Clean up and streamline Windows 10

1 START ATTACK

If you’ve upgraded or picked up a new PC with Windows 10 preinstalled, it’s likely that a number of existing programs will run at startup. Each one of these takes time to load, contributing to that laboured power on sequence. Hit Ctrl-Shift-Esc to open Task Manager, click the arrow to see more information, then click the Startup tab to see the offenders.

2 CHOOSE YOUR VICTIMS

You’ll see a whole list of programs, the majority of which you’ve probably never used. So with the exception of your antivirus software, you’re safe to disable as many as you like. Reboot your machine, and you should notice the di erence. If you disable something, then nd you need it, head back to Task Manager to switch it back on again.

3 QUICK UNINSTALLATION

While we’re dealing with software, let’s clean away some unloved applications. Windows 10 makes this easier than ever. Any application you’ve installed can be removed by nding it in the Start Menu’s All Apps list, right clicking, then selecting ‘Uninstall’. Sadly, this won’t work for Microsoft’s preinstalled applications; however, infrequently you might use them.

4 MENU MASSACRE

Let’s look at the Start Menu more closely, as it’s ripe for a little streamlining. The Live Tiles on the right-hand side won’t all be to your taste and, in fact, you can get rid of them altogether, although it’s going to take a little time. Right-click each one, and select ‘Unpin from start’ until they’re all gone. This will reduce your Start Menu to a single column.