My parents’ computer took four minutes to boot. Four minutes. You could make coffee while waiting for the desktop to appear. They were about to buy a new one. I spent 45 minutes on it and it now boots in under a minute. Here is everything I did.

Step 1: Kill Startup Programs

Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager. Click the “Startup” tab. You will see a list of every program that launches when your computer starts — and most of them do not need to. Spotify? Does not need to start with Windows. Adobe Updater? No. Skype? Absolutely not. Right-click and disable anything that is not essential (antivirus, cloud sync, and graphics drivers are usually fine to keep).

Step 2: Free Up Disk Space

Type “Disk Cleanup” in the Start menu. Run it as administrator. Select your C: drive. Check every box — especially “Temporary files,” “Recycle Bin,” and “Windows Update Cleanup.” On my parents’ computer this freed 22 GB.

Step 3: Uninstall Bloat

Go to Settings > Apps > Installed Apps. Sort by “Last used.” Anything you have not touched in six months? Uninstall it. The trial version of Office from 2019, the printer software for a printer you no longer own, the “PC optimizer” that is itself slowing down your PC. Get rid of them all.

Step 4: Visual Effects Off

Type “View advanced system settings” in Start. Click Settings under Performance. Select “Adjust for best performance.” Your windows will stop doing the fancy minimize animation but everything will feel faster.