How to Speed Up Your Slow PC Using Command Prompt: 10 Powerful Fixes

Is your once zippy computer now crawling along at a snail’s pace? Don’t despair – with a few strategic command prompt commands, you can often breathe new life into a sluggish PC. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through 10 proven ways to use the Windows command line to diagnose issues, repair corrupted files, optimize settings, and ultimately speed up your computer.

1. Run a Disk Check with CHKDSK

One of the most common causes of a slow computer is disk errors or bad sectors. The CHKDSK command scans your hard drive for file system errors and bad sectors, and attempts to fix them. To run it:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator
2. Type chkdsk /f and press Enter
3. If prompted, type Y to schedule the disk check for the next reboot, then reboot your PC

CHKDSK will automatically run during the boot process. Once complete, your computer should be running more smoothly, as many performance issues are caused by corrupt files or bad sectors that CHKDSK can repair.

2. Repair Corrupted System Files with SFC

Corrupted system files can also lead to a slow, unstable computer. The System File Checker (SFC) command scans for and repairs missing or corrupted Windows system files:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator
2. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter
3. Wait for the scan to complete. If any files are found to be corrupted, SFC will automatically replace them with a cached copy from a compressed folder.

After running SFC, restart your computer. The repaired system files should allow your PC to run more efficiently.

3. Rebuild the Boot Configuration Data with BOOTREC

Corrupted or missing boot configuration data can prevent your computer from booting properly, leading to slow performance or crashes. The BOOTREC command can rebuild the boot configuration data:

1. Boot into the Windows Recovery Environment by booting from your Windows installation media or a recovery drive
2. Select “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced Options” > “Command Prompt”
3. Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each one:
   • bootrec /fixmbr
   • bootrec /fixboot
   • bootrec /rebuildbcd

Rebuilding the boot configuration data can resolve issues that prevent your computer from booting properly, improving overall performance.

4. Repair Windows Image with DISM

The Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool can repair corruptions in the Windows image, which can cause performance issues:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator
2. Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each:
   • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
   • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
   • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

DISM will scan and repair any corruptions in the Windows image, which should help resolve any performance problems caused by a damaged image.

5. Reset TCP/IP with NETSH

Network issues can sometimes cause a computer to run slowly. The NETSH command can reset your TCP/IP stack to its default configuration:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator
2. Type netsh int ip reset and press Enter
3. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect

Resetting your TCP/IP settings can resolve connectivity issues that may be impacting your computer’s performance.

6. Disable Startup Programs with MSCONFIG

Too many programs starting automatically at boot can slow down your computer. The MSCONFIG command allows you to manage startup programs:

1. Open Command Prompt and type msconfig, then press Enter
2. Click the “Startup” tab
3. Uncheck any unnecessary programs that you don’t need starting automatically
4. Click “OK” and restart your computer

Disabling unneeded startup programs will allow your computer to boot and run faster.

7. Optimize Power Settings with POWERCFG

Your computer’s power settings can impact performance. The POWERCFG command allows you to optimize your power settings for better performance:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator
2. Type powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61 and press Enter
3. This will create a new power scheme called “High Performance”
4. Open your Power Options in Control Panel
5. Select the new “High Performance” scheme

Switching to the High Performance power scheme will allow your computer to use more of its resources, resulting in faster performance.

8. Defragment Your Hard Drive

Over time, the files on your hard drive can become fragmented, which can slow down access times. The DEFRAG command allows you to defragment your drive:

1. Open Command Prompt and type defrag C: /X /H /V, then press Enter (replace C: with the drive letter of your main hard drive)
2. This will perform a thorough defragmentation of your drive
3. Depending on the size of your drive and amount of fragmentation, this may take some time

Defragmenting your hard drive will consolidate fragmented files, allowing your computer to access them more quickly and improving overall performance.

9. Disable Indexing with COMPACT

Windows indexing can sometimes cause performance issues, especially on older or low-spec computers. The COMPACT command allows you to disable indexing:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator
2. Type compact /u /s:C:\ and press Enter (replace C: with the drive letter of your main hard drive)
3. This will disable indexing on your main drive

Disabling indexing can free up system resources and improve performance, especially on older computers with limited RAM.

10. Reset Your PC with SYSTEMRESET

If all else fails, you can use the SYSTEMRESET command to reset your PC to its factory default settings:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator
2. Type systemreset -cleanpc and press Enter
3. Follow the prompts to reset your PC

Resetting your PC will remove all installed programs and restore your system settings to their defaults. This can resolve many performance issues caused by software conflicts or corrupted settings. Just be sure to back up any important data first, as resetting will erase everything on your main drive.

With these 10 command prompt tricks, you should be able to diagnose and resolve most issues causing a slow computer. From repairing corrupted files to optimizing settings, the Windows command line provides a powerful toolset for speeding up your PC. So next time your computer starts dragging, don’t panic – just open up Command Prompt and get to work!