How to Cope with a Slow Running Laptop A slow running laptop can be incredibly frustrating. If you’re using your laptop for business, you really can’t afford to work with a system that takes ages to load. If you don't have a department in house responsible for IT Support, there are ways you can solve a laptop that is under performing yourself. By following our top tips below, you’ll find some helpful ways to manage a laptop which is working at reduced speed, before needing to call an expert. Update your Software One of the biggest reasons for a slow running computer is that you’re working on outdated software. When software is updated it’s often to improve problems or glitches in the current system, but it can also be to fix any bugs that have occurred, meaning that if you’re working off old software, you’re still likely to be faced by all these problems. If possible, check the box that suggests automatic updates, so that you don’t have to worry about going back and updating your software every week. Check for Viruses One of the most important things you should do when your computer is running slowly is to run a full anti-virus and malware search. Ideally, you should run a virus search weekly, to avoid the potentially devastating impact of a virus which can cause loss of data, and greatly impact the run-speed of your computer. Usually you can set up periodic scans with your anti-virus software, so aim to do this and give yourself the peace of mind you’re protected. Limit your Cookies and Cache When you visit a new site, you’ll be alerted to the fact the website is collecting information on you through their cookies, including browsing history and personal information. Each time you visit a web page, your browser stores or ‘caches’ information about the site in your Temporary Internet file. These files, over time, can build up, causing an unnecessary backlog of information in your browser. By regularly clearing your cache, you will clear up valuable space on your disk and see an improvement in the load time of web pages. You can usually find where to clear your cache in the Settings tab in your browser. Get Rid of What You Don’t Use Many of us have files and programmes on our computer that we no longer need or use. A regular spring clean once a quarter is a good target to aim for. Cleaning up these unnecessary files can greatly reduce the amount of storage you’re using, greatly improving the run time of your computer or laptop. If your laptop continues to perform at a frustratingly slow speed, you need to speak to an expert who can help you fix the problem.