I changed these 3 settings and my Windows laptop is noticeably faster

Who actually enjoys using a slow laptop? No one. It’s absolutely frustrating, it kills your mood, and somehow it always chooses the worst possible moment to lag. I was dealing with the exact same thing on my Windows laptop. Everything felt sluggish, apps took forever to open, and basic tasks started testing my patience. The worst part was that there was no obvious reason for it.

I tried all the usual fixes, like restarts and updates, but nothing really changed for me. That’s when I decided to dig a little deeper and tweak a few Windows settings that most people never touch. Surprisingly, those small changes made a big difference to my laptop. It felt quicker, more responsive, and well, far less annoying to use.

So if your Windows laptop feels slow for no clear reason, you don’t necessarily need a new laptop. You can start by using a few free Windows tools to see what’s slowing your PC down. They give you a clearer idea of where the problem is coming from. Once you’ve done that, the next step is to tweak a few simple settings. These small changes can significantly improve how your laptop performs day to day.

The first thing I did was free up some disk space

The silent storage hog you didn’t notice

Most of the time, we don’t realize how much clutter builds up on our laptops. Storage fills up with temporary files, old downloads that you may have forgotten, app leftovers, and old files. At first, it feels normal. But as your storage space starts to get tight, problems begin to surface. Apps take longer to open, file transfers slow down, and even just hovering over your trackpad can become irritating due to lag. It’s like trying to work in a room that’s already packed with too many boxes. You can move around, but everything feels harder than it actually should.

This is where cleaning up storage makes the most sense. And the good news is, Windows already has a hidden tool that does this for you. It’s called Storage Sense. It’s a built-in Windows tool that automatically frees up disk space by removing unnecessary files. This includes all the files you’ve probably forgotten about. So much so, it can also manage OneDrive files by keeping rarely used files online only, freeing up local storage while keeping them accessible when needed.

For instance, if you downloaded a large video file months ago and never opened it again, or if your Recycle Bin is still holding onto deleted files, Storage Sense can clear that in one go. You can even choose how often it runs and decide what exactly can be deleted. To find this tool on your Windows laptop, follow these steps:

1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard.
2. Open the Settings app and select System from the left-side menu.
3. Go to Storage, then click Storage Sense.

From here, you can review what’s taking up space, clean all the temporary files, and let your laptop handle the clutter automatically. If you’d like to go even further, this hidden Windows tool can free up almost 200GB of junk without installing any third-party apps.

Managing startup apps is key

Let the important apps go first

Managing startup apps on Windows means deciding which apps are allowed to open automatically the moment you turn on your laptop. By default, many apps are added to the list, even though most apps don’t need to run right away.

Every app that launches at startup consumes system resources, including CPU, RAM, and battery power. Too many startup apps can:

• Slow down boot time, making your laptop take longer to be ready.
• Make the system feel sluggish immediately after login.
• Drain the battery faster, especially on laptops.
• Increase security risks by keeping unnecessary apps running in the background.

When you disable unnecessary startup apps, Windows boots faster because few programs load at once. Overall performance of the laptop improves as well, especially on older or slower ones. With fewer background processes running, battery life gets a useful boost, and the overall system feels cleaner and more responsive the moment you sign in. In simple terms, your Windows laptop stops wasting power on apps you’re not actually using. I have disabled Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and game launchers at startup. However, antivirus software, touchpad drivers, and audio services have still been enabled.

Disabling startup apps does not uninstall them. It only controls when they run.

To manage startup apps on Windows, do this:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Switch to the Startup apps tab from the left-side menu.
3. You will see a list of programs along with their startup impact.
4. Right-click on the app and choose Enable or Disable, depending on what you actually need.

By managing startup apps on Windows, you let only the essential apps load first while everything else waits.

Turn off the unnecessary background apps

When apps do too much behind your back

Apps running in the background can slowly drag down your laptop’s performance. Even when you’re not actively using them, many apps quietly run in the background, using the CPU, RAM, and your laptop’s battery. You may not notice it right away, but over time this extra load can make your system slower.

Turning off background app activity helps free up system resources. With fewer apps running, your laptop will perform well in everyday tasks. It also reduces power consumption, which noticeably improves battery life. All in all, it prevents apps from constantly syncing data, or downloading updates when they’re not in use, giving you better control over both performance and privacy. To disable background apps on Windows, do this:

1. Open the Settings app on your Windows laptop.
2. Click on Apps from the left-side menu.
3. Select Installed Apps to see the full list of apps on your system.
4. Click on any app you don’t need running in the background.
5. Under Background Permissions, choose Never.

Repeat this for apps you rarely use, and your laptop should feel immediately quicker, more efficient, and easier on the battery.

Your laptop wasn’t slow, it was doing too much

I’ve always been wary of those random, unexplained issues that pop up on Windows laptops. I like my devices to run efficiently, and when they don’t, I try to bring them back to how they’re supposed to perform. I’ve also seen plenty of people rush to buy new laptops or phones the second things start slowing down. What they don’t often realize is that the fix is usually much simpler.

In many cases, all it takes is changing a few settings. Do that, and the device feels faster, smoother, and far more pleasant to use. None of these tweaks cost a dollar, and none require technical expertise. They’re built-in Windows tools and settings that already exist; you just need to know where to look.