“How Can I Speed Up My Old Laptop?“
This guide will have the answer to this question if you find yourself waiting on your computer to respond to the simplest of tasks. This is for laptops and desktops running the Windows operating system. If you are looking to speed up your Mac/Apple computer, Please follow this link.
If you have noticed that your computer, whether it be a laptop or a desktop, has started to struggle when it comes to responsiveness & speed then follow the guide below. Start at the top and work your way down trying each tip as you go to see which one works best for your computer.
Table Of Contents
- Windows Updates and Device Driver Updates
- Restart your PC and open only the apps you need
- Use ReadyBoost to help improve performance
- Ensure the system is managing your page file size
- Check for low disk space and free up your hard drive
- Edit the appearance of Windows to improve performance
- Disable or Pause OneDrive syncing
- Cleanup your startup programs
- Perform a virus scan & get rid of malware
- Run System Restore to revert back to an earlier time
1. Windows Updates and Device Driver Updates
One of the best ways to get the most out of your PC is to make sure you have the latest version of Windows 10 installed. When you check for updates, your PC will also search for the latest device drivers, which can also help improve your PC’s performance.
Microsoft rolls out updates all the time, It is best to make sure your device is up to date with the most current Windows update available. Your computer’s hardware also requires device drivers in order to function properly. Most of the time Windows can find & update your device drivers automatically within Windows update. We will also go over manually checking your device drivers to make sure they are all installed.
To check for updates
- Select the Start button, then select Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates.
Check for Windows updates - Do one of the following:
- If the status says “You’re up to date,” go to the next tip.
- If the status says “Updates are available,” select Install now.
- Select the updates you want to install, then select Install.
- Restart your PC and see if it seems to run better.
Once you have made sure that all of your Windows updates are completed and the status says “You’re up to date”, You will want to make sure that all of your device drivers are installed and up to date.
To check your device drivers
- Select File Explorer from the taskbar or search for it in the search bar.
- Right-click on “This PC” on the left sidebar and click on Manage. (The computer management window may take a second to show up.)
- Once your computer management window pops up, navigate to and click on Device Manager on the left sidebar.
- Once your device list populates, Any devices without a driver installed will be listed with a yellow exclamation icon beside it.
To get these device drivers installed, You will need to navigate to your manufacturer’s website, whether that be Dell, HP, Asus or any other manufacturer. They will usually have a support site just for providing an easy way to find your drivers that your laptop or desktop needs to function. Some companies will even provide an app for you to download and it will find your device and the drivers that need updates automatically. Dell has “Dell SupportAssist”, While HP has “HP Support Solutions”.
Whichever way you go, just make sure that you are downloading all of the recommended drivers that their website provides. Some websites will even tell you which device drivers are urgent or required. Once you have went through the process of installing all of your device drivers, check your device drivers in Device Manager to make sure that you don’t have any unknown devices remaining. If you do, you probably missed a driver somewhere and you need to go download & install it.
If your PC is still running slowly, proceed to the next tip.
2. Restart your PC and open only the apps you need
Having many apps, programs, web browsers, and so on open at once can slow down your PC. Having a lot of browser tabs open at once can also slow it down quite a bit. If Having too many programs open at once can slow down your computer. Similarly, having a lot of browser tabs or windows open will create lag and make the browsing experience choppy. If this is happening to you, shut any unnecessary apps/windows that you have opened- if it doesn’t seem like things are getting better after doing so, restart your PC and then reopen just what’s needed for now (e.g., email program).
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To restart your PC
- Select the Start button, then select Power > Restart.
- After your PC restarts, open just the apps you need, then close them when you’re done.
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Windows 10 comes with many great features that make it a more streamlined and less complicated operating system. One of its best new features is the compatibility mode, which allows users to run their favorite programs on Windows without any lag or slowdown in performance. If you find your computer running slower than usual after opening certain software such as word processing programs like Microsoft Word, check out this feature for an easy fix!
Sometimes apps made for earlier versions of windows can still run on Windows 10 but they might slow down your PC if this happens after you open a specific program then visit the company’s website because there has been an update available or use Program Compatibility Troubleshooter
To run the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter
- In the search box on the taskbar, type troubleshoot, then select Troubleshoot settings, which has System settings listed under it.
- In the list of troubleshooters, select Program Compatibility Troubleshooter > Run the troubleshooter.
- Select the program that you’re having issues with, then select Next and continue through the troubleshooter.
PC still running slowly? Continue to the next tip.
3. Use ReadyBoost to help improve performance
Readyboost is a great way to keep your computer running smoothly when you don’t have enough RAM. It’s so easy – just plug in any old USB flash drive or memory card with at least 500 MB free and high data transfer rate, turn on the feature from there (Windows 7 has it built-in) and voila!
Readyboost will use that device for extra storage while still letting Windows run as normal.
To enable ReadyBoost on your PC
- Insert the USB flash drive into a USB port on your PC.
- Select File Explorer from the taskbar.
- Press and hold (or right-click) the USB flash drive (or SD card if you used one instead), then select Properties.
- Select the ReadyBoost tab, then select Use this device.
Windows determines if the device can use ReadyBoost. If it can’t, it’ll let you know. - After Windows determines how much free space to use to optimize memory, select OK to reserve this space so ReadyBoost can use it.
When you look at the contents of your USB flash drive, you’ll see a file named ReadyBoost.sfcache on it. This is how much space has been reserved for the function known as “ReadyBoost” – which boosts performance and makes things run quicker!
Note: ReadyBoost won’t be as effective on an SSD and is best used for older computers. If your Windows OS resides onto a solid state drive, you have already created the most efficient system possible!
4. Ensure the system is managing your page file size
Windows 10 is designed to automatically handle memory allocation so you don’t need to worry about it! Windows will allocate the paging file size necessary for your PC and then set it on a level that best suits your usage habits.
To make sure automatic page file management is turned on
- In the search box on the taskbar, type advanced system, and then select View advanced system settings, which has Control panel listed underneath it.
- In System Properties, select the Advanced tab, then select Settings in the Performance area.
- In Performance Options, select the Advanced tab, then select Change in the Virtual memory area.
- Make sure the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives check box is selected. If it is, continue to the next tip. If it’s not, select it and then restart your PC by selecting the Start button > Power > Restart.
Use your PC and see if it’s running better. If it’s not, try the next tip.
5. Check for low disk space and free up your hard drive
Better performance is possible when you free up some disk space on your PC. By doing so, the hard drive will have more room to store new data and programs that are running in the background of your computer. This can result in a faster system as well as giving it additional breathing room for operations like copying or installing files which may be taxing resources at this point.
To check for low disk space
- Select the Start button, then select Settings > System > Storage .
Open Storage settings - Your drives will be listed in the Storage area. Note the amount of free space and total size for each drive.
Note: If your PC has more than 40GB – 60GB of free space on your boot drive, which is usually labeled as “Local Disk (C:)”, try the next tip.
Storage Sense is a built-in feature in Windows 10 that automatically frees up space by getting rid of temporary and unnecessary files on your device. The instructions below show you how to delete the temporary files from Storage Sense, as well as turn it on/off or configure its settings for when it deletes these types of items at intervals you specify.
Do you have a need for more space? No matter what your reason is, Windows offers several ways to free up disk space on your device. If you can’t find Storage Sense in the following steps, don’t worry! You’ll learn how to use Disk Cleanup below instead.
Note: You shouldn’t delete temporary files to improve performance if you have apps that need them. While you may not be using these files at the moment, they help those apps load and run faster.
To delete temporary files with Storage Sense
- Select the Start button, then select Settings > System > Storage .
Open Storage settings - Select Temporary files in the storage breakdown. Note: If you don’t see Temporary files listed, select Show more categories.
- Windows will take a few moments to determine what files and apps are taking up the most space on your PC.
- Select the items you want to delete, and then select Remove files.
To see what’s in your Recycle Bin before you empty it, open the icon from your desktop. If it’s is not on your desktop, try searching for “Recycle Bin” and finding it in the results.
Note: Windows will store deleted files in the recycle bin so you can go back and retrieve them if needed. You might be able to free up a significant amount of space by deleting old, recycled folders from your computer’s hard drive permanently!
To turn on and setup Storage Sense
- Select the Start button, then select Settings > System > Storage .
Open Storage settings - In the Storage area, turn on Storage Sense.
- Select Configure Storage Sense or run it now.
- In theStorage Sense area, choose how often you want Storage Sense to run.
- In the Temporary Files area, select Delete temporary files that my apps aren’t using.
- Select which files you want Storage Sense to delete (your choices are files in your Recycle Bin and in your Downloads folder), then select the corresponding time intervals.
- Scroll down and select Clean now.
- Windows will take a few moment to clean up your files, and then you’ll see a message indicating how much disk space has been freed up.
If you don’t have Storage Sense, the Disk Cleanup tool can help delete temporary files and system files from your device.
To start Disk Cleanup
- In the search box on the taskbar, type disk cleanup, then select Disk Cleanup from the list of results.
- Select the checkbox next to the type of files you want to delete. (To view a description of each type of file, select the name.) By default, Downloaded Program Files, Temporary Internet Files, and Thumbnails are selected. Be sure to clear those check boxes if you don’t want to delete those files.
- To free up even more space, select Clean up system files. Disk Cleanup will take a few moments to calculate the amount of space that a can be freed up. Note: If it’s been fewer than 10 days since you upgraded to Windows 10, your previous version of Windows will be listed as a system file you can delete. If you need to free up drive space, you can delete it, but keep in mind that you’ll be deleting your Windows.old folder, which contains files that give you the option to go back to your previous version of Windows. If you delete your previous version of Windows, this can’t be undone. (You won’t be able to go back to your previous version of Windows.)
- Select the types of files you want to delete, select OK, then select Delete files in the confirmation window to start the cleanup.
If your PC still running sluggish, try uninstalling apps you don’t use anymore.
To uninstall old apps that you don’t use anymore
- Select the Start button, then select Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
Open Apps & features settings - Search for a specific app or sort them to see which ones are using the most space.
- When you find an app to remove, choose it from the list and select Uninstall.
- Restart your PC and and see if performance has improved.
If your PC still runs slowly, try moving files off of your Windows boot drive.
Wouldn’t you be more productive if your computer’s hard drive wasn’t being bogged down by files that are rarely used? You can transfer these files to an external drive or a USB drive for safekeeping, so they’re still available when needed but don’t take up space on the PC.
To migrate files to another drive
- Connect the removable media to your PC.
- Select File Explorer from the taskbar and find the files you want to move.
- Select the files, go to Home, then select Move to > Choose location.
- Select your removable media from the location list, then select Move.
- Restart your PC and see if performance has improved.
Get more info about freeing drive space in Windows 10.
If your PC still runs slowly, try the next tip.
6. Edit the appearance of Windows to improve performance
Windows 10 provides a wide range of effects that can make your computer look and feel more sleek. However, these animations may also slow down the performance on slower computers with lower memory (RAM).
To edit the visual effects of Windows
- In the search box on the taskbar, type performance, then select Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows in the list of results.
- On the Visual Effects tab, select Adjust for best performance > Apply.
- Restart your PC and see if that speeds up your PC.
If your PC is still running slow, continue to the next tip.
7. Disable or Pause OneDrive syncing
OneDrive is an online storage service that can be accessed from any device with internet connection. You are able to choose where you want files saved by default, which helps make sure your work will always be backed up and accessible no matter what kind of computer or operating system you’re on. However this also means syncing between devices could slow down performance when using a PC so it’s important to use caution in order not hinder productivity while working at home or the office!
To pause syncing to OneDrive
- On the taskbar, look for OneDrive near the notification area.
- Select OneDrive > More > Pause syncing, and then choose how long you want to pause syncing your files.
- Restart your PC and see if your performance issues have improved with syncing paused.
- To resume syncing your files, select OneDrive > More > Resume syncing.
You can also visit Fix OneDrive sync problems to check for any sync issues.
Notes:
- If you have Window 10 version 1709 or higher, you can use OneDrive Files On-Demand to choose which files you want to sync and always keep on your PC. This can help improve PC performance if you reduce the number of files that are synced to your PC. To see which version of Windows 10 your device is currently running, select the Start button, then select Settings > System >About.
Open About settings - For more info on OneDrive Files On-Demand, see Learn about OneDrive Files On-Demand.
8. Cleanup your startup programs
When you turn on your PC, some programs start automatically and run in the background. They’re often using up resources without permission – which can slow down performance! You’ll never have to worry about this again when you disable these programs so they don’t come back after reboot.
Many programs are designed to start automatically when Windows does, but this may slow down the time it takes for your computer to load. Programs that you use a lot can be easily accessed without slowing things down; however, if you don’t often open these types of applications then they should not run at startup in order to keep loading times quick and efficient.
Locate your computer’s startup apps.
You can learn more about which programs start automatically by looking at the icons in your notification area on the far right of your taskbar. Make sure to select Show Hidden Icons and to check there first and make a list of all apps you want or don’t want running when you turn on your computer, as this will help get rid off any unnecessary processes that could be slowing down startup time!
Notification area with mouse pointing to show hidden icons
Some programs run automatically at startup, and while you may have seen some of them in the notification area when they ran but that may not be all of them. Here’s how to find all those sneaky little buggers that start up with Windows so your system doesn’t get bogged down by useless apps.
How to find & stop an app from starting automatically
- Select the Start button, then select Settings > Apps > Startup .
Open Startup Apps settings - In the Startup Apps area, find the program you want to stop from starting automatically and set it to Off.
Notes:
- If you turn off a program and it continues to start automatically when Windows starts, you should scan for viruses and malware. See the next section for more info.
- To use the procedure above to stop a program from starting automatically, you need to have Windows 10 (Version 1803 or higher) installed. To see which version of Windows 10 your device is currently running, select the Start button, then select Settings > System > About.
Open About settings - If you have Windows 10 (Version 1709 or earlier) installed, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, select Task Manager, select Startup, select the program you want to stop from starting automatically, then select Disable.
9. Perform a virus scan & get rid of malware
A virus, malware or malicious software is capable of causing your PC to run slowly. This includes unexpected pop-up messages that happen randomly and programs that start without warning while you are using the computer. The sound of a hard disk constantly working can also be heard from time to time which indicates there may be an issue with the machine’s memory storage
The best way to ensure you don’t get a virus is by running antivirus and anti-malware programs, but sometimes even the most careful person can still have their PC infected.
There are many ways that malicious software or viruses might find themselves on your computer without any one of us knowing how they got there: through email attachments, clicking on bad links in emails (or text messages), visiting phishing sites with spoofed URLs—basically anything we do online via our computers could put malware onto them as long as it’s not protected enough. The only true defense against this kind of thing is vigilance; if you know about these risks then hopefully you’ll be able to avoid being affected by something like ransomware or spyware!
You can scan your PC for viruses or other malicious software by using Windows Security (formerly known as the Microsoft Defender). It comes included with every version of windows 10. For more info, check out this article on how to protect yourself from being hacked!
Notes:
- If you’re using other antivirus or anti-malware software, see the documentation for that program to learn how to scan for viruses. Also, make sure multiple antivirus programs aren’t running at the same time. If they are, choose the one you want to run, and then disable or uninstall any others.
- If you have another antivirus program installed and turned on, Windows Security will be turned off by default.
To scan your computer for viruses using Windows Security (Windows 10 Version 1809 or later)
- Select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security and then select Open Windows Security.
Open Windows Security settings - Select Virus & threat protection, then select Check for updates under Virus & threat protection updates.
- On the Protection updates screen, select Check for updates to make sure you have the most recent updates.
- Select Virus & threat protection, then select Quick scan.
Wait for Windows Security to finish scanning for viruses and malware. - Do one of the following, depending on the results of the scan:
- Run the recommended advanced scan. This scan takes longer but searches more extensively for threats on your PC.
- If Windows Security finds a virus or malware and can’t remove or quarantine it, contact Microsoft Support for help.
- If no viruses are found, restart your PC and try to reproduce the performance problem you were having with your PC.
Notes:
- If Windows Security doesn’t open, can’t update the definition file, or can’t finish scanning for viruses, try running Windows Defender Offline, which is explained below in To scan for malware and viruses with Windows Defender Offline (Windows 10 Version 1809 or later).
- To see which version of Windows 10 your device is currently running, select the Start button, then select Settings > System > About.
Open About settings
To scan for viruses using Windows Defender Security Center (Windows 10 Version 1803)
- Select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security and then select Open Windows Defender Security Center.
Open Windows Security settings - Select Virus & threat protection, then select Virus & threat protection updates > Check for updates to make sure you have the latest definition file.
- Select the Virus & threat protection tab, then select Scan now.
Wait for Windows Defender Security Center to finish scanning for viruses and malware. - Do one of the following, depending on the results of the scan:
- Run the recommended advanced scan. This scan takes longer but searches more extensively for threats on your PC.
- If Windows Defender Security Center finds a virus or malware and can’t remove or quarantine it, contact Microsoft Support for help.
- If no viruses are found, restart your PC and try to reproduce the performance problem you were having with your PC.
Notes:
- If Windows Defender Security Center doesn’t open, can’t update the definition file, or can’t finish scanning for viruses, try running Windows Defender in Offline Mode, which is explained below in To scan for malware and viruses with Windows Defender Offline (Windows 10 Version 1803).
- To see which version of Windows 10 your device is currently running, select the Start button, then select Settings > System > About.
Open About settings
To scan your computer for malware and viruses with Windows Defender Offline (Windows 10 Version 1809 or later)
- Save any documents or anything else you might have open on your PC.
- Select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security and then select Open Windows Security.
Open Windows Security settings - Select Virus & threat protection, and then under Current threats, select Scan options > Windows Defender Offline scan > Scan now.
Your PC will restart, and Windows Defender Offline will run and scan for viruses and malware. The scan might take 15 minutes or so, and your PC will restart again after that. - Try to reproduce the performance issue.
If your PC still runs slowly, continue to the next tip.
To scan your computer for malware and viruses with Windows Defender Offline (Windows 10 Version 1803)
- Save any documents or anything else you might have open on your PC.
- Select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security and then select Open Windows Defender Security Center.
Open Windows Security settings - Select Virus & threat protection, then select Run a new advanced scan > Windows Defender Offline scan > Scan now.
Your PC will restart, and Windows Defender Offline will run and scan for viruses and malware. The scan might take 15 minutes or so, and your PC will restart again after that. - Try to reproduce the performance issue.
If your PC still runs slowly, continue to the next tip.
10. Run System Restore to revert back to an earlier time
Restoring your PC undoes recent changes that might be causing problems. If you think a recently installed app, driver or update for Windows could be causing problems, go back to an earlier point where things were working properly by restoring the system with Restore points.
Notes:
- Restoring from a restore point won’t affect your personal files, but it will remove apps, drivers, and updates that were installed after the restore point was created.
- System restore works for changes made in the last 7 to 14 days.
To restore your PC from an earlier restore point
- In the search box on the taskbar, type restore point, then select Create a restore point from the list of results.
- On the System Protection tab, select System Restore.
- Select Next, then choose the restore point related to the app, driver, or update that might be causing the problem. Then select Next > Finish.
- Restart your PC and see if performance has improved.
If you don’t see any restore points, it might be because system protection isn’t turned on.
To turn on system protection
- In the search box on the taskbar, type restore point, then select Create a restore point from the list of results.
- On the System Protection tab, select Configure.
- Select Turn on system protection > OK.
If your PC still runs slowly, try the next tip.
