Laptops are great then they are new and everything runs smoothly, but if you don’t maintain it, it can get sluggish really quickly over time. If you’re wondering what to do with your old laptop that’s lying unused, here are some tricks you can try to bring your ageing machine up to speed. While these tips won’t guarantee that it will perform as good as a modern laptop, at least it should be more usable for basic tasks like web browsing or streaming videos. There’s no way to make up for the lack of processing power of an older laptop versus a new one, but swapping out a few components for better ones and some tinkering with software can make all the difference.
• Get rid of old programs and files
The first thing you’ll want to do is start identifying and deleting programs that you almost never use, and any large files that you don’t need any more. If your laptop still has trial versions of apps like an antivirus or video editing apps, those trial periods have most likely expired long ago and are simply dead weight programs. Head to Add/Remove programs in Windows and start uninstalling them. If you have a Mac, head to the Applications folder and begin deleting the apps you don’t need. Removing these programs can take a while, especially bloated antivirus programs, so be patient.
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Large files take up a lot of space on your hard drive, and can cause sluggish behaviour. If you’re running low on space, it can prevent Windows from installing critical updates. For Windows software, remember to always ‘uninstall’ it and never simply delete the program’s folder. This is because an application might save portions of the program in various places, and removing all of them at one go is simplest when you uninstall it. Large files on the other hand can be videos, old photo albums, or miscellaneous files. You can move the ones you want to save but don’t need everyday, to the cloud in order to save local storage space.
• Swap your hard drive for an SSD
If you’ve done step one and you find no difference, try swapping out your hard disk for an SSD. If it’s an older laptop, there’s a good chance it’s using a mechanical SATA hard drive. Check to see if there’s a quick-access hatch underneath the laptop that’ll let you access the hard drive area. If not, you’ll probably need to open the base and then swap it. Make sure you check if there are tutorials online for your model, before attempting it. Also, make sure you backup all your data first because changing the hard drive will require you to reinstall Windows.
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Just this change alone should offer a marked improvement in read/ write speeds and system responsiveness. Laptop (2.5-inch) SATA SSDs are dirt cheap today, as 1TB models can be found for roughly Rs. 5,000.
• Upgrade the RAM
You’ve cleaned old files and upgraded to a faster storage, but are still not satisfied with the improvement. You can try upgrading the RAM of your laptop, which should have a direct impact on boot times, app responsiveness, and copying speeds. You can use free tools like CPU-Z to check the type of and speed of your RAM modules.
The program should also tell you if you have an unused RAM slot for expansion. If not, you’ll need to swap the old stick for a new one, but make sure the new one is compatible with your laptop’s motherboard. If you’re adding a second stick, it’s a good practice to try and get the same capacity and the same speeds. Upgrading the RAM might not always be the cheapest option, especially if it’s a very old laptop, as those RAM modules might be tough to source.
• Clean out the dust from inside the laptop
While you have your laptop opened for installing an SSD or RAM, make sure to clean any dust build up in there. Your laptop should have a fan or multiple fans, so it’s best to use a soft brush and clean the dust off the fan blades. The sluggish performance could also be due to thermal throttling, as the clogged fans are not able to expel enough volume of air to keep the laptop running as it should.
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• Replace your laptop’s battery
Apart from running slowly, another common complaint with older laptops is that the battery life is very less and not what it used to be. Unlike smartphones, it’s actually much easier to install a new battery for your laptop yourself. If your laptop has one of those detachable battery modules that slots in on the back, check online or your local hardware market for a new battery.
These are the easiest to swap since you don’t have to open the laptop. In case your laptop has a battery underneath the keyboard area, you’ll need to pop open the bottom panel to access it. These batteries too can be found online, at least for popular models. If you’re not familiar with doing the replacement procedure, it’s best to take it to a service centre and get it done there.
• Try ChromeOS Flex
Trying to run a newer version of Windows on an old laptop is a bad idea to begin with. Windows 11 might not even install on older hardware as there are minimum requirements for it. If all you want to do is use your old laptop for basic tasks like accessing web apps, streaming videos, and surfing the internet, you don’t really need Windows. ChromeOS Flex is a version of ChromeOS that you can install on any x86 computer, provided it meets the basic criteria.
There are some limitations compared to ChromeOS on the proper Chromebook laptop like no support for Android apps, and certain hardware like fingerprint readers won’t work. You can follow Google‘s instructions on how to get it running. Check the minimum requirements before you do so and keep in mind that this will format your hardware during the installation, so make sure you’ve backed up all your data. Google has a list of devices that it has tested this on, so you can check to see if your model is on there. Technically, ChromeOS Flex should work on any x86 computer (older Apple models included) with 4GB of RAM and 16GB of free storage. It’s definitely worth giving it a shot, if you have nothing to lose.
• Reinstall the OS
As a last resort option, you can back up your data and try reinstalling Windows to give it a performance boost. In most cases, this does give a noticeable improvement in responsiveness. When you reinstall Windows, make sure to limit the kind of applications you use to lite or web-based programs only in order to keep it running well.:
