If you have less than this amount, a slowing in general performance and boot time can occur.įor example, if you have a standard hard drive with a total disk space of 500 GB, having at least 75 GB of free space available is recommended.

How to scan or check for computer viruses.įor your computer to run optimally, we recommend to have at least 15% free disk space for a standard hard drive or 25% free disk space for an SSD (solid-state drive).You can also run a virus and malware scan using an online tool, like Trend Micro's HouseCall. If you don't have antivirus software installed on your computer, you can use the built-in Windows virus and threat protection tool or a free utility like Malwarebytes. We also suggest performing this task in Windows Safe Mode, as some viruses may evade programs running in the normal mode of Windows. If you have an antivirus program, run a scan and remove any infections that are found. Other viruses and malware can create hundreds or thousands of dummy, temporary files that fill up the hard drive space, making it difficult for Windows to load properly and efficiently. Some viruses and malware can directly impact Windows system files, causing them to load or run very slowly, or fail to run at all. If your computer has a virus or malware infection, it can affect how fast Windows loads on startup. We suggest running both utilities at least once every few months. Using Microsoft ScanDisk and Defrag or similar disk utilities help verify your hard drive is running free of errors while organizing stored data in the most efficient manner possible. How to remove TSRs and startup programs.Disabling programs you don't often use from automatically loading up each time the computer powers on can decrease boot time. Consequently, they are one of the main causes of a slow boot to Windows. Programs that load as the computer starts up remain active in its memory. If you use your computer frequently, consider not turning it off or having your computer enter hibernation mode when pressing the power button, rather than shutting down to conserve power.

Pc taking forever to boot