A laptop that used to feel fast can slow down over time as programs, updates and files pile up. The good news is that most slowdowns come from a handful of common causes, and you can fix them in a few minutes without spending any money.

Start with the basics

Restart the machine, close background apps you are not using, and make sure Windows and your drivers are up to date. These three steps alone solve a surprising number of performance problems.

Free up storage and startup apps

Uninstall software you no longer need, empty the Recycle Bin, and disable heavy programs that launch automatically at startup from Task Manager. If your laptop still uses a traditional hard drive, upgrading to an SSD is the single biggest speed boost you can get.

Try these fixes one at a time so you can see which one makes the biggest difference on your setup.