Why Is My Laptop Running So Slow? 5 Common Causes and How to Fix Them
1. Too Many Programmes Opening at Startup
Every time you turn your laptop on a long list of programmes may be silently starting up in the background without you even realising. Each one of these eats into your laptop's memory before you have even opened a single thing you actually need.
This is one of the most common causes of a slow laptop and most people have no idea it is happening.
How to fix it:
On Windows press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Task Manager. Click the Startup tab at the top. You will see a list of everything that opens when your laptop starts. Right click anything you do not need immediately and select Disable. Common culprits include Spotify, Teams, Skype, OneDrive and Discord.
On a Mac go to System Settings, then General, then Login Items. Remove anything from the list that you do not need running at startup.
You will likely notice a faster startup time immediately after doing this.
2. Your Storage Is Nearly Full
Think of your laptop's storage like a physical desk. The more cluttered and full it gets the harder it becomes to find anything and get work done efficiently. When your laptop's storage gets too full it slows down significantly because it struggles to find the space it needs to operate properly.
Most laptops start slowing down noticeably when storage reaches around 80 percent capacity.
How to fix it:
On Windows open File Explorer and right click your C drive then click Properties. This shows you exactly how full your storage is.
On Mac click the Apple icon in the top left, then About This Mac, then Storage.
If you are over 80 percent full start by emptying your Recycle Bin or Trash, deleting old downloads you no longer need and moving large files like photos and videos to an external hard drive or a free cloud storage service like Google Drive or OneDrive. Even clearing a few gigabytes can make a noticeable difference.
3. You Have Not Properly Restarted It in a While
This sounds almost too simple to be worth mentioning but it is genuinely one of the most effective fixes. Many people leave their laptop on sleep mode for days or even weeks at a time without ever doing a full restart.
Over time your laptop's memory fills up with background processes and temporary files that never get cleared. A full restart wipes all of that and gives your laptop a clean slate to work from.
How to fix it:
Fully shut down your laptop and restart it — not sleep, not hibernate, a complete shutdown and restart. Do this at least once every couple of days as a habit. You will often notice an immediate improvement in speed and responsiveness.
If you are on Windows make sure you are selecting Shut Down rather than just closing the lid which puts it into sleep mode by default.
4. Too Many Browser Tabs and Extensions
Your internet browser is often the single most memory hungry application on your laptop. Every open tab you have running is actively using memory even if you are not looking at it. If you are someone who keeps 15 or 20 tabs open at once your browser alone could be responsible for slowing your entire laptop down.
Browser extensions make this worse. Many people install extensions and forget about them entirely but they continue running in the background consuming memory.
How to fix it:
Start by closing every tab you do not actively need right now. Bookmark anything you want to come back to rather than leaving it open.
To check and remove Chrome extensions click the three dots in the top right corner, go to More Tools then Extensions. Remove anything you do not recognise or actively use. Even removing two or three unused extensions can free up a noticeable amount of memory.
If you use multiple browsers try to stick to just one to reduce the overall memory load on your laptop.
5. Your Laptop Needs a Software Update
Outdated software is a surprisingly common cause of poor laptop performance. Operating system updates do not just add new features — they also include performance improvements, bug fixes and security patches that keep your laptop running efficiently.
Many people dismiss update notifications for weeks or months without realising the impact this has on their laptop's speed and security.
How to fix it:
On Windows go to Settings, then Windows Update and check for any pending updates. Install everything available.
On Mac go to System Settings, then General, then Software Update and install any updates showing.
Make sure you save all your open work before updating as your laptop will need to restart to complete the process. After the update is installed you will often find your laptop feels noticeably more responsive.
Still Struggling With a Slow Laptop?
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