10 Tricks to Fasten a Slow Laptop and Computer

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve got a slow laptop. You’re not alone – millions of computer users face this issue every day. A slow laptop can be frustrating and hinder productivity. Fortunately, there are some tricks you can use to make your laptop run faster. In this blog, we’ll explore ten tricks to help you speed up your slow laptop.

1. Uninstall Unnecessary Programs

The first step in speeding up your slow laptop is to remove unnecessary programs. Over time, your laptop can become cluttered with programs that you don’t use or need. These programs take up valuable space and can slow down your computer. Removing unnecessary programs can help you in speeding your computer up. Follow steps to uninstall unused applications.

Method-1:

  1. To remove unnecessary programs, press Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to Run dialog box.
  2. Type Control Panel and press Enter.
  3. Select “Programs and Features.”
  4. From here, you can select the programs you want to uninstall and click Uninstall.

Method-2:

  1. Press Windows key + I keyboard shortcut to open Windows Settings.
  2. Now click on Apps. It will show Apps related menu.
  3. Select Apps & features from menu. Now you can see list of installed applications.
  4. Click on application you want to remove and then click Uninstall.

Note: Must think twice before uninstalling any application. Removing a wrong application can cause serious problem making you unable to use computer.

2. Disable Startup Programs

When you start your laptop, it loads several programs in the background. These programs can slow down your computer and increase the boot time. To speed up your laptop, you can disable startup programs that you don’t need. Disabling startup programs and services will free up valuable resources on computer, fasten booting time. Follow these steps to disable startup programs:

  1. press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keyboard shortcut or right click on taskbar and select Task Manager.
  2. Click on Startup tab. It will list all startup applications.
  3. Select application that you want to disable on startup.
  4. Right click on it. Then select disable.
  5. Repeat steps 3-4 for each application.
  6. Restart computer to take effect and enjoy faster boot in less time.

Note: Don’t disable system application that is required to run the system properly. Must research before you disable an application.

3. Clean Up Your Hard Drive

A full hard drive can slow down your laptop. When your hard drive is full, your computer has to work harder to find and access files. To free up space on your hard drive, you can delete unnecessary files and folders. You can also use disk clean up to remove temporary files, old system files, and other unnecessary data. Here are some tricks to clean up hard drive.

Method-1:

  1. Press Windows key + I to open Windows Settings.
  2. Now click on System. It will open system settings menu.
  3. Select Storage from menu. It will show how your storage is used and how you can free up storage.
  4. Now click on Temporary files.
  5. You will get check list to remove file categories. Check out categories you want to remove.
  6. After selecting file types. Click on Remove files button on the top.

Note: Be careful before deleting Downloads and Recycle bin.

Method-2:

  1. Press Windows key + R or click on Windows Search then type cleanmgr.exe to open disk clean-up utility.
  2. Select drive you want to clean up, System (C:) is default selection.
  3. Now select Files to delete. Here you can see how much space is going to be cleaned up.
  4. Click on Ok to start clean-up process. It can take time according to files to be deleted and system configuration.
  5. Restart your computer for better result.
Disk-Clean-up-progress-bar-for-System-C.png

4. Upgrade Your RAM

Upgrading your laptop’s RAM can significantly improve its performance. RAM (Random Access Memory) is the memory your laptop uses to store temporary data. The more RAM you have, the more data your laptop can store, and the faster it can access that data. If your laptop has less than 8GB of RAM, upgrading it can make a noticeable difference in performance. You can also increase V-RAM file size, follow these steps.

  1. Press Windows key + R and type sysdm.cpl and then hit Enter.
  2. Select Advanced tab and click on Settings under performance option.
  3. Again, select Advacned tab. Now click on Change under Virtual memory.
  4. Uncheck automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
  5. Now click on C: [system]. Click on Custom size.
  6. Initial size (MB) = Total RAM size x 1.5 x 1024 MB (Suppose there is 8 GB of RAM in your system. So Initial size will be 8 x 1.5 x 1024 = 12288 MB).
  7. Maximum size (MB) = Total RAM size x 3 x 1024 MB (Suppose there is 8 GB of RAM in your system. So Maximum size will be 8 x 3x 1024 = 24576 MB).
  8. Restart your computer to take affect changes.

5. Use a Solid-State Drive

If your laptop still uses a traditional hard drive, upgrading to a solid-state drive (SSD) can make a significant difference in performance. SSDs are much faster than traditional hard drives, which can improve your laptop’s boot time and overall performance. You can clone your existing hard drive to an SSD or install a fresh copy of Windows on the new drive.

6. Disable Visual Effects

Windows comes with several visual effects that can make your laptop look more attractive. However, these effects can also slow down your computer. To speed up your laptop, you can disable some or all of these effects. To do this.

  1. Right click on the This PC icon on your desktop.
  2. Select Properties and click on Advanced System Settings.
  3. In the Advanced tab, select Settings under the Performance section.
  4. From here, you can choose to adjust visual effects for best performance.
  5. Click on Apply and Ok.
Change-visula-effects-options.png

7. Keep Your Laptop Updated

Keeping your laptop updated is essential for its performance and security. Updates can include bug fixes, security patches, and new features. Updating operating system can update device drivers and other required files to run system smoothly. To keep your laptop updated:

  1. Press Windows key + I to open Windows Settings.
  2. Click on Update & Security. Now click on Windows Update.
  3. You can check for updates. It will show available updates for your system.
  4. Now click on Download and install.
  5. You should also keep your drivers updated, as outdated drivers can cause performance issues.

Note: Must save and backup your works before updating Windows.

8. Use a Lightweight Antivirus Program

Antivirus software is essential for protecting your laptop from viruses and malware. However, some antivirus programs can be resource-intensive and slow down your computer. To speed up your laptop, you can use a lightweight antivirus program that uses fewer resources. Some good lightweight antivirus programs.

9. Disabling unnecessary services

Disabling unnecessary services in Windows 10 can help improve the performance of your system and reduce resource usage. Here are the steps to disable unnecessary services in Windows 10:

  1. Open the Services app by typing “services.msc” in the Start menu and pressing Enter.
  2. Once the Services app opens, you will see a list of services that are running on your system.
  3. Identify the services that you do not need or want to run. You can use a search engine to learn more about the different services to determine which ones you should disable.
  4. Once you have identified the services you want to disable, right click on the service and select Properties.
  5. In the Properties window, select the General tab and change the Startup type to Disabled.
  6. Click Apply and then OK to save the changes.
  7. Repeat steps 4-6 for each service you want to disable.
  8. Once you have disabled the unnecessary services, restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

It’s important to note that disabling the wrong services can cause issues with your system, so make sure you research each service thoroughly before disabling it.

10. Changing the power option to High Performance

Changing the power option to High Performance in Windows 10 can help improve the performance of your system. Here are the steps to change the power option to High Performance:

  1. Click on the Windows Start menu and select Settings (the gear icon).
  2. In the Settings window, click on System.
  3. Click on Power & sleep in the left hand menu.
  4. Under the Related settings section, click on Additional power settings.
  5. In the Power Options window, you will see a list of power plans. Click on the High performance option to select it.
  6. If you don’t see the High performance option, click on Show additional plans to expand the list.
  7. Once you have selected the High performance option, click on Change plan settings.
  8. In the next window, you can adjust the settings for the High performance plan. You can choose when the display turns off and when the computer goes to sleep.
  9. Click on Change advanced power settings to adjust additional settings.
  10. In the Advanced settings tab, you can adjust settings such as processor power management, display settings, and hard disk settings.
  11. Once you have adjusted the settings to your liking, click on OK to save the changes.

Note: Changing the power option to High Performance may result in higher power consumption and reduced battery life on laptops and other portable devices.

Conclusion:

A slow laptop can be frustrating, but with the tricks mentioned above, you can speed up your computer and improve its performance. These tricks range from simple tasks like uninstalling unnecessary programs to more advanced tasks like upgrading your RAM or switching to an SSD. By following these tips, you can breathe new life into your laptop and enjoy a faster, more efficient computing experience.

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5 Comments

  1. Balvinder Singhsays:

    Hello Mr. Geek,
    How are you?
    I am from Canada, I don’t have enough technical knowledge about computer. It was frustrating to work on my old and slow computer. I googled ‘How to speed up old computer’, and I found this article, I gone through it and tried all mentioned steps carefully and it results better than my expectations. My old and turtle 🐢 speed computer is working faster and smoothly.
    Thankyou so much for your lovely blog. My good wishes for you.

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  3. Hey Tipu,
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