A clean operating system after booting often looks much more loaded than it should. Although the fans die down and the Task manager stabilizes, the group of factory ones Microsoft Windows application it continues to run in the background without any real need.
These apps don’t do anything malicious and most of them exist for a good reason, but the problem arises when the user doesn’t use them at all.
Instead of treating them as an immutable package, by shutting down i by removing unnecessary services you can speed up your computer and free up precious resources.
OneDrive and constant background sync
A cloud storage service is first on the checklist because its background work is the easiest to justify. OneDrive must constantly monitor changes to folders, sync files, and keep shortcuts visible in order to function properly. This means that it cannot be activated until you manually open it. However, if you store the data in other places, this process just consumes resources unnecessarily. Especially if, like us, you don’t use it at all.
Shutting down is done by clicking on the cloud icon in the system tray, selecting the settings gear, and then in the account section, you should select the option to disconnect from the computer. After that, in the system settings of startup applications, it is necessary to deactivate this service so that it does not boot with the system.
For complete removal, it is enough to find Microsoft OneDrive in the list of installed applications and select the option to uninstall.
Phone Link and duplication of notifications from the phone
Connecting your phone to a computer provides useful options such as receiving messages, calls and photos directly on the computer. This also explains why the system allows this service to run constantly in the background to maintain an active connection. The problem arises if you don’t need that information on the computer, because your phone is already on the table next to the keyboard. Duplicating notifications from communication apps only creates noise and burdens work.
To stop this, in the settings under the item for Bluetooth and mobile devices, you should turn off the permission for the computer to access the contents of the phone. A much cleaner approach is to open the application itself Phone Link and removing the connected device through device management, after which in the Task Manager you should disable the start of these services at system startup.
Microsoft Teams
The factory version of this application combines private and business accounts, allowing quick calls and messages without the need for subsequent installation. That’s why it starts automatically at system login to intercept incoming calls before you even open the program. If your meetings and conversations primarily take place through other platforms such as Zoom or Google Meet, this application becomes a pure surplus that constantly consumes working memory.
Within the Teams application itself, in the general settings, it is necessary to turn off the options for automatic launch and operation of the application in the background. Then, through taskbar personalization, turn off the toggle for Teams under the other system tray icons.
If you do not need it at all in your daily work, you can delete it permanently through the menu with installed applications.
Xbox app
This platform serves a complete purpose on gaming PCs, as it manages the subscriptions, installed games and social functions of the gaming network. However, on strictly business and office machines this software is just additional hardware ballast standing by for a game library that doesn’t exist.
Through the system settings and the list of installed programs, you need to search for Xbox and remove the application. If for some reason you want to keep the application on disk but without its background work, in the application launch section turn off all items related to this platform and review the general gaming settings to turn off the features that you do not use.
Widgets as hidden RAM consumers
These elements seem harmless at first glance, until you realize that they are not just static weather tiles. They constantly pull news, sports results, financial reports and information from the network, and their work is supported by a special system package that remains active even when you do not open the widget panel.
This is one of the factory functions that you can turn off free working memory immediately. The simplest and cleanest move is to right-click on the taskbar, open its settings, and simply turn off the toggle for widgets under the taskbar items. This permanently removes the button from the screen, visual noise and constant background data consumption.
BenchmarkThe result is a lighter and faster operating system
The end result of these changes is not the result of one dramatic solution, but the sum of five small steps that together provide serious and measurable progress. Applying these changes frees up the eye 1.5 gigabytes of working memorywhile the time required from the start to a completely ready work surface is reduced.
Also, battery life on laptops during normal typing and Internet browsing is extended by an average of half an hour. Given the high prices of hardware components, the cheapest computer upgrade is to direct the software to run in a disciplined manner. So, before you blame your hardware for being outdated and slow, take a good look at your Task Manager. Find out who they are and shut them down tenants who do not pay rent, MakeUseOf concludes.