- Activate Windows Night light in the evening to avoid eye fatigue
- Use OpenRGB to control all your RGB components through a single software. Thus, we avoid software like Razer Synapse, ASUS Aura or MSI Dragon Center which use resources in the background
That's it! Your PC should be faster and more efficient. I recommend reinstalling Windows every year, taking care to make backups. I advise against other manipulations which could damage the system (custom ISO, PowerShell scripts, Internet connection optimizer... these are scams).
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