Do you have a windows laptop that is running slowly? Fortunately, if your laptop still functions and you can connect to the internet, most fixes are free. PCWorld cautions that expensive solutions such as adding extra RAM (Random Access Memory) will often not dramatically speed up a laptop. Here are two quick ways guaranteed to improve the speed of any laptop running Windows.

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5 Ways to Boost Your Laptop’s Performance

Stop Unnecessary Processes

The main reason why a laptop runs slowly is that it is processing a large amount of tasks at any given time. Therefore, the easiest way to speed up a laptop is to stop unnecessary processes. Simply click on ‘Start’ and then right click on ‘Computer’ and select ‘Properties’ from the list. This will bring up a new window. Click on ‘Advanced System Settings’ to bring up the ‘System Properties’ tab. From here, you should click on ‘Settings’ under the heading ‘Performance’. Under the ‘Performance Options’ tab you will clearly see the option to ‘Adjust for best performance’. Select this option and click on ‘Apply’.

How Does This Help?
When you click ‘Apply’, your laptop screen will go black and you will be asked to wait for a few seconds. The drawback of this trick is that your experience of windows will look much plainer than before. There will be no graphics, shadows or animations. This can make selecting a photo, movie or file from a folder quite difficult as you will simply see the name and no thumbnail. If this bothers you, simply return to the ‘Performance Options’ window and check the features you wish to keep.

Make Your Laptop Boot Faster

Click on ‘Start’ and type ‘Run’ to bring up the Run screen. Next, type ‘msconfig’ to bring up the ‘System Configuration’ box. By clicking on the ‘Startup’ tab, you will see a list of the programs that are launched every time you turn your laptop on. You need to read the names of the programs in this list. The fewer programs that this list has, the quicker your laptop will boot. For example, your laptop may be starting Apple iTunes every time you turn it on despite the fact that you rarely use this program. If you uncheck the box next to this program, it will not be started when you turn your laptop on and your laptop will boot faster.
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How Does This Help?
To perform this trick, you need to have a good understanding of essential and non-essential programs. Obviously, you need your anti-virus program and pointing device software so these programs cannot be unchecked. You should determine which programs you rarely use and therefore do not require your laptop to start every time you turn it on.

Conclusion

Both of these tips are fully reversible and will do no lasting damage to your laptop. If you are unsure of which features you need or which boxes you can leave unchecked, it is best to ask a knowledgeable friend before attempting either of these tips.