Whenever we decide to invest in a new laptop, we always make sure to research the specifications thoroughly. Performance and speed are some of the most important factors we consider while choosing a laptop. To ensure these conditions are met, we make sure that we choose a laptop with the latest specifications, be it hardware or software.
However, a lot of times, even the latest Windows 10 do not ensure speed. It has been observed that a Windows-run system slows down after a few months of use. An issue like this, especially when most of us are working from home, can get frustrating. It is not always the wrong specifications that lead to performance issues. Let us try finding a few possible reasons and their solutions.
Remove Unnecessary Pre-Installed Apps
Most PCs or laptops come with a lot of unwanted pre-installed apps. Apps like these are called bloatware. Bloatware is defined as apps that have been installed by the laptop manufacturer but are of no use to use. Apps like these add to the clutter of the system. Bloatware includes apps, utilities, game demos, app bundles, etc. The path we can follow to check the list of apps is Start Menu > Settings > Apps > Apps & Features. Here we can determine the apps that are unnecessary to us. These can include links to shopping sites, photo editing software, file transfer apps, etc. Most laptop makers like Dell, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, etc install preloaded software and apps. A lot of smartphone makers are also known to install a host of unwanted apps.
Antivirus
Windows 10 comes with Windows Defender. Windows Defender keeps the firewall running and helps in protecting the system against malware, spyware, and virus. Therefore, if our browsing is limited to safe, secure, and known sites, then we can uninstall the additional antivirus that might have been preinstalled by the laptop makers. However, we need to ensure that we browse only sites that we know are secure.
Update Windows 10
A host of laptops come with an older version of Windows 10. This could be because a laptop when manufactured, might be installed with the latest version at that particular time. Windows, however, keeps releasing significant updates, be it security patches, or other updates. It is therefore advisable to manually check for updates to ensure that the version is the latest. Updates can be checked by going to the Start Menu, then Settings, and Update & Security. Updating Windows will ensure that the hardware is working with its latest drivers, thereby optimizing performance. Another factor we can check for is firmware versions to ensure performance improvements as and when required.
Startup
Startup items are configured so that they run with Windows when the system boots up. These apps not only keep running in the background, but they also end up slowing the booting process and eating into RAM. We can choose which apps to disable during startup by going to the Task Manager, then More Details, Startup, and Disable.
Cleanup
Lastly, a lot of storage space can be occupied by files and folders we don’t even access every day. We can check the storage and remove all unwanted files. This helps Windows 10 work a bit better, thereby improving speed.
