tt is a fantastic free alternative to DropBox that lets you upload and download large files such as videos at lightning-fast speeds. For example, a mb video file takes just one second either way. You can then share the link by email or on Facebook. If you use Gmail or outlook you can send massive files by email using the new chrome add-ons Ge. tt on Gmail and Ge. tt on outlook. Rather than clicking the individual download links on an mp3-packed web page, you can save time by grabbing all the tracks at once. Alternatively, if you want to grab photos or videos, select those filtering options. If you use chrome, you can download everything from a web page at once using Download Master.

One of the best ways to get big programs and games faster is to break the download into pieces. This will establish multiple, simultaneous connections to the server and make more effective use of your bandwidth. The aforementioned Firefox Download Manager DownThemAll splits files into segments automatically to boost the speed of your downloads by up to per cent. Then click network and change the limit for downloads per server to match. Alternatively, you could try the excellent Free Download Manager , which also works with chrome and internet explorer. As with DownTheMall , the program splits files automatically, but you can make things even faster by increasing the maximum number of connections per server.

Free download manager also lets you download torrent files and videos. See our mini workshop opposite page to find out how to use this feature. Many big software downloads are hosted on different servers around the world. Usefully, you can set free download manager to automatically search for mirrors when a file is over a certain size. These can every file for malware before they make it available, and they usually offer a choice of mirrors, so you can choose your nearest and fastest source. Thankfully, download. com has now stopped bundling every download with its annoying and highly unpopular CNET installer, which included unwanted extras such as browser toolbar. If you do find a program on the site that still uses the installer, choose the blue direct download link below the green button instead.

You should also be careful when downloading from Softpedia not to click adverts that look like download links. One way to avoid waiting around is to install JDownloader. JDownloader can download several files at the same time, automatically resume broken connections and schedule downloads at the times of your choice. Make sure you choose Advanced Installation and untick the options for the Babylon Toolbar and other unwanted extras. Many of the games offered by online-gaming platform Steam are massive- often several gigabytes in size- and can take several hours to download. select your new download region, click Ok and restart steam. Another tweak you can try to make steam downloads faster is to ensure the service is using the right setting for your internet connection. Use an online speed test such as Speedtest. net to find out. Launch Free Download Manager , and go to Options, Settings. Open the Downloads tree on the left and click BitTorrent. Choose a folder to save the torrent to and click Ok.

Go into options, settings, Downloads and click Monitoring. Choose Google Chrome from the list of browsers on the right IE and Firefox are pre-selected to give you one-click access to torrent files hosted on web pages. Rather than visiting the iPlayer website to watch new episodes of your favorite shows, why not grab them automatically using the Series Record feature? To stop iPlayer Desktop downloading a programme, hover your mouse over the pink download icon and choose Pause Series Record. You can speed up Series Record downloads by scheduling them for early in the morning when fewer people are likely to be using the service and the web. Click the Preferences button on the Downloads screen in iPlayer Desktop and, in the download Settings section.

By default, Windows XP limits you to 10 half-open connections and Windows 7 limits you to 20, but you can hack the Registry to increase this number. In Windows 7, go to Start, type regedit and navigate to the key:. Now double-click the value, set its data to 0 and restart your PC. For Windows XP, you can increase the half-open connections limit by downloading the Event ID Patch. Double-click the patch and choose to change the number of connections from 10 to Because the patch replaces original versions of files, you may get a warning from Windows or your security software, but this is safe to ignore.

Save yourself time and trouble by installing fbDownloader which can grab hundreds of pictures from the social network in a matter of minutes. Install the program, making sure you decline each of the unwanted extras, then enter your Facebook login details and grant it access to your account. Remember that, because Facebook re-sizes photos, the downloaded images will be smaller than the originals. This adobe AIR-based Desktop app lets you browse all the images from your Flickr photostream, choose the images you want to download and select the size at which to save them. Dropbox places no download speeds, which in theory means you can transfer files from your account as quickly as possible however, some users have experienced faster performance by specifying a maximum download rate, which allocates Dropbox a set proportion of your bandwidth.

to try this trick, right-click the Dropbox icon in your System Tray, choose preferences and click the Bandwidth tab. For example, if you get 10Mbps, set the rate between 5,kbps and 7,kbps. Click OK to save the change. You can improve the built-in download manager in Firefox by installing Download Statusbar. As well as pausing, cancelling and resuming downloads, you can scan them for malware using your anti-virus program, play a sound when the download completes and continue downloading files even after you close Firefox. To test your current speed and set bandwidth limits, click the Options menu. You can also use the Network test to check your router settings and identify any problems.

Tweaking the settings of torrenting tools can be confusing and may lead to slower rather than faster downloads. you can play it safe by using FeyAcceleretor , which boosts performance in a wide range of peer-to-peer P2P programs, including uTorrent, BitComet and Vuze. To use this, simple tools, just choose the software you want to speed up from the P2P Run menu, and it will optimize your bandwidth for faster uploads and downloads, which you can monitor in the graph below. When you install FeyAcceleretor, make sure you choose Custom installation and deselect the unwanted extras. Most BitTorrent programs let you control your upload and download speeds so you can change the settings yourself.

You can work out these figures using Speedtest. Windows Media Player. I use JetAudio instead. Adobe Acrobat Reader. I much prefer PDF XChange Viewer. Internet Explorer. Despite being the only browser that plays YouTube in fullscreen without lag since the recent update. i prefer Chrome. I bought Microsoft Office a few months ago and was expecting it to be a big bloasted beast. I was right! So, follow this guide to find out how to speed up your Windows 11 PC — and if you're still on the previous OS, we also have a guide to how to speed up Windows In case you have a Mac, you can look at our guide on how to speed up your Mac as well.

Many of us are guilty of leaving our computers in "sleep" or "standby" mode for weeks, or even months, on end. But restarting your computer every now and then is one of the simplest ways to speed up Windows Restarting your Windows 11 computer is a way for it to refresh itself and close down anything that doesn't need to be running. It may also fix a number of technical issues you may be experiencing, as restarting your computer also resets the underlying processes and drivers that are essential for the system to run smoothly. There's a reason "Did you try restarting it?

To restart Windows , simply click the Windows icon on your taskbar or press the Windows key on your keyboard then click the " power " icon. Next, click the " restart " icon. It may seem like Windows 11 is constantly asking you to update, but there's a good reason for that: Windows updates often contain a lot of bug fixes and driver updates, and they also refresh the operating system's built-in anti-virus software. So, even though it may cause a few moments of inconvenience, updating is always a wise choice. Click the Windows icon on your taskbar or press the Windows key on your keyboard to open the Start menu. Type " updates " — this will bring up the option " Check for updates " in the Start menu. Click " Check for updates. Now you're in the Windows Update menu, click " Check for updates. Once your updates are finished downloading, click " Restart now " to immediately install them. Alternatively, click " schedule the restart " to choose a more convenient time to restart your computer.

Not all updates require a restart, so you may not see these options every time. Having too many apps opening automatically when you start or restart your Windows PC can cause it to be slow from the get-go. You may not even realize that apps are starting themselves up in the background when you power on your PC. To fix this, follow this guide on how to disable startup apps on Windows Click the Windows icon on your taskbar or press the Windows key on your keyboard then type " startup. Click " Startup Apps " to enter this setting. You'll now see a list of all the apps that have the option to start automatically when you sign into Windows. To the right of each app that is set to start automatically will be a toggle saying " On ," as well as a note to the right which describes the impact this has on your system — low , medium , or high. Any apps that are set to " Off " will say " No impact " by them.

To stop an app from starting automatically when you sign into Windows, click the " On " toggle next to it. It's recommended to do this with any apps that say " Medium impact " or " High impact " next to them. You could also do this with " Low impact " apps if you rarely use them. Don't worry about disabling any of the apps in this menu. They'll still work as normal when you need them — you're simply stopping them from opening by themselves and running in the background unnecessarily when your computer starts up. Windows 11 has a handy built-in tool to free up space on your computer. If you're running out of storage space, the Storage tool can be a quick way to remedy this — and potentially speed up Windows 11 at the same time.

Here's how to free up storage space on Windows 11 using the Storage tool. Type " storage " until you see the " Storage settings " option appear, then click it. You'll now see a list of the top five categories where most of your storage is being used on your main drive. For now, we'll focus on " Temporary files ," as they're usually the least important files on your system. To get started, click " Temporary files. You'll now see a list of file types that Windows 11 has selected automatically. You may safely also select " Recycle Bin, " " System error memory dump files " and " Delivery Optimization Files " to free up even more space — however, check your Recycle Bin on the desktop first to check there's nothing important in there before you empty it.

It's not recommended to delete any of the other files in this menu. To delete the selected file categories, click " Remove files " at the top of the page. Click " Continue " on the prompt to confirm. If you have more than one drive on your Windows 11 PC, you can clear up some space on the other drive, or drives, too. To do this, go back to the main Storage page , then click " Advanced storage settings. You'll now see a list of every drive on your computer. Click the one you want to clean up. You'll notice that Windows hasn't pre-selected any file categories like it does for your main drive.

With this in mind, you must be careful not to select any important categories , such as " Photos " or " Videos ," as you may delete valuable files by mistake.

Downloads taking longer than expected on your PC? Here are some tips for how to increase download speeds on Windows If downloads are slow and web pages are taking forever to load, the first thing you should do is troubleshoot your slow internet connection. Once you've ruled out any problems with your ISP, router, and modem, move on to troubleshooting your device. There could be many reasons why a computer is running slow , but if you're specifically having problems with the internet, it could be due to the following:. Test your internet speed and compare it to what your internet provider promises to see if you're getting the maximum possible speed. After checking for issues with your internet connection, try these steps to speed up downloads on Windows Download one thing at a time. If you download multiple files on different devices for example, your computer and your game console simultaneously, each download will be competing with the other.

Use an Ethernet cable or move closer to the router. If your computer has an Ethernet port , connect it directly to your modem. Circumventing the router ensures a stable connection. If that's not an option, remove any obstructions between your computer and the router, making sure they are as physically close as possible. Delete temporary files. Your computer stores temporary files for programs you often use to speed up its performance, but too many temporary files can slow things down. Switch web browsers. Your default browser may not be optimized for your internet connection, so try downloading the file in a different browser. Turn off the metered connection.

If you set a metered connection to limit data usage, disable it to maximize download speeds. Turn off background apps. Applications that run in the background and use the internet can interfere with download speeds, so disable any apps that take up a lot of bandwidth and resources. Use a download manager. Some download managers can download files from multiple sources simultaneously, allowing for faster download speeds. Switch DNS servers. Your internet service provider ISP chooses your default DNS server, and it doesn't always pick the fastest one.

Experiment to find out which server works best for you. Disable automatic Windows updates. Windows downloads and installs the latest OS updates automatically, so turn off this feature to make sure it doesn't interfere with your other downloads. Change the bandwidth limit. Windows reserves bandwidth for itself to update Microsoft apps and services. Fortunately, you can adjust the bandwidth limits in your settings to prioritize downloads. Upgrade your internet plan. Your internet package limits your connection speed. Contact your ISP to discuss switching to a faster one. Technically, download speed refers to how fast your modem receives data from the internet. This data includes streaming, so if you're watching Netflix or using other web-based services, it'll affect your downloads. Just because your internet package promises high maximum download speeds doesn't mean you automatically get the fastest speed. Check with your ISP to ensure you have the right equipment to get the internet speed for which you're paying them.

If your upload speeds are faltering, check with your internet provider about what speed your plan provides. You may need to upgrade to a faster plan or switch providers. Try to stagger your internet usage, so multiple tasks aren't competing for bandwidth. Also, make sure you're using a router that broadcasts on both 2. If Wi-Fi is your only option, try measures to boost your Wi-Fi signal. As on a Windows PC, conduct a speed test to see if your internet is slow or something is wrong with your setup. If your speed tests fine, many of the same tips listed above for Windows PCs will work for you too. Try moving closer to the router, switching to the 5 GHz band, and making sure you're not performing multiple tasks. If browsing is slow, be sure to close unused tabs in your browser. Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day.

By Robert Earl Wells III. Reviewed by Jon Fisher. Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek. lifewire's editorial guidelines. Tweet Share Email. How do I increase my upload speed on Windows 10? How do I increase download speed on my Mac? What Is a Good Download Speed and Upload Speed? Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe. Tell us why!

More from Lifewire. Newsletter Sign Up.

Internet download managers are often hit-or-miss. By Robert Earl Wells III. Install the program, making sure you decline each of the unwanted extras, then enter your Facebook login details and grant it access to your account. Connect your computer directly to you router via an Ethernet cable. Create an account. Once your computer finishes booting up, you can test your download speeds; if your network was the reason they were slow, they should be faster now.

Categories:

• Games
• Movies
• Soft
• Music
• Files