How to Speed Up a Slow Laptop in an Afternoon

A slow laptop can often be made noticeably faster in a single afternoon, without buying anything new. Start with a restart and a check for updates, then free some storage space, trim the apps that launch at startup, and close the browser tabs you are not using. Those four steps fix the most common causes of slowness, and they take less time than shopping for a replacement.

Start with a restart and updates

It sounds too simple, but a restart is the best first step. A laptop that has been on for weeks can hold temporary files, half-finished updates, and apps running in the background that you forgot about. Restart the laptop, let it finish starting up, and see how it feels before you change anything else.

After the restart, check for system updates and install them. Our article on how to choose a laptop for everyday use explains what to look for if you do decide that a replacement is the better choice.

Free up storage space

A nearly full drive is one of the most common reasons a laptop feels slow. The system needs free space for temporary files and updates, and when space runs low everything takes longer. Aim to keep at least a fifth of the drive free.

Move large files you want to keep to an external drive or to online storage, then delete the copies on the laptop. Uninstall apps you have not opened in months. If your photo or document library is large, our article on how to back up your computer files so you never lose them explains how to keep a safe copy before you delete anything from the laptop itself.

Trim startup apps and background apps

Many apps set themselves to start every time the laptop starts, even if you only use them once a month. Each one adds seconds to startup and uses memory while it waits in the background. Open the startup settings, look at the list, and switch off anything you do not need straight away.

Tame your browser tabs

Browser tabs use memory even when you are not looking at them. Twenty or thirty open tabs can slow a laptop with 8 GB of memory to a crawl, especially if some of them play video or refresh themselves. Close the tabs you are not using, and bookmark the pages you want to return to instead of leaving them open. Browser extensions can add to the load as well, so remove any you no longer use.

If your internet connection feels slow as well as the laptop, our article on fixing slow Wi-Fi covers the other side of the problem, and our article on how to keep your laptop battery healthy for years explains why a laptop that runs hot and slow can also drain its battery faster.

A slow laptop is frustrating, but it is often a sign of clutter rather than a broken machine. Work through the steps in order, restart after each big change, and judge the result in normal use. In most cases, an afternoon of tidying is enough to give an older laptop another useful year or two.