why is my laptop so slow? simple steps to fix slow laptop ☑️

Naijanewlife
Have you ever experienced the frustration of staring at your laptop screen, waiting for it to load a page or an application? When you first purchased your laptop, it probably ran lightning-fast and gave you that feel-good feeling whenever you used it. However, as time passed, your laptop engine began to slow down due to unnecessary files, bugs, and cache data.

Luckily, there are proven hacks that can help you oil your laptop's engine and restore it to its top speed. Whether you're running on Windows 11, 10, or 8, here are some tips that can help:

1: Use Ready Boost:

Windows features a ReadyBoost option that allows you to back up your RAM with a flash drive. This feature can be helpful if you're running on a smaller memory like 4GB RAM and can make up for extra memory space for faster processing power.

2: Disable Startup Programs:

If your laptop takes too long to boot up, there's a good chance that too many programs are running during the startup. This could be system programs, antivirus software, or unnecessary software that runs in the background, giving your CPU a lot of work to do and slowing down the loading speed.

To locate and force-stop these unnecessary programs, go to the Task Bar, right-click, and choose Task Manager. A window will pop up listing every program running in the background. Carefully scan through the list for programs with high startup impact that are not system software. Right-click on the program and select disable.

If you're unsure of the purpose of the software, you can right-click on the application to check the properties or file location. Alternatively, you can hit the Google search bar for answers to avoid disabling important system programs. Freeing up your computer's RAM during startup will give it much-needed room to process files quickly.

Additionally, closing all programs before putting your laptop to sleep is a healthy way of speeding up your system booting process.

3: Uninstall Unused Apps:

At some point, you may have installed a long list of applications that you barely use. Some of them may be pre-installed programs, while others are used once in a while and then disposed of. These programs take up a huge chunk of storage space and take a hit on your CPU performance, which could slow down your computer.

Uninstalling or deleting these programs will free up more system resources for optimal performance. To uninstall unused programs, hit the Start

4: Check for Malware and Viruses. 

Another essential step in fixing a slow-running laptop is to check for malware and viruses. These malicious programs can infect files and programs, spread through every software, and cause your computer to slow down. You can tell if your system is under attack if you experience a slow performance, frequent system crashes, slow internet speed, strange loss of disk space, and annoying pop-up ads.

To prevent and eliminate malware attacks, use anti-virus software that can help you uproot the malware and get your laptop up to speed. There are many free and paid anti-virus software available that can keep your system protected, set up regular anti-virus scans for malware, viruses, and system breaches.

5: Free up disk space:

When it comes to fixing a slow-running laptop, the first step that comes to mind is freeing up disk space. Large files like videos, audio, and games can limit the space used by your processor and affect the performance of your laptop. When your storage space is almost full, i.e., 90%-99%, your computer may not be able to perform tasks efficiently, and it will lag through every window.

To avoid this, you should delete unnecessary files like movies that you no longer need or move them to an external storage device like a flash drive or cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox. Additionally, using tools like CCleaner can help you crawl through your system drive to delete hidden files, junk files, cache data, and uninstall applications that you barely use.

You can also use Microsoft's disk cleanup program to free up space on your system. To do this, type Disk Cleanup in your Windows search bar, select the driver you want to clean up, tick all the boxes of files you wish to delete, and click the Start button. Keeping your storage space within 75% to 80% full is advisable to leave enough space for your system RAM to operate efficiently.

6: Check and update your laptop operating system. 

It is crucial to update your operating system and drivers regularly to keep your laptop running smoothly. Windows or Mac OS will regularly send you software updates that can help beef up system performance and stifle system bugs. To update your OS, go to Settings, select Update and Security, and check for Windows Update and download if available. To update your drivers, enter Device Manager in the Windows search box, select Device Manager, navigate to the device you want to update, search for updated driver software and update.

7: Upgrade your Hard drive. 

Upgrading your Hard Drive to an SSD or upgrading your RAM can significantly speed up your system. An SSD provides faster access to files and programs, and more RAM means more resources for your system to use. Work-from-home nomads and gamers will find SSD-equipped laptops to be a lifesaver in terms of speed and efficiency.

8: Turn on power saving. 

Adjusting power-saving settings can help you squeeze out some extra juice to speed up your laptop. You can navigate to the Control Panel, select Hardware and Sound, and then select Power saver. Choose the High-performance option to boost the speed of your system when it’s plugged in, and a balanced option when there’s no power.

9: Disable animation and special effects. 

Disabling animations and special effects can free up a sizeable amount of system resources and help your processor run faster. You can disable these effects by navigating to the Control Panel, selecting System and Security, clicking on System, locating Advanced system performance, and then selecting performance. You can then turn off all effects by clicking on Adjust for best performance or individually untick the ones you don’t need.

10: Defragment the Hard Disk Drive. 

Defragmenting your laptop hard disk drive can help to compile and organize files for easy processing and efficiency. You can locate My Computer, right-click the Hard Disk Drive and go to properties, move on to Tools and then optimize and defragment the drive. Choose Analyze to check the level of fragmentation (it should be below 5%) and click on Optimize to defrag the Hard Drive.

11: Close Programs Running in the Background:

Your system may have programs running in the background that are taking up valuable space in your RAM, resulting in slow performance. Some of these programs may be useful, while others may be overburdening your processor when not in use.

To free up resources, use your Task Manager tab to identify these programs and kill them so that they only run when in use. The Task Manager is like a personal assistant that helps you monitor every application running in your system, including the system resources, memory, and network data used.

If you're unsure about the function of a program, click on "More Details" or use a search engine to find answers.

12: Uninstall Bloatware Apps:

Bloatware apps are preinstalled by manufacturers, and while some may be useful, others take up disk space and eat up CPU resources. To free up resources, go to "Apps" in the Start menu and right-click on the bloatware app to uninstall it.

If the app doesn't appear in the Start menu, search "Add or remove programs" and scan the list of applications for bloatware apps to uninstall.

13: Clear Web Browser Cache Data and Cookies:

Web browser cache data and cookies can take up disk space and slow down your browsing speed. To delete this data, launch your browser's app and go to "Settings." Then, select "Clear browsing data" and tick the box next to "clear cached data and cookies."

This process may vary depending on the browser you use, but it should be easy to find. Closing down all tabs can also create room for a faster browsing experience.

In conclusion, taking these simple steps can help speed up your computer and improve your overall experience. Keep your system running smoothly and efficiently by regularly monitoring and managing your resources.