Having a slow laptop can make the smallest task frustrating. If you wonder ‘why my laptop is so slow’, keep reading this article to get the answer to your question. There could be several reasons for your slowed-down laptop, including too many background applications, hidden malware or insufficient storage. This detailed article discusses the problem of slow laptops of different models and Windows.
If you are wondering why my laptop is very slow and hanging, it is important to find the cause first. This article explains the possible reasons why your laptop is slow and then provides solutions. The article provided by Simply Fixable team also gives you a guideline for preventing these problems in the future.
There can be many reasons why your laptop is getting slow. Sometimes, your laptop's hard drive is full or due to your laptop getting excessively warm. Here are all the possible reasons why your laptop might be running slow.
Here is a compiled list of solutions to fix your laptop and make it fast and snappy, just like before.
1. The first solution is to remove unnecessary data and software from your laptop.
2. Remove all the unnecessary applications running in the background. Also, turn off their auto start-up.
3. Restart your laptop to boost its speed, as it will remove all the piled-up temporary data in the RAM.
4. Close all the multiple tabs opened in your browsers. Every browser tab takes some space in the RAM, so close the one you're not using to speed up your laptop.
5. Open "Task Manager" to view which apps are using up more of the CPU and memory. Click "End Task" to force stop the apps and make your laptop fast.
6. Manage your Hard disk space. Having at least 20% available hard disk space is recommended so your laptop can work properly.
7. If you haven't updated your OS, then it might be the reason why your laptop is working slowly. Make sure to update to get new updates and software patches. It will improve your laptop's speed.
8. Defragmenting your laptop will also solve its speed issues. Most OS defragments automatically every week, but you can do it manually, too.
9. Upgrade your hard drive to a new SSD and add more RAM.
You buy a new laptop, and its speed is worse than the one you were using five years ago. It can be a very frustrating situation. Let’s discuss why this happens and how you can solve this problem.
Your new laptop is overloaded with software you will probably not use. This condition is called bloatware and can be the reason for your slow laptop. \
1. There are too many programs running in the background. These are set to start up by default, causing your new laptop to slow down.
2. Certain poorly designed laptops have an inferior quality thermal paste that causes your system to overheat and affects its speed.
3. The new laptop has an underpowered CPU that permanently slows down your laptop.
4. There is Insufficient RAM or virtual memory.
1. Uninstall all the applications that you don’t want to use.
2. Go to “Task Manager” and turn off the application you don’t want to run on start-up.
3. Even though it is unlikely in a new laptop, check if there is enough disk space.
4. Cool down your laptop if it is overheated. Avoid using it on your bed or under direct sunlight.
5. In case of an underpowered CPU, get it upgraded or, best, change your laptop.
6. Open virtual memory from the setting and enable the “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives is checked” option.
1. Do your research before buying a new laptop.
2. Ensure the new laptop has sufficient hard disk and RAM space for your work to go smoothly.
3. Only install the software that you need.
4. Regularly update your Operating system and drivers.
A gaming laptop is designed to run heavy games and graphics smoothly. However, they can also experience slow performance. Here is why:
1. The CPU is not powerful enough to handle all the games you play. It affects your laptop's speed and performance and causes lagging during gaming.
2. Your laptop doesn't have the required graphics card to run the games smoothly.
3. Continuous gaming causes your laptop to overheat and slows down its speed.
1. To improve your gaming laptop’s speed, upgrade the hard drive to SSD.
2. Remove background apps to make your laptop faster.
3. Optimize your CPU and GPU settings. If needed, upgrade them for a better and faster experience.
4. Use your laptop in a cool and well-ventilated area to prevent overheating.
1. Purchase a cooling pad to use when gaming. It is an excellent purchase as it prevents overheating and slowed performance.
2. Regularly clean your laptop’s vent and cooling fans.
3. Keep your GPU and the software related to gaming up-to-date.
It is common for HP laptops to slow down after some time. But it is concerning if you are wondering why my new HP laptop is so slow. Here are some reasons why it happens, along with their solutions.
1. It can be a hardware problem like a hard drive failure or low RAM storage.
2. Your new HP laptop has many pre-installed software known as bloatware.
3. There are many running background applications and processes that are increasing resource usage.
4. There is insufficient space in your laptop, causing it to slow down.
1. Remove unwanted applications and junk files from your laptop.
2. Regularly update your OS and software to ensure smooth and fast laptop performance.
3. Be selective of the software you install. The more unnecessary software you have, the more sluggish your laptop will become.
4. Turning off start-up applications will also boost your laptop’s speed.
1. Keep your HP laptop clean from unwanted apps, files and data.
2. Do not install software that you don’t plan on using.
3. Go to “Power Settings” and adjust the tasks and processes to improve your laptop’s performance.
4. Keep checking your storage and upgrade the drive or RAM according to your needs.
Dell Laptops are known for their performance and reliability. If you notice your Dell laptop is slowing down, it could be due to the following reasons.
1. The data on your hard drive may be fragmented.
2. There is a hard disk error.
3. There is insufficient storage space in your RAM.
4. Your device is constantly overheated.
5. There is a hardware error like outdated or incompatible drivers
6. So many background apps running, taking up all the resources.
1. Remove unnecessary peripheral devices and restart your laptop.
2. Manually defragment the hard drive.
3. Upgrade your RAM to make your laptop faster.
4. Consider upgrading to SSD to keep your Dell Laptop performing well.
5. Delete all the pre-installed software to free up more space.
1. Regularly remove junk files and unnecessary software from your laptop.
2. Upgrade your RAM immediately If you notice it is running short on space.
3. Visit “Task Manager” often to remove background apps and processes.
4. Keep your laptop in a cool location to prevent overheating.
There can be various reasons why your Lenovo laptop is running slow. We have discussed those reasons and the appropriate solutions that work.
1. There is dust trapped inside the vents of your laptop.
2. It has a very slow start-up.
3. Your laptop has been infected with a virus or malware.
4. There is a malfunctioning hardware component.
5. There is low disk space or RAM.
1. Clean out the dust on your laptop properly. If dust accumulates for a long time, it can affect your system's speed.
2. Open Task Manager and go to the "Performance" tab > "Memory." You can end certain processes to free up more space.
3. Click on the "Start" button and go to Settings"> "System"> "Storage." Remove all the junk and temporary files.
4. Switch from HDD to SSD to better system performance and more space.
5. Disable start-up apps and uninstall the non-essential third-party apps
1. Keep your Laptop clean and use it in a cool place.
2. Regularly check your laptop’s memory usage.
3. Do not allow unnecessary background apps to take up all the resources.
4. Update your OS and other important software frequently.
Is your slow-running Asus laptop making you worried? Well, you are not alone. There can be a number of reasons why your laptop is performing slow. Here is why that happens and how to solve it.
1. There are too many background processes and applications running.
2. Low RAM and virtual memory can also slow down your laptop.
3. There may be any virus or malware infesting your laptop.
4. The cooling fans are broken, causing your laptop to overheat.
1. Optimize start-up and disable all the unnecessary apps from auto-starting.
2. Extend the RAM and Virtual memory of your laptop.
3. Free up more space in your laptop by deleting junk files and data.
4. Use an antivirus and remove all the viruses and malware from your laptop.
5. Since SSD offers more storage and better speed, switching to it will improve your laptop’s speed.
1. Keep your laptop secure and clean.
2. Avoid installing applications that you will not use.
3. Upgrade both your software and hardware for a smooth working experience.
4. Do not set your apps to auto-start. Most of them we don’t use immediately, and they only end up slowing down our laptop.
Keep reading to discover why your laptop is slow on Windows 11 and how to fix it and prevent it from happening again.
1. There is low disk space on the system drive.
2. You are using an outdated OS or graphics card driver.
3. Windows 11 is not properly installed on your laptop.
4. There is not enough RAM space for your laptop to perform properly.
5. You are still using an HDD.
1. The first step is to turn off all auto start-up apps.
2. Update your Operating system and graphic card driver.
3. Reinstall Windows 11 again.
4. Run Windows Update Troubleshooter software to know the root cause.
5. Shifting from HDD to SSD will improve your laptop’s speed greatly.
1. Purchase your Windows 11 from a certified store.
2. Update your Operating system frequently.
3. Only install the essential software needed.
4. Close all the resource-consuming apps and processes running in the background.
5. Regularly scan your laptop for viruses and malware.
Windows 10, despite being an excellent operating system, can sometimes experience slow performance issues. Here are the reasons.
1. The background apps use all the resources.
2. Your laptop is facing a software bloat, which is causing your laptop to slow down.
3. The hardware is outdated and is no longer compatible with Windows 10.
4. Windows 10 is not installed properly, affecting your laptop's performance.
1. Restart your laptop to delete the temporary data in RAM, which will instantly boost its speed.
2. Update your hardware and shift from HDD to SSD.
3. Limit the start-up apps to boost your laptop’s speed.
4. Flush out all the unnecessary data from your device.
1. Do regular cleanups of your laptop to prevent piling up unnecessary data.
2. Only install the application that you will use.
3. Constantly update your operating system.
4. In case of low storage, upgrade your Laptop’s RAM and SSD.
It is very common to experience your laptop lagging and slowing down when you put it on charging. Here is why that happens and how to solve it.
1. Some of the energy during charging converts into heat, so your laptops overheat and slow down.
2. A damaged power adopter can also reduce the speed of your laptop.
3. Your laptop’s “Processors Setting” is set to “Maximum Processor State” during charging.
4. Maximum storage is used by the applications and processes running in the background.
1. Clean the vents and fans of your laptop to solve the overheating problem of your laptop.
2. Plug your laptop into an AC power supply to reduce overheating and improve performance.
3. Change the power setting from “High Performance” to “Balanced.”
4. In the “Processors Setting”, set the “Maximum Processor State” percentage to 95% during charging.
5. Change your power adaptor.
1. Always use a quality charger and adaptor for charging.
2. Regularly clear unnecessary data from your laptop.
3. Do not use your laptop during charging. Only use it after it is fully charged.
Here is why your laptop slows down when it is connected to a Wi-Fi.
1. There is some malware on your laptop that only works when you connect to the Wi-Fi.
2. Too many start-up applications use your Wi-Fi and thus slow down your laptop.
3. You are connected to a slow Wi-Fi network, slowing down your internet and laptop.
4. There are too many devices connected to a single Wi-Fi network.
1. The first step will be checking your network’s speed by running a speed test. It will evaluate if the Wi-Fi causes the problem.
2. Reduce the number of devices connected to the Wi-Fi network. That will boost the speed of your laptop.
3. Run an anti-virus scan to remove any hidden virus or malware in your laptop.
4. Remove the background applications eating all your internet and slowing your laptop down.
1. Keep your laptop clean from external dust and internal viruses.
2. Limit the number of start-up applications to keep your laptop’s speed stable.
3. Avoid connecting your laptop to public Wi-Fi networks.
Slow internet can not always be due to a weak internet connection. Sometimes, the health of your laptop can affect the internet and make it slow. Here is how.
1. The most common cause of slow internet is a virus or spyware.
2. There are some problems with your internet service provider.
3. Another reason can be network congestion. Too many devices are connected to the internet at the same time.
1. Conduct a speed test to check the issue with your internet.
2. Restarting your router can also improve the speed of your internet.
3. Update your network adaptor drivers to solve slow internet issues.
4. Run an antivirus on your laptop to remove suspected spyware.
5. Lastly, contact your Internet Service provider if the problem persists.
1. Regularly scan your laptop for viruses.
2. Limit the number of background apps to stop them from consuming the internet.
Is your Chrome browser slowing down? Here are some of the reasons why it happens.
1. You have opened multiple tabs or multiple active browser sessions.
2. A lot of cache is piled up in your browser, slowing it down.
3. You are using an outdated version of Chrome.
4. Certain extensions are reducing the performance of Chrome.
5. You are connected to a weak or unstable internet connection.
1. Close all the unused tabs and browser sessions.
2. Remove all the extensions and add-ons that you don’t use.
3. Regularly update your browser and other important software.
4. Clear your browser caches and cookies.
5. Make sure to check your internet connection.
6. Enable Hardware acceleration by going to Chrome’s “Settings” > “Advanced” > “System”
1. Only install the extensions you want to use.
2. Do not open multiple tabs at the same time.
3. Regularly update Chrome and the Operating system of your device.
4. Clear the cache of your browser to avoid it building up.
Omen Laptop is an excellent production of HP. Like every other gaming laptop, the Omen laptop also faces its occasional speed problems. Here is why.
1. Since the laptop is built for gaming, it can overheat during gaming, causing it to slow down.
2. The hardware is outdated and affects the performance of your laptop.
3. Games usually take up a lot of space on the hard drive, causing it to slow down.
4. There are too many background apps and processes running on your Omen laptop.
1. Increase the RAM and Hard drive storage to improve your laptop’s performance.
2. Upgrade your HDD to an SSD.
3. Manage and limit the background apps and processes to increase speed.
4. Make sure your laptop’s cooling system is clean and running smoothly.
1. Regularly monitor the background applications to free up resources.
2. Update your Operating System and GPU regularly.
Like any other Laptop, Gateway laptops are not immune to performance issues. Here are some of the common problems faced.
1. Too much pre-installed software on your laptop causes it to slow down.
2. Background applications are using up all the resources and reducing the laptop’s performance.
3. Your HDD or SSD is full, so your laptop is slow.
4. There is a virus or malware in your laptop.
1. Disable the start-up application using the Task Manager.
2. Make sure your hardware drivers are up to date by using driver update software.
3. Clean all the garbage data from your laptop.
4. Remove malware from your laptop to increase its speed.
1. Consider adding more RAM and switching to SDD. Both of them will improve your laptop’s speed.
2. Always update your Operating system on time to avail the latest fixes and security patches.
3. Only install the software you want.
4. Do not visit sketchy websites or connect to public Wi-Fi.
You can clean your laptop by removing unnecessary files, clearing cache, and turning off start-up apps. Consider upgrading your RAM and hard drive as well. Doing all these steps will make your laptop run faster.
Absolutely! A slow laptop can be easily fixed. Just find its root cause and fix it. It could be a software-related issue like too many background apps or hardware-related like low RAM or drive space. Solving these problems will greatly improve your laptop’s speed.
Follow these steps to prevent facing this issue in the future:
1. Regularly clean your laptop (vents and fans), defragment the hard drive and check for hardware and software issues.
2. Disable the start-up application that you don’t want to use.
3. Do not keep unnecessary software on your laptop. The software is only occupying space and slowing down your laptop.
4. Regularly update your OS, drivers and important software. The updates contain fixes and security patches important for your laptop’s speed and performance.
5. Keep your laptop’s “Task Manager” as clean as possible. Remove all extra background apps and tasks.
6. Ensure your laptop stays cool. Buy a cooling pad, and don’t use your laptop in extreme temperatures.
A laptop, just like any other device, is prone to running slow. If you want to keep using your laptop for a long time, keep checking its health, make the required updates and follow all the precautionary measures mentioned in this article. In case you cannot define the reason why it happens and fix the problem by yourself, it's better to take your laptop to professional laptop repair service providers.
Author: Madiha Khadim
LinkedIn: Madiha Khadim
Tech Writer | Photographer
Madi is a dynamic tech writer with a passion for simplifying complex concepts. Her expertise lies in creating clear and concise guides, blogs, manuals, and tutorials that empower users to navigate the technological landscape with ease. Throughout her career, Madi has worked with numerous leading tech companies, collaborating with engineers, developers, designers and marketers to create user manuals, FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and tech articles, on the websites such as "Technology Castle" and "Bilzimo". She can transform intricate technical jargon into user-friendly language, empowering users to understand and utilize products effectively.
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