If your laptop feels like it’s stuck in slow motion, you’re not alone. Over time, even good machines can start to lag, freeze, and take forever to open apps. The good news? You usually don’t need to buy a new device. With a few simple tweaks, you can speed up a slow laptop and make it feel almost new again.

Below are 12 easy fixes anyone can try at home—no advanced tech skills required.

1. Restart Your Laptop (Seriously)

It sounds basic, but many people leave their laptops in sleep mode for weeks.
A full restart:

  • Clears temporary files
  • Stops stuck background processes
  • Frees up RAM

If your laptop has been running for days or weeks without a reboot, this alone might make it much faster.

2. Close Unnecessary Startup Programs

Too many apps starting with Windows or macOS can slow boot time and performance.

On Windows

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
  2. Go to Startup apps
  3. Disable anything you don’t need at startup (Spotify, game launchers, etc.)

On macOS

  1. Go to System Settings → General → Login Items
  2. Remove or disable nonessential apps

Fewer startup programs = faster boot and smoother performance.

3. Uninstall Software You Never Use

Old games, trial software, and tools you installed once and forgot still consume space and may run background services.

  • Go through your installed apps
  • Remove anything you haven’t used in the last 3–6 months
  • Keep only what you actually rely on

This frees up disk space and can reduce background activity.

4. Check for Malware and Unwanted Tools

Malware, adware, and shady “optimizer” apps can seriously slow down any laptop.

  • Run a full antivirus scan
  • Remove unknown browser extensions
  • Avoid “free speed booster” apps that look suspicious

A clean system is a fast system.

5. Free Up Disk Space (Especially on the System Drive)

If your main drive (usually C:) is almost full, your laptop will crawl.

You can:

  • Delete large files you no longer need
  • Empty the recycle bin
  • Clear browser cache and old downloads
  • Move photos and videos to an external drive or cloud storage

Aim to keep at least 15–20% of your system drive free.

6. Disable Visual Effects

Fancy animations and effects can make a slow laptop feel even slower.

  • On Windows: search for “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows” and choose Adjust for best performance or manually disable nonessential effects
  • On macOS: reduce motion and transparency in Accessibility and Display settings

You’ll gain speed at the cost of a little eye candy.

7. Update Your Operating System and Drivers

Outdated software can cause lag, bugs, and compatibility issues.

  • Install the latest system updates
  • Update graphics drivers and other important drivers
  • Restart after updates to apply changes

Updates often include performance improvements and security patches.

8. Use a Lighter Browser Setup

Modern browsers can be RAM-hungry, especially with many tabs open.

  • Close tabs you aren’t actively using
  • Remove unnecessary extensions
  • Use a lightweight browser if you mainly browse the web

If your laptop is slow mainly when you’re online, your browser is a likely culprit.

9. Limit Background Apps and Cloud Sync

Apps like cloud backup, messaging tools, and game launchers can quietly eat resources.

  • Disable auto-sync on apps you don’t need running 24/7
  • Exit apps from the system tray/menu bar when not in use
  • Pause large cloud syncs while working

This frees up CPU and RAM for what you actually care about.

10. Change Power Settings to “Performance”

On laptops, power saving modes can throttle performance.

  • On Windows: choose Balanced or High performance in Power options
  • On macOS: in Battery settings, make sure performance isn’t overly restricted

You’ll get a faster laptop, though battery life may be slightly shorter.

11. Consider an SSD (If You Still Have an HDD)

If your laptop uses a traditional hard drive, upgrading to a solid-state drive (SSD) is the biggest single speed boost you can get:

  • Faster boot times
  • Quicker app launches
  • Smooth multitasking

It’s often cheaper than buying a new laptop.

12. Add More RAM (If Possible)

If you run a lot of tabs, creative tools, or virtual machines, extra RAM can help.

  • Check your current RAM usage in Task Manager / Activity Monitor
  • If it’s constantly near 80–90%, an upgrade may help a lot

Not all laptops allow RAM upgrades, but if yours does, it can extend its life for years.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to be a tech expert to speed up a slow laptop. Start with the simple steps—restart, clean up apps, free space—and then move on to upgrades like an SSD or more RAM if needed. Tackle the list one by one, and you’ll feel the difference.