Do These First — In Order

  1. 1

    Restart (not just sleep)

    Most people put their laptop to sleep rather than shutting down. Restarting clears the RAM, applies pending updates and clears background processes that accumulate over days of use. Try a full restart first before anything else — it fixes a surprising number of slowness issues.

  2. 2

    Disable startup programs

    Too many programs launching at startup is the most common cause of a slow laptop. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Startup tab → right-click anything with High or Medium startup impact that you do not need immediately → Disable. Common culprits: Spotify, Steam, Skype, OneDrive, Adobe Creative Cloud, Teams.

  3. 3

    Free up storage space

    Windows runs slowly when the drive is more than 85% full. Check: File Explorer → This PC → look at the C: drive bar. If nearly full: empty the Recycle Bin, clear the Downloads folder, run Disk Cleanup (search for it in the Start menu) and uninstall unused programs.

  4. 4

    Run Windows Update

    Pending updates sometimes slow the system down while they wait to be installed. Settings → Windows Update → Check for Updates → install all pending updates. Restart after.

  5. 5

    Scan for malware

    Malware runs in the background and slows everything down. Open Windows Security (search in Start menu) → Virus and Threat Protection → Quick Scan. Or run a Malwarebytes scan (free download from malwarebytes.com).

If Still Slow — Go Further

  1. 6

    Check what is using CPU and RAM

    Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Processes tab. Sort by CPU or Memory. Identify any process using excessive resources. Search the process name if unfamiliar — it may be a runaway app or malware.

  2. 7

    Adjust power plan

    Settings → System → Power and Battery → Power Mode → set to Best Performance. Balanced and Power Saver modes throttle CPU speed to save battery, which makes the laptop feel sluggish.

  3. 8

    Add more RAM or upgrade to SSD

    If the laptop is genuinely old (4GB RAM or HDD not SSD), hardware is the bottleneck. Adding RAM (if the laptop allows it) or replacing the HDD with an SSD is the most dramatic performance upgrade possible — often transforming an unusable old laptop into a fast one.

For Mac usersSee the separate guide: How to Fix a Slow Mac — the steps are different for macOS.

Frequently Asked Questions

This is the power plan throttling CPU speed to extend battery life. On battery, Windows reduces performance to save power. Plug in or change the power plan to Better Performance or Best Performance in Settings → System → Power and Battery → Power Mode.
Overheating causes thermal throttling — the CPU slows itself down to prevent damage. Causes: blocked vents (use on a hard flat surface, not a bed or cushion), dusty internal fans, or a failing cooling system. Compressed air blown through the vents removes dust. If the laptop is several years old and gets very hot, the thermal paste on the CPU may need replacing — a technician job.