20 ways to optimize your Windows 10 PC for music production

Guest post by Nadav Biran, co-founder of catzaudio.com

You’re in the zone. Ideas are flowing out of you. Beats, melodies, FX, it’s all coming together. Suddenly, your PC totally freezes. Nothing’s working. You’re going to have to restart. I hope you saved your work?

Windows 10 has revolutionized the music-making process on the PC. Improvements in stability, updating and compatibility, not to mention its anti-latency safeguards, have made the PC a great instrument. A Windows 10 PC is a serious option for every type of musician. However, to get the best out of it, you need to make sure it’s functioning at optimal efficiency.

Here are 20 easy tweaks you can make to help avoid the frozen screen of death, and carry on making terrific music.

1. Disable system sounds

You don’t want the computer's sound effects interrupting your recordings. Here’s how to turn them off.

• Control Panel > Sound

• In Sound tab, under Sounds Scheme > No Sound

• Apply > OK

2. Adjust your processor scheduling to Background Services

This will enhance the operation of your PC’s audio drivers.

• Control Panel > System

• Advanced System Settings > Advanced tab

• Click Settings under Performance, the Performance Options window will appear

• Advanced tab > change processor scheduling to Background Services

• Apply > OK

3. Adjust your PC’s power options to high performance

There are times you might want your computer to conserve energy. When you’re making music isn’t one of those times. Make sure your PC is always functioning at full speed to preserve your audio performance.

• Control Panel > Power options

• Click High Performance

• Next, click Change Plan Settings

• Ensure both power options are set to Never

4. Make sure your PC doesn’t suspend your USB devices

You don’t want your USB keyboard being disabled if you leave your computer for too long.

• While on the Power Options screen (see tip 3)

• Click the + button next to USB Settings

• Click the + next to USB Selective suspend settings

• Double click Enabled > click Disabled

• Apply > OK

5. Disable Windows Background Apps

Make your PC concentrate only on your music. Make it stop doing other things in the background.

• Start Menu > Settings > Privacy

• Select Background Apps > Change any apps you don’t want running in the background to Off

6. Disable Windows Updates

While Windows 10 runs scheduled updates, you still don’t want it updating when you’re in the middle of a track. The same is true for your third-party apps.

• Start Menu > Settings

• Update & Security > Advanced Options  

• Choose How Updates Are Delivered > Slide from On to Off

7. Turn off Windows Firewall and anti-virus apps

These programs can interfere with your audio recordings, for optimal efficiency make sure they’re turned off. To safeguard against viruses while your Firewall is turned off, disconnect your PC from the internet.

The advantage to this is you won’t be distracted by emails or funny cat videos while you’re supposed to be making music!

8. Switch off animated windows

Windows 10’s visual effects, such as animated windows, use extra power from your PC which could be used to improve its audio performance. Do you really need them? If not, switch them off.

• Control Panel > System

• Advanced System Settings > Advanced tab

• Click Settings under Performance, the Performance Options window will appear

• Visual Effects tab > select Custom

• Untick Animate Windows when minimising and maximising

• OK

9. Switch off your screensaver

If your DAW is running, it can cause glitches if your PC switches to its screensaver. Turn it off.

• Right-click on Desktop > Personalize

• Click Screen Saver > select None

• OK

10. Update your PC’s graphics driver

Make sure everything on your computer is up to date. Obsolete drivers can slow your PC down. Here's how to update your graphics driver.

• Control Panel > Device Manager

• Click the triangle next to Display Adapters > your graphics card should appear

• Right-click > Update Driver Software

11. Update your PC’s network adapter driver

Again, outdated drivers can slow down your PC. Here’s how to update the network adapter driver

• Control Panel > Device Manager

• Select Network Adapters

• Locate your manufacturer and network adapter model. There may be multiple adapters

• Go to your manufacturer’s website to download the latest drivers

12. Install latest device drivers

Make sure you keep your hardware, such as synths or groove boxes, updated with the latest drivers. Visit your manufacturer’s websites for the latest downloads.

13. Turn off USB power management

Free up space on your USB bus, helping your PC to recognize devices and install drivers correctly.

• Control Panel > Device Manager

• Double-click Universal Serial Bus Controllers

• Double-click the top USB Root Hub entry

• Click on Power Management tab

• Uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power

• OK

• Repeat for all USB Root Hub entries

14. Optimize hard disk

Improve playback of audio files by optimizing your PC’s hard disk

• Right-click on Windows logo > File Explorer

• Left column, click This PC

• Right-click on the drive where you store your audio > click Properties

• Uncheck Compress this drive to save disk space and Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed

• Apply > OK

• Repeat for other drives if necessary

15. Disable user account control

User account control can cause problems with read/write permissions. It’s better for audio curation to have it disabled.

• Control Panel > User Accounts > Change User Account Control Settings

• Set to Never Notify

• OK > Restart your PC

16. Disable Fast Boot

It may take a little longer, but your computer will reboot in a more optimal state if you disable the Fast Boot option.

• Control Panel > Hardware & Sound > Power Options

• Click Choose what the Power Button does

• Untick Turn on Fast Start-Up

17. Close all programs you’re not using

Free up your PC’s resources by quitting all programs you’re not using, not just minimizing.

18. Disconnect any USB devices you’re not using

If you’re not using a piece of hardware, safely disconnect it from your PC. It will save PC resources.

19. Try not to use USB hubs

USB hubs are useful but inefficient. If possible, make sure your music making hardware is plugged directly into your PC

20. Run your DAW as an Administrator

Finally, running your DAW with Admin privileges helps solve problems with MIDI.

• Right-click the icon for your DAW > Properties > Compatibility tab

• Check Run this program as an Administrator

• Apply > OK

We hope our tips will make frozen screens a thing of the past, and your music is as great as it can possibly be.

Good luck!

Nadav Biran is a music producer/Audio engineer and the co-founder of catzaudio.com a pro audio magazine focused on providing music producers with the latest pro audio news, reviews, interviews, and guides.

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