A slow Windows laptop that takes an eternity to respond to your click or load a website is irritating to work with. A slow laptop can ruin your productivity and your reputation. It can disrupt your important video call or an urgent assignment. Why is your laptop slow, and can you do anything to fix it? Many things can slow your laptop. Fixing them may restore its speed. Let’s find out the possible reasons for your windows laptop dead slow and how you can get your device’s speed back.
10 Reasons Your Windows Laptop Is Very Slow
As your laptop ages, it will lose its magical touch, like its speed and performance. Dubai laptop repair experts say these factors can windows laptop dead slow, no matter its make or model:
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Many apps are running in the background
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Low storage is available on the disk drive
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Little RAM availability
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Excessive junk files on your laptop
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Too many startup programs while the laptop boots up
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Malware or virus attack
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Hard disk problems
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Malfunctioning web browser
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Overheating or thermal throttling
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Improper power options selected
The list can continue without end. But the above-mentioned causes are more common among laptops. Let’s see how you can fix your laptop’s swiftness issues and boost the speed.
8 Ways to Improve Your Windows Laptop’s Speed
Is your Windows laptop performing slowly for the first time in a while? In that situation, you can try restarting your laptop. Restarting your laptop can free up some RAM. It will speed up your computer.
Additionally, all your background programs close with a restart. So, your laptop makes a fresh start and shouldn’t stutter. But a restart won’t be enough if your laptop has become slow nowadays. Let’s check out some better ways to speed up your machine. These are from techs at a nearby laptop repair shop.
1. Restrict startup applications
Whenever your laptop boots into Windows, a bunch of applications launch. Now, too many startup applications can windows laptop dead slow. Hence, you can identify unnecessary startups for your Windows PC and disable them.
Here’s how you can handle Windows startup applications:
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Navigate to the Task Manager. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and select Task Manager.
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Next, head toward the Startup tab.
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Choose the program you want to deselect from appearing as a startup application. After that, hit the Disable button to remove it from the startup menu.
2. Detect resource-hungry applications and disable them.
A sudden drop in your Windows PC’s performance may mean too many apps are running in the background. The easiest way to find out is to sneak into the Task Manager. Check where your laptop’s resources are being used.
Let’s check out the process:
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Right-click the taskbar on your Windows laptop.
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Then, hit the Task Manager option.
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Under the Processes tab, you can see all the running applications or programs on your laptop. You can also see their current CPU, memory, disk, and network usage.
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If specific programs are using too many resources, you can close them from the Task Manager. Simply click on a particular application and choose ‘End Task.’
3. Get rid of unnecessary files.
Laptops tend to get cluttered if you don’t manage your files and data manually. You can add more apps and files to your system. Don’t worry about the native hard drive’s storage capacity. High-res videos, images, and audio files are using up space.
It’s better to generate a healthy habit of cleaning up your unnecessary files from your Windows PC. Furthermore, it’s important to erase those deleted files from the Recycle Bin, too. Apart from tackling large files, you should uninstall applications that you barely use.
To uninstall a program, go to the Control Panel. Find and click ‘Uninstall a program.’ Next, select the app you want to remove. Moreover, you should free up some space on your hard drive by getting rid of temporary files like this:
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Press the Windows and R keys together.
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A Run window will appear. Type in ‘%temp%’ in the box provided.
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Afterward, hit Enter to see a list of temporary files.
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Delete those temporary files that are no longer in use.
4. Work on Your Internet Connection and Web Browser
Do you find the internet activities to be windows laptop dead slow? Your internet connection or browser is likely the problem. First, check your internet connection’s speed using a compatible tool.
Such tools are available online and tell you the accurate upload and download speeds. A decline in speed explains your frustration with gaming, Netflix, and browsing. If the problem persists, try these steps: restart your WiFi router. Move closer to it. Use a wired connection. Or, contact your ISP.
So, the issue might be contained in your web browser only. In that scenario, you can try debloating your preferred web browser. For your sluggish browser, you can perform the following steps to get things back on track:
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Clearing the browser cache and history
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Removing plugins and add-ons
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Trying out speed-up extensions
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Reinstallation of the browser
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Finding alternative
5. Update apps, drivers, and Windows
A laptop repair service near me reminds us to update software. It’s important for security and performance. Make sure that you regularly update all your installed apps and drivers. You can toggle on automatic updates to avoid the struggles of manual updating.
Also, your Windows must be the latest version for peak efficiency and security. Generally, your Windows laptop will inform you if there is an update available, and you need to install it.
You can also check for an update by following the instructions below:
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Hit the Windows key and click the gear icon or Settings in the Start menu.
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Now, navigate to Updates & Security (or Windows Update, depending on your Windows version).
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Select Windows Update if you are running Windows 10 or earlier versions.
The system will scan for any updates pending. Then, the laptop will prompt you to install those updates and restart the device. Updating your Windows laptop can boost its speed, say Dubai’s laptop repair techs.
6. Shift Your Laptop to a Cooler Place
Now, this tip may sound strange, but it helps you with your laptop’s declining speed. When a laptop overheats, it attempts to reduce its performance as a coping mechanism. So, you have to confront some serious performance issues.
You can try some basic steps to fix the overheating. First, you can take your laptop to an air-conditioned room to ease its thermal throttling. Next, you can make sure that your laptop vents don’t get clogged.
Otherwise, your machine will fail to dissipate its heat. Similarly, if possible, you can remove your laptop’s back panel. Dust the CPU cooler and air vents to remove the accumulated dirt. Now, check if the situation improves a bit after cooling down your Windows laptop.
7. Modify your laptop’s Power Options
Most Windows laptops use the balanced power option. It balances battery life with performance. You can switch to a performance-priority plan if your laptop’s performance drops.
For example, if you don’t mind using more battery, toggle the high-performance option on. Click the battery icon in your laptop’s taskbar. Then, choose the Best or High-Performance option.
Alternatively, you can create a customized power plan using the Control Panel:
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Enter the Control Panel window.
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Next, choose Hardware and Sound, followed by Power Options.
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After that, click on ‘Change power-saving settings.’
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Hit the option that says, ‘Create a power plan.’
Now, you can personalize the performance plan and name it accordingly.
8. Perform Some Disk Operations
Before choosing a laptop repair in Dubai, try Disk Cleanup. It’s a built-in Windows tool to remove junk from your system. So, here’s how you can access the tool:
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Open your laptop’s Control Panel portal.
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Afterward, go to the System and Security section.
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Hit the option named Windows Tools, followed by Disk Cleanup.
If you run an older version of Windows, use Administrative Tools instead. You can find it on the System and Security page. Once you access the tool, choose the files you want to delete and hit the OK button.
Another way to enhance your PC speed is to defragment the hard drive. Files on your hard drive can become fragmented. So, your system must check many places to find the file. This makes your laptop slower.
Simply search for ‘defragment’ and click the first result. Click on the Optimize option if it’s an SSD. Otherwise, you will notice an Analyze option.
Opt for hardware upgrades and refurbishments.
Can’t your laptop still reach the speed milestone as expected by you? Check for malware and adjust graphics settings to get the desired performance. You might have to upgrade the RAM and hard drive components.
Adding an SSD can upgrade your laptop’s performance. Similarly, adding more RAM will let you handle multitasking without worrying about resources. Contact a laptop repair Dubai expert. They can tell you about your laptop’s limits and upgrade options.