How to speed up your laptop: a quick guide

Over time, you may notice that your laptop is running more slowly than it used to. Let’s take a look at why this might be happening and what steps can be taken to fix it.

To speed up your laptop, you can try various methods that can help optimize its performance and improve its overall condition. Some of these methods are easy and require only a few clicks, while others may require additional software or hardware.

In this article, we will explore the most relevant and effective methods to speed up your laptop.

Why is the laptop slowing down?

Computer performance depends on various factors, but one of the most significant ones is the balance between hardware and software resources.

Hardware resources refer to the physical components of a laptop, such as the processor, memory, hard drive, and other components. Software resources, on the other hand, refer to the data and applications stored and run on the computer.

If one of the resources mentioned above is overloaded or not functioning properly, it may cause the computer to slow down.

Next, let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons why laptops may slow down.

1. Accumulation of unnecessary programs and files can lead to less free space on the hard drive for the system and applications to operate. If temporary files, browser cache, and other remnants from programs are not deleted after use, they can clutter the hard drive and slow it down.
2. There are also too many apps running in the background on a laptop. Each application requires processor time and RAM to function. Running too many apps at once or leaving them open in the background can cause conflicts over resources and slow the laptop’s performance.
3. The presence of viruses or other malicious software can not only threaten your security and privacy, but also slow down your computer. This malware can be embedded in system files, change settings, run hidden processes, and intercept network traffic. All of these actions can negatively affect the performance of your laptop.
4. Outdated drivers or system updates can cause problems with your computer. Drivers are programs that help your computer communicate with devices like printers, scanners, and cameras. System updates include bug fixes, security updates, and new features for your operating system. If you don’t keep your drivers and system up to date, it can lead to crashes, freezing, and incompatibility issues with new software and hardware.
5. Wear and tear or hardware damage. Over time, laptop components may become worn out or damaged due to frequent use, overheating, falls, bumps, and other factors. This can lead to a deterioration in their performance or complete failure. For instance, if a hard drive has damaged sectors or mechanical issues, it may slow down the reading and writing of data. If the cooling system is not functioning properly, it could cause the processor and other components to overheat. This may reduce their performance or lead to the laptop turning off automatically.

Outdated Windows Acceleration Methods

Before we move on to the current methods of speeding up a laptop, let’s take a look at some techniques that were popular in the past but are now outdated or no longer effective.

1. Disabling animations and special effects. In earlier versions of Windows, this was a way to save system resources and speed up the system. However, in Windows 10 and 11, these features are optimized and do not have a significant impact on performance. Additionally, they enhance the user experience by making the interface more modern and attractive.
2. Clearing the registry: The registry is a database that stores information about system and application settings, and over time it can become cluttered with unnecessary data. While cleaning the registry with special programs may not significantly improve computer performance, it can potentially be dangerous to the stability of your system if important records are accidentally deleted.
3. Disabling Windows services and features. Many of these are started automatically or on demand to provide various system functionalities. In theory, disabling some services or features can speed up your laptop’s performance. However, it’s important to understand what each service or feature does and what consequences may occur if it’s disabled. Also, keep in mind that some features may be interdependent, so disabling one may cause problems with others. Additionally, disabling features or services hasn’t provided a significant performance improvement for a long time and can sometimes even worsen performance.

Current methods for speeding up a laptop in 2024

Now that we’ve identified the causes of slow laptop performance and outdated Windows methods for acceleration, let’s move on to relevant and effective ways to speed up a laptop in 2024.

Cleaning the hard drive of unnecessary files

As we have previously mentioned, the more files you have stored on your hard drive, the less space is available for the system and applications to operate. Therefore, one of the simplest and quickest ways to improve the performance of your laptop is by cleaning your hard drive of unnecessary files.

The easiest way to free up space on your computer is by using the built-in Windows utility called “Disk Cleanup”. This tool allows you to remove temporary files, cached browser data, log files, and other unnecessary files that may be taking up valuable space on your hard drive.

1. To start the “Disk Cleanup”, please click on the system disk icon in “Explorer” and select “Properties”.
2. Then, on the “General” tab, click the “Clean Disk” button.
3. Check all the boxes and then click OK.

Defragmenting the hard drive

Defragmentation is a process that reorganizes the fragments of files on your hard drive so they are closer together. This makes it easier for the computer to read and write data, which improves storage performance and speeds up your computer.

To defragment your hard disk, you can use the built-in Microsoft OS tool called “Disk Optimization”. This tool allows you to analyze your hard drive’s current state and run the defragmentation process if needed, or schedule it to run at a specific time.

1. To start the “Disk Cleanup”, open the “Explorer” and find the system disk. Right-click on it and select “Properties”.
2. On the “Tools” tab, you will see the “Optimize” button. Click it to start the process. Choose the disk you want to optimize and click “Analyze”.
3. If the percentage of fragmentation is above 10%, click “Optimize” to clean up the disk.
4. You can also set a schedule for optimization by clicking on the “Settings” button.

Removing unnecessary programs

As we have previously mentioned, the more applications you have running on your laptop, the more resources they will consume from your processor and memory. To speed up your computer, one way to do this is to remove any unnecessary programs that you don’t use or that could be harmful to your system.

Another built-in Windows feature, “Add/Remove Programs”, can help you remove programs. This tool allows you to see a list of all the applications installed on your laptop and remove any of them if needed.

Updating drivers

As we have previously mentioned, outdated drivers can cause problems or incompatibilities when using new software or hardware. Updating your drivers can help improve your computer’s performance and solve some issues.

The easiest and most efficient way to keep all your drivers up to date is by using the IObit Driver Booster application.

1. Download and install the program from the official website.
2. Launch the program and click the “Start” button on the home screen. The program will begin scanning your computer for outdated or incompatible drivers.
3. After the scan, the application will display a list of drivers that need to be updated. You can select all or only the necessary drivers and click the “Update” button to download and install new versions of the drivers automatically.
4. To complete the driver update process, restart your computer.

If you experience any hardware issues after updating the drivers, use the “Restore” feature to revert to a previous driver version. To do so, go to the “Tools” tab, select “Backup and Restore”, and then select the driver you want to restore in the “Driver Recovery” tab. Click the “Restore” button to complete the process.

Replacing a hard drive with an SSD

A hard drive is the storage space where all your files, programs, and the operating system are saved. The faster the hard drive runs, the quicker it can read and write data, which in turn speeds up your laptop.

However, today’s classic hard drives have become completely outdated in terms of their performance. Therefore, one of the most effective ways to improve the speed of an older laptop is to replace the hard drive with an SSD (solid-state drive).

Purchase an SSD that matches the size and interface requirements of your laptop (e.g., a 2.5″ SATA drive). Once you have purchased the SSD, replace the old hard drive with the new one.

However, please be careful when opening the laptop’s case!