How to Speed Up a Slow Laptop Without Buying Anything

Before you buy a new laptop, try these free steps. Most slow laptops are slow because of software, not hardware.

1. Remove startup programs

Open Task Manager, go to Startup, and disable everything you do not need the moment the laptop turns on.

2. Free up disk space

A disk that is more than 90% full slows everything down. Empty the Downloads folder and run Disk Cleanup.

3. Update and restart

Install pending updates and restart at least once a week. Many laptops run for months without a restart.

4. Check for malware

Run a full scan with the built-in security tool. For a step-by-step version with screenshots, see this laptop speed-up tutorial.

If it is still slow after all four steps, an SSD upgrade is the cheapest hardware fix.