How to Breathe New Life into An Old Laptop or PC
Having an old laptop doesn't mean it has to run slowly, crash, or use only outdated programs. And not always imperfect operation of a used device is associated with breakdowns. Powerful ways can help you get better performance without spending a lot of money, without spending a lot of time, and without losing the machine you're used to.
How to Breathe New Life into An Old Laptop or PC
Having an old laptop doesn't mean it has to run slowly, crash, or use only outdated programs. And not always imperfect operation of a used device is associated with breakdowns. Powerful ways can help you get better performance without spending a lot of money, without spending a lot of time, and without losing the machine you're used to. Simple tricks can give your old Windows laptop a new lease of life.
F1Center has collected a selection of simple ways that will help breathe new life into an outdated system.
Speed up startup by optimizing startup
If, after turning on the laptop, Windows takes a long time to load and the programs that start immediately after startup make you wait at least one to two minutes, it is worth checking how many programs are loaded with the OS. They can lead to an unoptimized consumption of the hardware capabilities of your PC.
The first few minutes after the laptop starts are the most difficult for the operating system. The processes necessary for windows to function correctly are started. Various services and system utilities are also loaded. The programs prescribed in the startup have a very big impact on the speed of the operating system. The more of them there are, the slower the laptop works at startup. The software itself cannot boot automatically. Most likely you just gave it permission to do so or just forgot to uncheck the appropriate box when installing. In any case, the problem can be fixed very simply. We tell you the simplest and most effective ways.
To find the startup list, open the Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del), then go to the Startup tab, select the programs you don't need and disable them.
Clean your laptop of garbage
You've probably noticed how fast a device with a clean OS works when everything is practically "flying". The reason is the minimum number of programs and the absence of garbage: caches, temporary files, registry entries. Subsequently, all this "good" accumulates and begins to slow down the system. The solution is to remove the collected "trash". In this regard, it is recommended that you regularly scan your computer for unwanted programs. To do this, go to Start → Settings → Programs, go through the list and highlight everything you do not need.
Important: you should not delete everything in a row either, because the list of programs also displays the Windows service components responsible for the operation of the system. If in doubt, the easiest way is to contact F1Center.
Free up space on the system drive
The speed of the Windows operating system directly depends on the amount of free space on the system disk. It is used to create temporary files, save system data and other important processes that affect the speed of the device.
For normal operation, the optimal amount of memory on the system disk is at least 20% of its nominal space. If you don't have enough disk space, you can uninstall unnecessary applications or move your data to another drive.
For convenience, you can set up automatic disk cleanup. To do this, go to Start, → Settings, → System, → Memory, → Set up or start Memory Sense. Here we select the data items that should be deleted and the frequency of deletion.
Update your drivers
Outdated drivers can cause a lot of problems, especially video and audio drivers. A driver is software that allows an operating system to communicate with hardware, such as a video card. Using modern versions of drivers will speed up the work of the PC and achieve maximum performance.
Developers supply special utilities to check for up-to-date driver updates. For example, Lenovo – Lenovo vantage, MSI – msi app center, etc., there are also universal utilities for updating drivers. Once launched, the app automatically finds the right drivers and downloads them to your laptop.
You can also visit the manufacturer's website to download the most up-to-date driver. Contact the manufacturer by using a driver update. If your laptop is covered by warranty, contact the device manufacturer.
Cleaning your laptop from dust
If you do not clean the laptop in time, dust and dirt become an obstacle in the way of airflow and the cooling system stops working. When the temperature rises above the permissible values, the protective mechanisms are turned on, as a result of which the overheated devices go into storage mode or are turned off altogether. When overheating becomes critical, the laptop usually shuts down completely. Thus, overheating of components can cause malfunctions and lead to a serious breakdown. Engineers of the F1Center service center recommend cleaning the cooling system with the replacement of thermal paste at least once a year.
What else can be done
If your devices get really bad, you can install the Chrome OS Flex operating system, which can work with computers with outdated hardware. Note that Chrome OS Flex needs a 64-bit processor and 4 gigabytes of RAM. This means that a 32-bit system is not supported.
With the hardware stuffing, things are different: something will not be optimized or adjusted. Only the replacement of components with more productive and modern ones will help. But there's nothing particularly complicated about that either. When the device starts to slow down the next time, launch the "Task Manager" and see which part of the PC is loaded the most: the processor, RAM, hard drive or video card.
Usually, older devices "limp" memory, which is especially noticeable when running several applications. Resource-intensive programs often fully load the processor. The performance of the disk subsystem is also of great importance, although it is not obvious at first glance.
Replacing the spindle HDD with an SSD can also significantly add performance to the old device. Solid-state drives are characterized by high speed of writing and reading information. This allows you to significantly speed up the procedure for loading the operating system, work and entertainment programs. So, the installation of SSD in a gaming laptop will speed up the launch of gaming programs and optimize the gameplay.
Thus, instead of upgrading the whole, you can buy one of the components.
Speed up your laptop can reinstall Windows. If you have one of the older versions of the OS, it may be time to think about upgrading to a new or latest version, such as Windows 11. This can speed up your gadget. Before reinstalling the operating system, be sure to back up your important data so you don't lose it.