Is your laptop running slow? Are you frustrated with how long it takes to startup and how slowly programs are opening? If so, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Many people experience this issue. Here are Easy Ways to Make a Laptop Work Faster.

When your computer is operating slowly, it can be a frustrating thing, but replacing your laptop may be out of the question. There are various things you can do to ensure that your computer is operating at peak efficiency before giving up.

This blog post will discuss some easy ways to make your laptop work faster. We’ll cover everything from optimizing your hard drive to how to speed up your internet connection. So whether you’re using a Windows or Mac computer, keep reading for some helpful tips!

What Causes a Laptop to Run Slow?

Before we get into making your laptop work faster, it’s important to understand some of the common causes of a slow computer.

🖳Too Many Programs Running in the Background

One of the most common reasons for a slow laptop is that too many programs are running in the background. When you have a lot of programs open, your computer has to work harder, which can slow it down. You may be interested in this post also:Best Laptop for Business Traveler – Top Picks!

🖳Your Laptop Has Been Infected with Malware

If your computer has been infected with malware, it will run slower than normal. Malware is a type of software that’s designed to harm your computer, and it can make your laptop very slow.

🖳Your Computer Is Old and Out-of-Date

Older laptops often don’t have the same processing power as newer models, so it’s not surprising that they can run slowly. If your computer is more than a few years old, it might be time for an upgrade.

🖳You Don’t Have Enough RAM

RAM (random access memory) is how much memory your computer has to store information. If you don’t have enough RAM, your laptop will run slowly.

🖳You’re Running Out of Disk Space

It will definitely run slowly if your laptop’s hard drive is full. This is because the computer has to work harder to find free space to store new information.

🖳You Have Too Many Temporary Files

When you use programs on your computer, they often create temporary files. Over time, these temporary files can start to take up a lot of space, making your laptop run slowly.

How to Make a Laptop Work Faster

Now that you know some of the common reasons for a slow laptop let’s discuss how to fix the issue.

💻Free up Disk Space

One of the best ways to make your laptop work faster is to free up some disk space. You can do this by deleting old files, uninstalling unused programs, and emptying your recycle bin.

Microsoft recommends that at least 20% of your system disk be empty to operate at its best. The greater space you have on your disk, the faster Windows will run.

The three most common methods to free up space:

1. External disk drives or cloud storage are good choices for storing data
2. Uninstalling applications that are no longer in use
3. Delete junk and duplicate files

If your computer is running low on disk space, you can also try using a tool like CCleaner to free up some space. CCleaner is a free program that removes temporary files and other junk from your computer.

To complete a Disk Cleanup, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Start menu or Windows button and click on it.
2. Select Computer or My Computer from the menu.
3. Right-click the drive you want to clean, usually drive C.
4. As soon as you open Disk Cleanup, a window appears with an illustration of how much free space is available on your disk. If the free space on the disk is less than 20% of its total size, select the Disk Clean up button
5. Check the disk you wish to clean. The computer will calculate how much space may be freed up as a result of the cleanup.
6. Make sure to check all of the boxes and then click OK.

A clean hard drive will speed up the search for files on your computer.

💻Disable Startup Programs

Another way to make your laptop work faster is to disable startup programs. Startup programs are programs that automatically start when you turn on your computer.

These programs can be helpful, but they can also slow down your computer. If you don’t need a program to start automatically, it’s best to disable it.

To disable startup programs, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Start menu or Windows button and type “Startup Apps” into the search box.
2. Click on the “Startup” tab.
3. Toggle “OFF” the program you don’t want to start automatically.
4. Then afterward, restart your computer.

Your computer will now start up faster because it won’t have to load as many programs.

💻Close Unused Tabs

If you have too many tabs open in your web browser, it can start to slow down your computer. This is because each tab uses some of your computer’s resources. In order to make your laptop work faster, it’s best to close any tabs that you’re not using. Just simply X out of the tabs that you don’t need.

💻Check Your Hard Disk for Error

If you’re still having issues with a slow laptop, it might be due to an error on your hard disk. Hard disks can develop errors over time, and this can cause your computer to run slowly. You can do a check disk on your laptop to detect them. Your computer’s hard drive contains errors that need to be fixed. The disk error checking program will check your hard drive and resolve any issues it finds. 

Follow the steps below to complete this step :

1. Press and hold the Windows logo key and E on your keyboard
2. Right-click the C: drive and select Properties
3. Select Tools from the menu in Windows and then Check
4.  Scan the attached drive by clicking “Scan Drive” 
5. When it is finished, Windows will display a notification

Follow the on-screen directions to begin correcting any issues if they arise.

💻Delete Temporary Files

If your computer is still running slow, some temporary files may take up space on your hard drive. When you visit a website, a temporary file might be installed. After you’ve left the website, these files are no longer necessary. They will continue to use up room on your storage drive even after deleting them.

These files are created by programs and can be safely deleted.

To delete temporary files:

1. Select the Start menu or Windows button.
2. Select My Computer or Computer
3. Click the little arrow in the left nav bar to expand the files on a local drive, usually C.
4. Expand the Windows folder.
5. Select the Temp folder.
6. Select the first file in the list, press and hold down the Shift key, then select the last file with yesterday’s date.
7. All of the files prior to today will highlight, then press the delete key. 

Your storage drive will be able to find your files quicker with the extra space.

💻Backup Your Data

If you’ve tried all of these tips and your laptop is still running slow, it might be time to back up your data. This will ensure that none of your important files are lost if something happens to your computer. You can use an external hard drive or the cloud to store your data.

Backing up your data is an important step to take if your laptop is running slowly. It will ensure that your files are safe and can be easily accessed.

💻Hard Drive Defragment

If your computer is still running slowly, it might be due to a fragmented hard drive. When files are saved on a hard drive, they can become scattered around the disk. This makes it difficult for the computer to find and open them.

The best way to fix this issue is by defragmenting your hard drive. Once you’ve backed up your data, the next step is to defragment your hard drive. This process will rearrange the files on your hard drive to be accessed more quickly.

To defragment your hard drive:

1. Click on the Start menu or Windows button and type “Disk Defragmenter” into the search bar
2. Tap Disk Defragmenter program to open it
3. Click on the Analyze button to see how fragmented your hard drive is
4. If the results show that your hard drive is more than 15% fragmented, you should defragment it
5. Click on the Defragment button to start the process

Your computer’s hard drive will be more organized, and your laptop will run faster.

💻Organize Desktop Icons

If your Desktop has many icons, it can slow down your computer since it has to search through all the icons to find the one you’re looking for. By categorizing desktop icons into folders, you clear your background and reduce RAM usage on your device. Each time your computer powers on, it must load each icon from the start, which consumes a lot of RAM.  This way, your computer only has to load a few files on your Desktop.

The best way to do this is by creating folders for each type of file.

To create desktop folders:

1. Right-click on your Desktop and select New Folder.
2. Enter a name for the folder and press Enter.
3. Repeat these steps until you have created all of the desired folders.
4. Drag and drop your icons into the corresponding folders.
5. Your Desktop will be tidier, and your computer will run faster.

💻Change Laptop’s Power Plan

All computers have a power plan Balanced by design to save energy, so your laptop may slow down automatically. In this situation, raising the power level to High-Performance helps your laptop run more quickly.

Here is how:

1. On your keyboard, hit the Windows logo key and then control. Then click the Control panel from the window that appears.
2. Click the Large icons button to display all of your icons.
3. Select Power Options from the drop-down menu.
4. Click High Performance.

​💻Remove Malware and Viruses

If your computer is still running slowly, it might be infected with malware or viruses. These malicious programs can take up a lot of space on your hard drive and slow down your computer.

Your laptop can easily pick up malware on the modern web through watering hole attacks, malicious email attachments, or drive-by downloads. On the other hand, malware will not necessarily make your computer unusable. It may have been there for years, watching your activities and leaking information on your system. 

It may be able to slow down your laptop, and unlike startup applications, it’s difficult to trace when it’s the reason for a delay.

Signs Your Computer Might Be Infected With a Virus

• The web browser is sluggish and takes a long time to open
• You can’t open some programs or files
• Laptop crashes for no reason
• Pop-ups keep appearing, even when you’re not online
• Your computer is running slowly overall

If your laptop is exhibiting any of these signs, it likely has a virus, and you should take steps to remove it.

To remove malware and viruses:

1. Download a reliable antivirus program and scan your computer.
2. If the antivirus finds any malware or viruses, it will automatically remove them.
3. Keep your antivirus program up to date so that it can protect your laptop from the latest threats.

Your computer will be running faster, and you’ll be less likely to get a virus in the future.

💻Repair Disk Permissions

If you’re a Mac user, one way to speed up your laptop is to repair disk permissions. This process will fix any incorrect file permissions on your hard drive that might be causing problems.

To repair disk permissions:

1. Open the Finder and click on the Applications folder.
2. Scroll down and double-click on the Utility folder.
3. Double-click on the Disk Utility program.
4. Select your hard drive from the list of drives on the left side of the window.
5. Click on the First Aid tab.
6. Click on the Repair Disk Permissions button.
7. Wait for Disk Utility to finish repairing your disk permissions.

Your computer will run faster, and you’ll avoid any potential.

💻Install a Solid State Drive

A solid-state drive (SSD) can speed up your laptop by as much as 50%. This is because an SSD uses no moving parts to access data much faster than a regular hard drive.

To install an SSD:

1. Back up all of your data to an external hard drive or cloud storage service.
2. Purchase an SSD that is the same size or larger than your current hard drive.
3. Remove your old hard drive and install the SSD in its place.
4. Reinstall Windows (or macOS) on your computer.
5. Restore your backed-up data to the SSD.

Your laptop will be running much faster after you complete these steps.

💻Turn off Unnecessary Animations

Many animations are turned on by default in Windows and macOS, but they can slow down your laptop. By turning off these animations, you can speed up your computer.

To turn off animations in Windows:

1. Open the Control Panel and click on the System icon.
2. Click on the Advanced tab.
3. Click on the Settings button under Performance.
4. Select the Adjust for best performance option.
5. Click on the OK button to save your changes.

To turn off animations in macOS:

1. Open System Preferences and click on the Dock icon.
2. Uncheck the following options: Animate opening applications, Automatically hide and show the Dock, and magnification.
3. Close System Preferences.

Your computer will now run faster with these animations turned off.

💻Check Windows Updates

One way to speed up your laptop is to ensure that you have the latest Windows updates installed. These updates often include performance improvements and bug fixes.

To check for Windows updates:

1. Open the Control Panel and click on the System icon.
2. Click on the Automatic Updates tab.
3. Click on the Check for Updates button.

If any updates are found, they will be downloaded and installed automatically. Restart your computer when prompted. Your laptop will now be up to date and running faster.

💻Check RAM and Add More if Needed

Random-access memory (RAM) is a computer memory that the processor can quickly access. The more RAM you have, the faster your laptop will be. Follow these steps to determine how much RAM is currently installed in your computer and whether increasing it would be beneficial.

1. Click the Start button or press the Windows key.
2. Select My Computer, Computer, or This PC
3. Right-click on your C: drive and select Properties
4. Go to System and check to see how much-installed memory (RAM) is available.

If you see that you don’t have enough RAM, you can purchase and install more. Adding more RAM is an easy way to speed up your laptop.

💻Add More Storage Options

We live in an era of choice. Let’s take advantage of it and add storage options. You don’t necessarily have to buy a new hard drive or an external drive; you can simply move files to cloud storage services like Box, Microsoft Onedrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox.

The extra space will assist your computer is running more quickly once you’ve transferred data from your internal drives to another location.

💻Restart Your Computer Regularly

One simple way to keep your laptop running fast is to restart it regularly. This will clear out any memory that is being used by programs that you’re no longer using.

It’s a good idea to restart your computer at least once a week. To do this, simply click on the Start button and select the Restart option.

Your laptop will be running faster, and you’ll avoid any potential problems that can occur from programs not being closed properly.

💻Remove Dust and Debris

Your laptop can run faster if it’s free from dust and debris. Over time, these particles can build up and cause your computer to slow down.

To clean your laptop:

1. Turn it off and unplug the power cord
2. Remove the battery (if possible).
3. Use a compressed air duster to remove dust from the keyboard, vents, and other areas
4. Use a soft, dry cloth to wipe down the exterior of your laptop

Be careful not to use too much force when cleaning your laptop as you could damage it.

By following these tips, you can speed up your laptop and make it work faster. Enjoy the improved performance!

Final Thoughts

It’s frustrating to wait for a slow laptop or computer. Your laptop is like a car; it needs regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly. That means you should do things like clean up your hard drive, uninstall unused programs, and run virus scans regularly. You can make your laptop work faster and improve its performance by following these tips. Do you have any other tips to share? Let us know in the comments below!