What is the best way to speed up my laptop permanently ? Top 20 Tips and tricks

What is the best way to speed up my laptop permanently? Is your HP laptop, Dell laptop, Lenovo laptop, acer laptop, gamming laptop running slow? Don’t worry! You can improve laptop performance with a few easy steps.
What is the best way to speed up my laptop permanently: Below are Step by step Solution
- Restart (properly)
- Click Start → Power → Restart (don’t just close the lid). This clears stuck apps and updates.
- Free up SSD space fast
- Settings → System → Storage → Storage Sense → “Clean now”.
- Also open: Settings → System → Storage → Temporary files → select everything except “Downloads” (only tick it if you’re sure) → Remove.
- Stop heavy startup apps
- Ctrl+Shift+Esc (Task Manager) → Startup apps → Disable anything you don’t need (Spotify, Zoom, Adobe Updater, etc.).
Tip: High impact = good candidates to disable.
- Uninstall bloat
- Settings → Apps → Installed apps → uninstall toolbars, trials, duplicate antiviruses, old games you don’t use.
- Set power for performance
- Settings → System → Power & battery → Power mode → Best performance (or Balanced if you need battery).
- Browser clean-up
- Remove unused extensions.
- Clear cache/history (keep passwords).
- Keep only a few tabs open.
- Turn ON hardware acceleration (or OFF if your browser lags—test both).
- Quick malware check
- Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Quick scan.
- Then choose “Scan options” → Microsoft Defender Offline scan (reboots and scans deeply).
What is the best way to speed up my laptop: Deeper fixes do in order
- Check what’s actually slow
- Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Processes.
- If “Memory” is ~90–100%: you likely need more RAM or to close apps.
- If “Disk” is 90–100%: something is hammering the drive (antivirus, updates, indexing).
- Note the top offenders and remove/adjust them.
- System file repair (safe & effective)
- Right-click Start → Windows Terminal (Admin), then run these one by one:
sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- Restart after they finish.
- Disk check (if freezes/drive errors)
- Terminal (Admin):
chkdsk C: /f
- Press Y Enter, restart to let it run.
- Trim visual effects
- Search “View advanced system settings” → Performance → Settings → “Adjust for best performance” (or keep smooth fonts).
- Also: Settings → Accessibility → Visual effects → turn off Transparency effects & Animation effects.
- Tame Search/Indexing (if Disk stays high)
- Press Win+R →
control.exe srchadmin.dll→ Modify → uncheck big folders you don’t need indexed (e.g., Downloads). - Advanced → Rebuild (do this when you can leave it for a while).
- Background apps & notifications
- Settings → Apps → Installed apps → for apps you rarely use, turn off background permissions.
- Settings → System → Notifications → disable noisy apps.
- OneDrive/Cloud sync
- If sync is constantly busy, pause OneDrive for 2 hours, let the system calm down, then resume. Consider excluding huge folders.
- Update Graphics driver (NVIDIA/AMD/Intel app), storage driver (from your laptop maker if available), and Windows Update → “Check for updates”.
- Avoid random “driver updater” tools.
- If the laptop feels hot or fans roar, performance drops.
- Clean vents with compressed air, use on a hard surface, consider a cooling pad.
- In Task Manager, if CPU clocks drop under load, heat is likely the cause.
Big performance upgrades (best ROI)
- Move to an SSD (if you still have HDD)
- This is the single largest speed boost: boot time, app launches, everything.
- Clone your drive to a SATA/NVMe SSD or do a clean install on the SSD.
- Add more RAM
- 8 GB is minimum for smooth everyday use; 16 GB is ideal for multitasking.
- Prefer dual-channel (2 sticks). Check your model’s max supported RAM.
When Windows is too messy
19. Reset Windows (keeps your files)
- Settings → System → Recovery → Reset this PC → Keep my files → Cloud download.
- Reinstall only the apps you truly need.
- BIOS/Firmware (optional & careful)
From your laptop brand’s support page, update BIOS only if it mentions stability/performance fixes. Keep the laptop plugged in.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. My laptop is running slow, what should I do first?
Start with a restart. Then clean temporary files and uninstall unused programs. These quick steps often fix a slow laptop without any technical work.
2. How can I speed up my laptop performance without spending money?
- Disable startup apps
- Clear cache and junk files
- Update Windows or ChromeOS
- Turn off visual effects
- Scan for viruses
3. My HP laptop is working slow—what should I do?
HP laptops often slow down due to background apps, storage issues, or outdated drivers. Try:
- Removing bloatware
- Updating BIOS and drivers
- Cleaning disk space
- Adding SSD or RAM (if needed)
4. My Chromebook is running slow—how do I fix it?
To boost a slow Chromebook:
- Clear cookies and browsing data
- Remove unused extensions
- Restart regularly
- Update ChromeOS
- Use “Storage Management” to clean space
5. What is the best way to speed up my laptop permanently?
The most effective long-term solutions are:
- Upgrade from HDD to SSD
- Increase RAM
- Keep system updated
- Avoid heavy startup apps
These changes prevent future lag.
6. How do I clean up my laptop to make it run faster?
- Delete large and unused files
- Clear temp and %temp% folders
- Uninstall unused apps
- Empty recycle bin
Cleaning helps fix lag laptop issues quickly.
7. Can a virus make my laptop slow and laggy?
Yes! Malware or viruses can slow everything down. Run a full system scan using antivirus software if your laptop is slow and laggy.
8. Should I factory reset if my laptop is very slow?
Only as a last option. If other fixes don’t work and you’re still thinking “fix my slow laptop,” then resetting or formatting might help.
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