Windows has a reputation for slowing down your computer over time. Admittedly, Windows 10 is much better than its predecessors, only the trouble still occurs.

Thankfully, you can speed upward a hd using HDD optimization apps; a few different tools are bachelor.

In this commodity, nosotros're going to look at which utilities can improve the speed and efficiency of a hard disk. Continue reading to acquire more.

one. Windows Optimize Drives

windows 10 optimize drives

Allow'south begin with a mention of a native Windows tool—Optimize Drives. Information technology tin can analyze your system for defragmentation issues, then fix any problems it finds.

Unless you'd fiddled with the settings, it should already be running on an automated schedule. To check, head to Starting time > Windows Administrative Tools > Defragment and Optimize drives.

Highlight the bulldoze you desire to ready, then click either Analyze or Optimize, depending on the function you want to comport out. To make sure the scheduling is set upwardly correctly, click on Modify settings and tick the box next to Run on schedule.

Performing disk defragmentation is less critical on SSDs than HDDs, simply Microsoft nevertheless recommends running the tool once per month. In fact, you shouldn't defrag your SSD, as it only increases wear and tear, and the SSD has built-in tools for file direction.

2. Disk SpeedUp

disk speedup hard drive speed

Deejay SpeedUp is a third-party tool that can boost an HDD's speed. It will analyze, defragment, and optimize any drives that are continued to your automobile.

It has a few more features than the native Windows tool. For example, Disk SpeedUp tin automatically shut down your figurer afterwards the defrag process is complete. You could burn it up before you go to bed and come back to a fresh computer in the morn.

Deejay SpeedUp also has amend visuals than the Windows tool. The defrag map is more than intuitive, and in that location are more graphs and data for you to dig into.

Anecdotally, many users have claimed that Disk SpeedUp is faster than the Windows tool. Naturally, your mileage may vary.

Download: Disk SpeedUp (Free)

3. Windows Device Manager

windows write cache

If you want to increase a disk'southward read/write speed, another Windows tool worth using is Device Manager. Y'all tin use it to make sure Write Caching is turned on.

Write caching lets your computer store data in a cache earlier it is written to the hard drive. Because a reckoner tin write information to a cache much more quickly than to a hard bulldoze, the hard drive's overall read/write performance is improved.

Recall, nevertheless, that information in a cache is only temporary. If your computer suffers from a sudden ability loss and the data in the cache has not been transferred to your hard drive, y'all will lose information technology.

To turn on write caching on Windows, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click the Commencement menu and select Device Manager.
  2. Expand theDeejay drivescard.
  3. Right-click on the drive y'all desire to modify.
  4. Click on Properties.
  5. Select the Policies tab at the top of the new window.
  6. Mark the checkbox next to Enable write caching on the device.

four. IOBit Avant-garde SystemCare

iobit advanced care

An important attribute of giving your HDD a boost is to brand sure your organisation stays "clean." That means you need to stay on height of temporary and duplicate files, make sure your RAM and CPU usage is optimized, and keep your registry as tidy as possible.

Ane tool that can perform all those HDD optimization tasks is IOBit Advanced SystemCare. A free version and a paid version both be. The free version includes all the features nosotros just mentioned. The $20 paid version adds deeper registry cleaning, real-fourth dimension monitoring, browser optimization, and system boot optimization.

Download: IOBit Advanced SystemCare (Complimentary, paid version available)

5. Razer Cortex

razer cortex speed up hard drive

If you're wondering how to speed up a hard disk even farther, cheque out Razer Cortex. The tool is specifically designed for PC gamers who want to squeeze every drop of juice out of their systems. It tin assistance you accomplish higher frames per 2d and reduce game loading times.

The HDD optimizer is split into ii parts—Arrangement Booster and Game Booster. They combine to give an HDD boost to all users.

The system role of the tool will make clean junk files, your browser history, and your arrangement cache. The gaming part will defragment game files (every bit long as they on an HDD rather than an SSD), optimize your arrangement'due south configuration for gaming, and disable background processes that tin can impact a game's performance.

Download: Razer Cortex (Free)

half dozen. Windows Disk Direction

disk management partition manager windows

The concluding native Windows utility that can meliorate the speed and efficiency of a hard disk is Disk Direction. Y'all can use it to repartition your drives.

Using a greater number of partitions is ane of the most often disregarded means to speed up a difficult drive. Broadly speaking, the more partitions yous use, the more organized your data is. As a outcome, an HDD's head does not need to move equally far to access the data, and thus, read times are reduced.

To repartition a hard drive using Disk Management, follow the steps beneath:

  1. Right-click the Start menu.
  2. Select Disk Direction to open the tool.
  3. Right-click on a drive and select Shrink Volume.
  4. Right-click on the freed-upwards space and cull New Simple Volume.
  5. Choose how big you desire to make the new volume.
  6. Select the bulldoze letter of the alphabet for the new volume.
  7. Choose a file system for the new book.
  8. Click on Finish.

The new book will appear in File Explorer > This PC.

seven. Ashampoo WinOptimizer

The final tool that can give your hd a health increase is Ashampoo WinOptimizer. The tool brands itself equally a "Swiss ground forces for your PC." Information technology'southward a fair description.

In terms of improving hard drive health, information technology can schedule maintenance and optimization tasks, scan for junk files, set broken registry entries, and clean your browser cookies. The tool offers both a one-click prepare and user-controlled corrections.

Separately, you tin can add boosted modules to the app. There are 38 to choose from, roofing tasks such as service management, start-up tuning, process direction, privacy tuning, and much more than.

Download: Ashampoo WinOptimizer (Free)

More Tips on How to Speed Upward a Hard Drive

The vii tools nosotros've explained in this article will go a long fashion towards speeding upwards your hard drive. They tin can give both SSDs and HDDs a heave.

Let us know on Twitter which tool works best for you.

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About The Writer

Dan Toll (1605 Articles Published)

Dan joined MakeUseOf in 2014 and has been Partnerships Managing director since July 2020. Reach out to him for inquires about sponsored content, affiliate agreements, promotions, and any other forms of partnership. You lot can as well find him roaming the prove floor at CES in Las Vegas every year, say hi if y'all're going. Prior to his writing career, he was a Financial Consultant.

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