Feel like smashing your laptop and going out to buy a new one? Hold that thought and read our 8 tips for boosting your laptop's performance and speeding it up first.
Does your laptop feel like it's barely running? Every time you restart it, do you have time to make a coffee because shutting down and starting up takes forever? Do you only have a few browser tabs open, yet switching between them is still slow and jerky?
Working on a laptop like that is frustrating and demotivating. A laptop that runs smoothly and quickly is essential, but getting one doesn't mean you have to rush to the shop and buy a new one. Before you write off your old laptop for good, try the following tips to boost its performance. They can extend its life by several years. You'll save money and help the environment too!
1) Restart your computer
Have you tried turning your laptop off and on again?
Over the years, this line has become a running joke. But today it's truer than ever. Modern laptops are very reliable, and to save energy you simply close the lid to put them to sleep. Most people now only restart or shut down their computer when Windows updates need installing or when something goes wrong. Yet a full shutdown and restart is often the best medicine, and it may well fix the slowdown.
2) Check which apps run at startup
Once you've fully shut down and restarted your laptop, it's a good opportunity to find out which apps launch automatically when Windows starts. For some apps this is normal and necessary. But you don't need many apps the moment the operating system starts, and you may never have consciously set them to launch automatically – you just didn't notice the option during installation and carried on without unticking it. App makers sometimes like to do this so their apps can "worm their way" into your system and persuade you to use them. Remember one thing, though: too many apps launching at startup put an enormous strain on the system, slowing down both startup and everyday running.
Fortunately, it's very easy to check the list of apps that launch at startup and limit it if needed. You can do this in the Windows 10 settings or via Task Manager.
- Via Task Manager: press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and then select Task Manager.
- Go to the Startup tab. You'll see a list of programs and apps that launch when Windows 10 starts. We recommend disabling only those you know the purpose of.
3) Check your internet connection
In today's online world, you most likely need an internet connection for most of the apps on your computer. Whether you're browsing websites, streaming on Netflix or playing games online, you need a good internet connection. If your connection is unstable or slow, these apps may lag and load slowly. This can give you the impression that your computer is slow, when the real culprit is the poor quality of your internet access.
Checking the quality of your internet connection is easy. You can use various online speed tests. We can recommend, for example, this one from hkfree.org,z.s., an association that runs a high-speed community network in Hradec Králové. Ideally, run the test several times at different times of day. The key values are Download and Upload. For basic web browsing, a speed of around 10 Mbps is enough. But if you love watching films and series online or download large files, we recommend at least 30 Mbps. The other important value is Ping, i.e. latency. This value should be as low as possible, and it matters mainly to online gamers.
4) Free up RAM
Computers and laptops use RAM (Random Access Memory) to store data temporarily. This memory holds data from running apps that the computer needs to access quickly. Computers usually have 4-8GB of this memory, while powerful and expensive workstations may have 16-128GB. Most people need to use this memory sparingly, because once it runs out, the computer starts topping it up with space from your hard drive, which is much slower than RAM. When your RAM runs out, your computer slows down significantly.
You can see an overview of all currently running apps and how much memory they use in Task Manager. You can sort them by how much RAM they take up by clicking the Memory column. You can close apps that use a lot of memory by right-clicking the relevant row with your mouse or touchpad and selecting End task. But be careful: most running apps are needed for the operating system to work properly, so always make sure you know what you're trying to close. Also bear in mind that this closes the app immediately and for good, which may cause you to lose any unsaved data.
This is only a short-term fix, because once you reopen the closed apps, available memory will start shrinking again. There are two permanent solutions. Either replace memory-hungry apps with alternatives that don't need as much RAM, or physically increase your RAM. However, this requires a technician to work on your computer, and we don't recommend trying it yourself. Don't hesitate to get in touch with us directly. We have plenty of experience with RAM upgrades and will be happy to help. Nothing could be easier than bringing your computer to us or using our courier pickup, which is free of charge.
5) Free up space on your hard drive
Your hard drive is there to store data long term, and when it runs out of space, it becomes another bottleneck in your computer. Not only will you be unable to save more data, you'll also find that your computer starts behaving strangely and slowly. That's because running apps and the operating system itself also use the hard drive – various temporary data needed for the computer to work properly are stored there too.
You can check the state of your storage by, for example, opening the Windows Settings app, selecting System and then clicking Storage. You'll see a bar chart clearly showing how full your storage is. If your storage is overloaded, the bar will turn red.
This window also shows how your storage is being used. The bars show storage used by apps, temporary files, videos, music, OneDrive cloud files and so on. For each item, you can see not only what's taking up space, but also remove apps and free up temporary storage. Apps & features usually take up the most space, so we recommend focusing mainly on this category.
6) Run Windows Update
You can also boost your computer's performance with Windows Update, which updates the operating system and the drivers for individual components. By default, Windows Update should run automatically on a regular basis, which means you shouldn't have to worry about it at all. That's only true, however, if you don't postpone updates or haven't turned them off completely. We wouldn't blame you – we know how annoying Windows can be with its reminders. But keep in mind that Windows reminds you so often for a reason: these updates can be very important for the security, stability and speed of your computer.
To run Windows Update, open Windows Settings and select Update & Security. This takes you straight to Windows Update. Download and install all pending updates right away. Some may require your laptop to restart, so make sure you see it through to the end.
7) Reset Windows
If your computer is still too slow, it's time for a bolder step – namely resetting Windows, also known as a factory default reset. It's a very effective solution to various computer and performance problems. It returns the system to its factory settings, which in theory should get rid of most of the troublesome app, system configuration or device driver issues. You can even choose whether to remove only all settings and installed apps, or all your saved data such as photos, films and so on as well.
Resetting Windows isn't complicated. Open Windows Settings, select Update & Security and then Recovery. At the top, you'll find Reset this PC. Click Get started and follow the on-screen instructions. Before you start, DON'T FORGET to back up all your important data, and bear in mind that on older computers the process may take some time, and you won't be able to use your computer until the reset is complete.
8) Upgrade your RAM and HDD/SSD
If the tips so far still haven't solved your slow computer or laptop, the only option left is a hardware intervention, i.e. an upgrade. Desktop computers allow all sorts of hardware to be replaced or added, but on laptops it's usually just the RAM and the HDD/SSD. Physically increasing your RAM has a huge impact on your computer's speed, which you'll notice above all when switching browser tabs or keeping several apps open at once without them starting to lag. Replacing the hard drive makes sense mainly if your laptop is a bit older and still has an HDD with magnetic platters and a read head like a record player. This type of storage has since been overtaken by SSDs, which contain only chips and are up to 15x faster than outdated HDDs. Swapping an HDD for an SSD is exactly what will make your computer or laptop start up or shut down within seconds, and when you click on something, it usually happens instantly. Upgrading your RAM and hard drive can give your tired machine a real kick and extend its life by years.
In both cases, however, the work needs to be done by an experienced technician, and we strongly advise against attempting it yourself at home. You can turn to us, for example. We have many years of experience with this type of service. We'll first carry out thorough diagnostics on your computer and then offer a suitable solution. In most cases, it can even be done without resetting the operating system or losing a single file. Don't hesitate to contact us, bring your computer to us, or simply use our free courier pickup – all you have to do is pack your computer in a parcel and hand it to the courier. We'll take care of the rest!