A common issue slowing laptops down is not regularly updating them, because these updates are intended to fix bugs in the operating system. Go to Settings through the Start button and select Windows Update in the top right to check if your computer is up-to-date; if not, you can click on the “Download & Install” button under the update.

The issue might be storage, which can be viewed by going to Settings, System, and then Storage to see how much free space is available and what is taking up the most space. Uninstall and delete what you don’t use or want anymore, as having little space on a laptop can cause many issues, including slowing the computer down.

Pressing CTRL+ ALT+ Delete will bring up the Task Manager and show all the currently running programs by selecting it and clicking End Task on the ones you don’t need at the moment. However, you shouldn’t end programs if you don’t know what they are, as they could be vital to other programs running or affect your computer’s performance.

There are more costly solutions, like installing more RAM or antivirus programs, though you can adjust your laptop's capability by searching the term “Performance” in the Start menu and using the “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows” function. Windows also has a built-in program that you can find by searching “Virus & threat detection” to launch Microsoft Defender.