5 Ways to Speed Up Your Slow Laptop or PC

Is your old laptop or PC feeling sluggish? Windows 11 bloatware and background processes can severely impact performance. Here are 5 proven ways to make your computer fast again.

1. The Ultimate Clean: Chris Titus Tech's Windows Utility

The most effective way to debloat Windows is using the Chris Titus Tech Windows Utility. It's a powerful tool that removes pre-installed junk, disables telemetry, and optimizes your system.

How to use it:

1. Right-click on the Start Menu and select Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin).
2. Paste the following command and hit Enter:

iwr -useb https://christitus.com/win | iex

1. Once the tool opens:

• Go to the Tweaks tab.
• Select Desktop or Laptop (depending on your device).
• Click Run Tweaks.
• Remove Bloatware: remove all useless programs running in the background.
• Clear UI Elements: Simplify the interface for speed.
• Remove Indexing & Search: Windows Search is resource-heavy. Disable it and use PowerToys Run or Everything app for instant file searches.
• Uninstall Junk: Remove OneDrive and Microsoft Edge if you don't use them.

2. Bulk Crap Uninstaller (BCUninstaller)

Some programs leave behind files and registry keys even after uninstalling. Bulk Crap Uninstaller is an open-source tool that removes these leftovers.

• Download and run BCUninstaller.
• It detects all installed apps, including hidden ones.
• Select the apps you want to remove and let it clean up all the residuals.

3. Mem Reduct (RAM Cleaner)

Mem Reduct is a lightweight tool to monitor and clean your system memory.

Setup Guide:

1. Install Mem Reduct.
2. Run it as Administrator.
3. Go to File > Settings > Memory Cleaning.
4. Enable Auto-memory cleaning (e.g., when memory usage exceeds 80% or every 30 minutes).
5. Note: Auto-cleaning only works if you have admin privileges enabled for the app.

4. Wintoys

Wintoys is another excellent app available on the Microsoft Store to optimize Windows.

• Boost Performance: Use it to clear memory quickly.
• Storage: Safely remove Windows Restore Points (which can take up huge amounts of space).
• Tweaks: Fine-tune system animations and settings for better responsiveness.

5. Disable Unnecessary Services

Many Windows services run in the background without you knowing.

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter.
2. Look for services you definitely don't need (e.g., "Connected User Experiences and Telemetry", "Fax", "Retail Demo Service").
3. Right-click > Properties > Change Startup type to Disabled.
4. Warning: Be careful! Only disable services if you know what they do.

Additional Tips

• Defragment Drives: If you are still using an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), search for "Defragment and Optimize Drives" in Windows and run it. (Not needed for SSDs).
• Upgrade RAM: If you have 8GB or less, upgrading to 16GB is the single best hardware upgrade you can make for multitasking.