How To Speed Up A Slow PC or Laptop (At Work)

To speed up a slow PC at work, restart it regularly, remove unnecessary programs, limit startup items, scan for malware, check your internet connection, and install system updates. You can also upgrade your hardware (like switching to an SSD) or clean up disk space. These steps can make a big difference in performance without needing to replace your machine.

We all know the feeling — your PC or laptop grinds to a halt just when you're trying to open a report, join a video call, or respond to a client. But don’t worry: there are several quick, reliable ways to improve your computer's speed, even if it’s a few years old.

Here are the most effective ways to get things running faster again, without calling in IT every five minutes.

Restart your PC or Laptop

It sounds simple, but many people don’t do this enough. Leaving your PC running for days at a time lets background processes build up, eating away at your system’s memory.

It’s a bit of an IT cliché but ‘turn it off and on again’ does often work. If your PC hasn’t been turned off in a while, it could be causing everything to grind to a halt.

Your computer’s cache is where short term memory is stored from the different applications or files you open. How much you’re storing here will increase the longer a computer is on, resulting in it slowing down. It’s a bit like when you’ve got a lot on your mind. You will struggle to operate effectively, and the computer works in a similar way.

Rebooting your computer will clear this cache and give it a clean slate to operate on. It’s also an opportunity to install updates. These will often speed things up. More on that in a bit.

We suggest rebooting your computer at least once a week. This is more than what most people do. However, it is also good to turn it off at the end of each day.

Uninstall Software You Don't Use

Unused programs take up space and can run quietly in the background. Removing them frees up memory and CPU power for the tasks that matter.

Therefore, it is worth reviewing the psoftware and applications on your computer. You’ve probably downloaded programs, used them once or twice and then not used them again.

Those unused programs are needlessly clogging up disk space and potentially taking up some of the computer’s memory. It might be time for a tidy up.

Assuming you have the right permissions, on Windows you can go to Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a Program, and remove anything you no longer need.

Limit Start Up Apps

Too many apps launching when your computer starts can significantly slow it down, especially first thing in the morning.

These are the apps and programs that start running when you boot up. Some of these, such as those you use every session or apps that are integral to your computer’s security are useful to have. But there are likely some programs you don’t need to be up and running straight away and will immediately slow down your PC. Be sure to edit what programs are opening at startup in your settings.

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Go to the Startup tab and check for any apps you don’t need. You can disable them here. If you are unsure, it is a good idea to ask your IT support provider or internal IT department for help.

Check Your Internet Speed

Sometimes a “slow PC” is actually just slow internet — and that’s especially noticeable when you're working in cloud-based apps or on video calls.

Wherever you’re working you should be getting the amount of download and upload speed you are paying for (or near enough). To check this, you can do a speed test. There’s plenty of tools that do this, but one example is speedtest.net. This will give you your download and upload speed.

For most things it’s the download speed we want to know about. This should at least be within a few mb’s of what you’re paying for as minimum, if not over it. If it isn’t, contact your broadband provider to sort this out.

Most people use Wi-Fi to access the internet, but you don’t have to. Your internet usually enters your building via cables so there will always be an option to plug directly into that.

In some cases, this can end up being 10 times faster than receiving your internet via Wi-Fi. Using cables won’t be convenient for everyone but if you’re in a situation where relying on Wi-Fi is causing problems and you mostly use a computer in a fixed location it may be worth considering this as an option.

Sometimes the router for your Wi-Fi is far away from your access point or the signal is disrupted before it gets to where you are. Physical obstacles can disrupt wireless signals.

It certainly won’t hurt to run another test and see if it ends up being faster.

Update Your Software and Windows OS

Outdated software doesn’t just cause bugs — it can slow your system down. Updates often include performance improvements, security patches and stability fixes.

Software and operating system updates are good things to download, usually. They will include one or all of the following: security fixes, performance enhancements or functionality enhancements (new features).

It may be that the problems you’re facing are due to issues in your system or software that have been fixed in the latest update. Security fixes and performance updates will certainly improve your performance.

The area where it could have a negative effect is with functionality enhancements and new features. Sometimes when adding new things to your network it can end up slowing things down. Unfortunately, you’re only likely to find out about this, once you’ve had the update or if you happen to be in the know.

The good news is a fresh update that fixes that issue should be around the corner, so be sure to get on that asap!

Clear Up Your Hard Drive

When your PC’s hard drive is nearly full, it doesn't just limit storage — it slows down your entire system. Your operating system needs free space to create temporary files, manage memory, and run background tasks efficiently. Without it, things can start to feel sluggish fast.

Microsoft Windows relies heavily on free disk space for something called virtual memory (also known as a paging file). When your physical memory (RAM) fills up, your computer uses your hard drive as a backup. But if there’s not enough space, it has nowhere to go — and that’s when apps freeze, systems lag and everything feels like it’s taking twice as long.

Reviewing the files stored on your PC and deleting anything you no longer don't need is a good place to start (your Download folder is a good place to start!) and when you're done, empty the recycle bin.

For a deeper clear out of files search for “Disk Cleanup” in the Start menu. This tool helps you quickly remove temporary system files. You can also empty the Recycle Bin and delete cached files from past updates. 

Run a Malware scan

Some malware runs silently, using up memory and processing power behind the scenes. A slow, unstable computer is one of the biggest red flags. Rather than having a specific update for security, it may be that you need to run a scan.

One possible reason things might be running slow is the presence of viruses or malware. A lot of cyber-attacks aren’t necessarily going to bring a business to its knees. Some smaller viruses are designed to steal a small portion of your performance to fuel another operation, such as crypto mining. This would certainly slow down your computer.

To find out if this is the case, you need to run a scan, locate the problem, if there is one, and neutralise the threat.

Upgrade Your device

One of the most impactful upgrades you can make is replacing an older hard drive with a Solid State Drive (SSD). SSDs load much faster, making boot times and file access noticeably quicker. Adding more RAM can also help if you regularly multitask or use memory-intensive programs.

One thing that cannot be avoided is the age of your device. At the start we said before you shift your old kit, you should try a few things. But if all else fails, it’s possible that you will need an upgrade.

It’s not so much that devices age, but that the world moves on. Updates, features, and software all get bigger and more powerful and older machines struggle to handle what you’re asking them to do.

You should probably look to change your devices at least every 5-10 years. If you upgrade at the latter end of that, you’ll definitely see an improvement.

However, you can start to see warning signs after 3 years. Ultimately, the higher the spec of your kit, the longer it’s likely to last.

Whatever machine you go for depends on your needs. We’ve got a handy guide below to help you decide.

We hope you’ve found these tips useful and as ever, if after all this, you need more assistance, you know where we are.

Consider a Professional Health Check

Still having issues? It might be worth asking your IT provider to do a proper system check. They can test for deeper hardware or configuration problems that basic steps can’t fix.

At The HBP Group, we offer professional IT support that keeps businesses running smoothly — including proactive monitoring, support, and system optimisation.