A sluggish computer is one of the most frustrating things in daily life – especially when you know it used to run fine. Before you convince yourself you need a new machine or shell out for some expensive tune-up service, try this first. Most slow computers don't need new hardware. They need a cleanup.
These ten fixes cost nothing but a few minutes of your time, and most people see a noticeable difference after just two or three of them.
Restart your computer (actually do it)
Disable startup programs
Clear out your storage drive
Run a malware scan
Adjust your power settings
Clean up your browser
Update your operating system and drivers
Reduce visual effects
Check for overheating
Wipe and reset as a last resort
This sounds too obvious to mention, but most people leave their computer running for days or weeks at a time, only putting it to sleep. Over time, open apps accumulate memory leaks, background processes pile up, and the system just gets congested. A full restart clears all of that and gives your computer a clean slate.
If you haven't restarted in a while, do it now – not sleep, not hibernate, a proper shutdown and restart. Give it two minutes to fully boot before you judge the speed. You might be surprised how much of a difference this alone makes. If your computer feels noticeably faster after a restart but slows down again within a day or two, that tells you something is consuming resources in the background, which the next few steps will help you identify and fix.
Why it works: Restarting flushes RAM, clears temporary files, and resets background processes that accumulate over time.
Every time you install software, it often adds itself to your startup list – meaning it launches automatically when your computer turns on, even if you never use it. After a few years of installing apps, your startup can be running fifteen or twenty programs before you've even opened a single thing yourself.
On Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, then click the Startup tab. You'll see a list of programs with their startup impact rated Low, Medium, or High. Right-click anything you don't need running at boot and select Disable. Common culprits include Spotify, Discord, Skype, Steam, OneDrive, Teams, and software updaters for apps you rarely use.
On Mac, go to System Settings > General > Login Items. Remove anything that doesn't need to launch at startup.
You won't break anything by disabling startup programs – you can always open them manually when you need them. This fix alone can cut boot time in half on an older machine.
Why it works: Fewer programs fighting for CPU and RAM at startup means faster boot times and a more responsive system once you're up and running.
When your storage drive gets close to full – especially under 10–15% free space – your computer slows down noticeably. Your operating system needs free space to create temporary files, run virtual memory, and move data around efficiently. When that space runs out, everything starts grinding.
On Windows, open Settings > System > Storage and turn on Storage Sense, which automatically clears temporary files and empties the Recycle Bin on a schedule. You can also click Temporary Files and delete them manually – it's common to reclaim several gigabytes this way. On Mac, go to Apple Menu > About This Mac > Storage > Manage to see recommendations for clearing space.
Beyond system tools, go through your Downloads folder. Most people have hundreds or thousands of files sitting there that were downloaded once and never touched again. Clear it out. Also check for duplicate files, old installers, and software you no longer use. Uninstalling unused programs frees up space and reduces background processes.
Why it works: Free storage space gives your operating system the room it needs to manage memory and files efficiently, directly improving speed and responsiveness.
Malware – including adware, spyware, and browser hijackers – is a surprisingly common cause of slow computers, and people often don't realize they have it. Some malware runs quietly in the background using your CPU and RAM for things you'd never consent to. Others inject ads into browsers, redirect searches, or silently collect data. All of it slows you down.
On Windows, you already have Windows Defender built in – it's free, effective, and doesn't require any additional software. Open Windows Security from the Start menu and run a full scan. If you want a second opinion, Malwarebytes offers a free version that's excellent at catching things Defender misses, particularly adware and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs).
On Mac, malware is less common but not impossible. Malwarebytes has a free Mac version as well. If you've noticed unexpected behavior – browser redirects, pop-ups, new toolbars you didn't install – scan before doing anything else.
Why it works: Removing malware immediately frees up CPU and RAM that was being consumed without your knowledge, often delivering a dramatic speed improvement.
This one is almost entirely overlooked, especially on laptops. Many computers default to a Balanced or Power Saver mode that intentionally throttles performance to save battery. If your laptop is plugged in, or if you're using a desktop and haven't checked this setting, your machine may be running at a fraction of its potential.
On Windows, go to Settings > System > Power & Sleep > Additional Power Settings and switch to High Performance. On Windows 11, it's under Settings > System > Power > Power Mode – set it to Best Performance. On Mac, go to System Settings > Battery > Options and check whether Low Power Mode is turned on and disable it if you don't need it.
This is especially impactful on laptops that are plugged into power. The difference in CPU speed between Balanced and High Performance mode can be significant on older hardware, and it costs you nothing to change.
Why it works: High performance power settings allow your CPU to run at its full clock speed instead of throttling down to save energy, directly improving processing speed for everyday tasks.
Your web browser is often the most resource-intensive application on your computer, and most people never maintain it. Dozens of installed extensions, a cache full of years-old data, and hundreds of open tabs all add up to a browser that drags everything down with it.
Start by auditing your extensions. In Chrome, go to More Tools > Extensions. In Firefox, go to Add-ons and Themes. In Edge, go to Extensions. Remove anything you don't actively use – ad blockers, shopping assistants, tab managers you tried once and forgot about. Each extension runs code in the background and adds overhead to every page you load.
Next, clear your browser cache. In most browsers, press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + Delete (Mac) and clear cached images and files. You don't need to clear cookies if you want to stay logged into sites, but the cache itself can take up gigabytes of space and occasionally becomes corrupted, causing slowdowns.
Also, if you regularly have 30+ tabs open, consider a tab management habit – bookmark what you actually need and close the rest. Each open tab consumes RAM, and browsers like Chrome are notorious for memory usage at scale.
Why it works: Fewer extensions, a clean cache, and fewer open tabs significantly reduce the RAM and CPU load your browser places on the system, making everything feel snappier.
Outdated operating systems and drivers are a less obvious but real source of slowdowns. OS updates frequently include performance improvements, memory management fixes, and security patches that affect overall system efficiency. Running an old version means missing out on optimizations that developers have pushed out over time.
On Windows, go to Settings > Windows Update and check for updates. On Mac, go to System Settings > General > Software Update. Install everything that's pending – if your machine has been avoiding updates for months, there may be significant performance fixes waiting.
Drivers matter too, especially GPU and chipset drivers. Outdated graphics drivers in particular can cause stuttering, slow rendering, and general unresponsiveness. On Windows, you can update drivers through Device Manager or by visiting your GPU manufacturer's website (Nvidia, AMD, or Intel) directly. On Mac, driver updates are bundled with OS updates, so keeping your system current covers both.
Why it works: Updated OS and drivers bring performance optimizations, bug fixes, and better hardware compatibility that can meaningfully improve speed and stability.
Modern operating systems are full of visual flourishes – animated window transitions, transparency effects, shadows, smooth scrolling animations. On newer hardware with a dedicated GPU, these effects are effortless. On older or lower-spec machines, they consume real processing power that could be going toward your actual work.
On Windows, search for "Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows" in the Start menu. In the dialog that opens, select Adjust for best performance to disable all animations, or manually uncheck the ones you can live without while keeping the ones that make the experience usable. On Mac, go to System Settings > Accessibility > Display and enable Reduce Motion and Reduce Transparency – both help lower the graphical load on older hardware.
The visual difference is noticeable at first but you adjust quickly, and the performance gain on older machines can be substantial. Windows especially can feel significantly more responsive once all the animation overhead is stripped out.
Why it works: Disabling visual effects frees up GPU and CPU resources that were being spent on cosmetic rendering, making the system more responsive for everything else.
Heat is a silent performance killer. When a CPU or GPU gets too hot, it automatically throttles its own speed to prevent damage – a process called thermal throttling. If your computer runs fine when it's cold but gets noticeably slower after 20–30 minutes of use, overheating is likely the cause.
Start by cleaning the vents. Dust buildup in laptop vents and desktop fans restricts airflow and causes temperatures to climb. Use a can of compressed air to blow dust out of the vents – it's inexpensive and something many people already have at home. On desktops, you can open the case and clean the fans directly. This alone can drop operating temperatures by 10–20 degrees Celsius.
To check your temperatures, download a free tool like HWMonitor (Windows) or use Activity Monitor > CPU combined with a system monitor app on Mac. If your CPU is regularly hitting 90°C or above under normal use, dust or degraded thermal paste is likely the issue. Thermal paste replacement requires a bit more confidence with hardware but is worth it on a machine that's three or more years old.
Why it works: Keeping temperatures in a safe range prevents thermal throttling, allowing your CPU and GPU to run at their intended speeds rather than slowing themselves down to avoid damage.
If you've worked through the previous nine steps and your computer is still significantly slower than it should be, a clean reset is the nuclear option – and it often works remarkably well. Over years of use, operating systems accumulate fragmented settings, corrupted files, registry clutter (on Windows), and software conflicts that no amount of cleaning fully resolves. Starting fresh eliminates all of it.
On Windows 11 and 10, go to Settings > System > Recovery > Reset this PC. Choose Keep my files if you want to preserve your personal documents while removing apps and settings, or Remove everything for a complete fresh start. Either way, back up your important files to an external drive or cloud storage first – this is non-negotiable.
On Mac, modern versions make resetting straightforward through System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. On Intel Macs, you'll boot into macOS Recovery to reinstall the OS.
A clean reset takes a couple of hours including reinstalling your apps, but the result is a computer that performs like it did when it was new. On machines that are three to five years old and have never been reset, the improvement is often dramatic.
Why it works: A clean install removes years of accumulated software conflicts, corrupted files, and system clutter, returning your machine to its baseline performance.
If your computer is slow right now and you want the fastest wins, do these three first: restart it, disable startup programs, and clear out storage. Those three steps take about fifteen minutes combined and fix the majority of everyday slowdowns.
If the problem is more persistent – slow under load, sluggish after extended use, or suddenly worse than it used to be – add the malware scan and overheating check. Those address the issues that aren't immediately visible but have a big impact.
Save the full reset for last. It's the most disruptive option, but on a machine that's genuinely struggling despite all other fixes, it's also the most effective.
Will these fixes work on both Windows and Mac? Most of them apply to both platforms. A few steps have Windows-specific navigation paths, but the majority – clearing storage, disabling startup programs, cleaning your browser, checking for overheating, and running malware scans – apply equally to Mac and Windows users.
How often should I do these maintenance tasks? A light maintenance pass – restarting regularly, clearing browser cache, keeping storage under control – is worth doing monthly. A deeper cleanup, including checking startup programs and running a malware scan, every three to six months keeps things running well over time.
My computer is old. Will these fixes actually help? Yes, but with realistic expectations. If your machine is eight-plus years old and was mid-range to begin with, these fixes will help it run closer to its actual potential, but they can't make old hardware perform like new hardware. If you've done everything on this list and the machine still struggles with basic tasks, it may be time to consider an upgrade – or at minimum, adding RAM or swapping to an SSD, which are relatively inexpensive hardware improvements.
Is it safe to delete files from the Temp folder? Yes. The Temp folder contains files that programs create during operation and are supposed to clean up after themselves – they often don't. Deleting them manually is safe and can free up significant space. On Windows, press Windows Key + R, type %temp%, and delete everything inside. Some files may be in use and can't be deleted – skip those and move on.
Does clearing browser cache cause any problems? The cache stores local copies of website data to make pages load faster on repeat visits. Clearing it means websites will load slightly slower the first time you visit them after the clear, as they rebuild those cached files. You won't lose any saved passwords, and you won't be logged out of sites unless you also clear cookies. It's perfectly safe to do regularly.
What's the difference between Sleep and Restart? Sleep mode saves your current state to memory and keeps the computer in a low-power mode, resuming quickly where you left off. It doesn't clear RAM or reset processes. Restart performs a full shutdown and cold boot, clearing everything. For maintenance purposes, restart is what you want – not sleep.
A slow computer doesn't automatically mean a broken one or an expensive repair bill. Nine times out of ten, the fix is one of the things on this list – and usually one of the first three. Work through these steps systematically, and you'll likely recover a surprising amount of performance from a machine you were ready to give up on.
The best part: every single fix here is free, reversible, and takes less time than you'd spend researching a replacement.
Windows Storage Sense and disk cleanup guide – Microsoft Support
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/free-up-drive-space-in-windows-85529ccb-c365-490d-b548-831022bc9b32
Windows Defender and Windows Security overview – Microsoft Support
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/stay-protected-with-windows-security-2ae0363d-0ada-c064-8b56-6a39afb6a963
Reduce Motion and visual effects on Mac – Apple Support
https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/reduce-screen-motion-mchlc03f57a1/mac
Thermal throttling explained – Intel
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/gaming/resources/cpu-thermal-throttling.html
