How to Speed Up Your Slow Computer – A Step‑by‑Step Guide (2026)
Is your computer crawling? Before you buy a new one, try these 10 proven steps to clean, optimise, and turbocharge your PC or Mac – without spending a cent.
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🔍 Identify What’s Slowing You Down
Windows: Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc). Look at the CPU, Memory, and Disk columns. Click on each to sort – the highest usage at the top tells you which programs are hogging resources.
Mac: Open Activity Monitor (Finder → Applications → Utilities). Similarly, check the CPU and Memory tabs.
If a program you don’t recognise is consuming high resources, search its name online – it could be malware or a bloated background service.
🧹 Uninstall Unused Applications
Windows: Settings → Apps → Installed apps. Sort by size and remove anything you don’t need.
Mac: Drag unwanted apps from the Applications folder to Trash. Also check ~/Library/Application Support for leftovers.
Pay special attention to “toolbars”, “optimisers”, and old antivirus trials – they are notorious system drainers.
🚀 Disable Startup Programs
Windows: Task Manager → Startup tab. Right‑click any non‑essential program (e.g., Spotify, Adobe updater) and select “Disable”.
Mac: System Settings → General → Login Items. Remove items that don’t need to start automatically.
Leave only your antivirus and essential drivers active.
🧽 Clean Up Disk Space
Windows:
- Run Disk Cleanup (search for it in the Start menu). Check “Temporary files”, “Recycle Bin”, “Delivery Optimisation Files”.
- Empty the Recycle Bin manually.
- Use Storage Sense: Settings → System → Storage → turn on “Storage Sense”.
Mac:
- Apple Menu → About This Mac → Storage → Manage. Follow the recommendations (Empty Trash, Reduce Clutter).
- Use a tool like CleanMyMac X (paid) or Onyx (free) to deep‑clean system caches.
Also, move large files (videos, photos) to an external drive or cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive).
🔧 Run a Malware Scan
Windows: Use Windows Defender (built‑in). Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Quick scan. For a second opinion, run a free scan with Malwarebytes.
Mac: While less targeted, malware exists. Use Malwarebytes for Mac free edition.
If threats are found, remove them and restart your computer.
💾 Update Your Operating System and Drivers
Windows: Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates. Also install optional driver updates (especially graphics and storage drivers).
Mac: System Settings → General → Software Update.
After major updates, restart your machine – sometimes pending updates wait for a reboot.
🖥️ Adjust Visual Effects
Windows: Search for “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows”. Select “Adjust for best performance” – this disables all animations. If that’s too extreme, customise by keeping only “Smooth edges of screen fonts” and “Show thumbnails instead of icons”.
Mac: System Settings → Accessibility → Display → check “Reduce motion”. Also go to Dock & Menu Bar and uncheck “Animate opening applications”.
🌐 Clean Your Browser
- Clear browsing data (cache, cookies, history) for “all time” in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari.
- Disable or remove extensions you don’t recognise or rarely use.
- Reset the browser to default settings if it still feels sluggish.
If you’re using Chrome, try enabling “Memory Saver” (Settings → Performance). It frees up memory from inactive tabs.
🔄 Check for Hardware Issues
- Overheating: If your computer gets very hot, the CPU slows down. Clean dust from vents and fans (use compressed air).
- Failing hard drive: On a mechanical drive (HDD), listen for clicking sounds. Use CrystalDiskInfo (Windows) or DriveDx (Mac).
- Low RAM: If Task Manager shows >90% memory usage frequently, consider adding more RAM.
If you’re still on an old HDD, upgrading to an SSD is the single biggest performance improvement you can make – it transforms even a decade‑old computer.
🧠 Reset or Reinstall Windows/Mac (Last Resort)
Windows: Settings → Recovery → Reset this PC → “Remove everything”. Choose local reinstall or cloud download.
Mac: Restart and hold Command+R to enter Recovery. Use Disk Utility to erase the drive, then reinstall macOS.
Important: Back up your personal files first (photos, documents, etc.). Resetting will delete everything.
Small Habits, Big Speed Gains
After following these steps, your computer should feel noticeably faster. To keep it that way:
- Restart your computer at least once a week.
- Keep only the software you actually use.
- Run Disk Cleanup and malware scans monthly.
- Avoid installing “PC optimiser” software – most are scams or cause more harm.
If your computer is still too slow after all this, it may be time for an upgrade. But for most people, these ten steps will extend the life of their machine by years.
