14 ways to speed up your laptop

Update your software

We all know that you should keep your operating system and software up to date with the latest patches for the sake of security, but did you know that it can also help your performance? Microsoft and other software vendors are always tweaking and optimising their software to make sure it runs as smoothly as possible, so keeping your PC up-to-date ensures it'll always run the best it can.

To check if that are any Windows updates waiting to be installed, head into the settings menu and click 'Update & Security'. Click the button marked 'Check for updates' and Windows will automatically start scanning for available patches to download.

If it's third-party apps and programs that you want to keep updated, then you can save yourself the hassle of manually checking each and every one of them by using an automatic update checker. Some cyber security packages include this as a built-in feature, or for a standalone option, check out SUMo (Software Updates Monitor) from KC Softwares.

Check for malware

Speaking of cyber security, a hard drive full of trojans and viruses can really slow your computer down (as well as being a huge security risk). If you've noticed your computer has suddenly started slowing down, it could be that you've picked up a bit of malware somewhere. There are a huge number of security providers out there, who can offer software (both free and paid-for) to locate and root out malicious programs on your machine.

If you can't be bothered choosing a third-party option, you can also use Windows Defender, Windows 10's built-in antivirus software - although independent tests have indicated that it may slow down your machine more than some third-party options. It's worth setting up quick scans which will automatically run every few days, with a more detailed scan every so often.