Introduction
If you have an older laptop running Windows 10, you might notice it slowing down over time. Fortunately, there are several simple tweaks you can make to improve performance and keep your system running smoothly. In this guide, we’ll go through a few tips that can help boost the speed of your laptop. Let’s dive in!
1. Adjust Advanced System Settings
One of the first things you can do to improve performance is adjust your system settings.
Open the Start Menu: Click on the Start button in the bottom-left corner of your screen.
Type “This PC”: Right-click on “This PC” and select Properties.
Advanced System Settings: On the left-hand side, click on Advanced System Settings.
Performance Settings: Under the Performance section, click on Settings.
By default, Windows is set to automatically choose the best appearance. However, this setting can slow down your system. Change it to Adjust for Best Performance to disable non-essential visual effects.
Recommended Options: If you want to keep certain visual elements, consider leaving Smooth edges of screen fonts and Show thumbnails instead of icons checked.
Apply: Click Apply, then OK to save the changes.
This will reduce the load on your system, helping to increase speed.
2. Clean Up the Start Menu
Many icons and tiles on the Start Menu can clutter your screen and slow things down. Here’s how to clean it up:
Open the Start Menu: Click the Start button to see all the tiles and icons.
Unpin Unnecessary Tiles: Right-click on any tile you don’t need and select Unpin from Start. Repeat this for each unnecessary tile.
Once you’ve removed all the unnecessary tiles, you may see a large empty space. To tidy it up:
Resize the Start Menu: Hover over the right edge of the Start Menu until the cursor changes to a double-sided arrow. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the menu edge to the left to reduce the empty space.
Cleaning up the Start Menu not only improves system organization but can also enhance performance by reducing background processes.
3. Disable Unnecessary Startup Programs
Many applications set themselves to open automatically at startup, which can slow down your system significantly.
Open Task Manager: Right-click on the Taskbar and select Task Manager. If you see a simplified view, click More details to expand it.
Go to the Startup Tab: Click on the Startup tab to view a list of programs that start with your computer.
Disable Unneeded Programs: For each program you don’t need at startup, click on it and select Disable. Be careful not to disable any essential software, like your antivirus.
This will stop unnecessary applications from launching when you start your computer, improving boot time and overall performance.
Conclusion
These simple tweaks can make a noticeable difference in the performance of your Windows 10 laptop, especially if it’s an older model. By adjusting visual effects, cleaning up the Start Menu, and disabling unnecessary startup programs, you can help your system run more smoothly.
Watch Our Video
If you prefer a step-by-step video guide, check out our embedded video below to see these tips in action! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more helpful tech tips.
Boost your laptop’s speed with these easy fixes, and enjoy a smoother Windows 10 experience!
