Holiday Tech Tune-Up Week: Speed Up Your Slow Laptop Before You Travel

Dec 08, 2025

If your laptop has been dragging lately, now’s the perfect time to give it a quick tune-up before holiday shopping, travel, or family video calls. A slow computer isn’t just annoying—it can make online checkouts fail, freeze during Zoom calls, and leave you stressed when you’re already busy.

The good news: most slow-downs come from a few easy-to-fix issues.

1. Restart (Yes, Really)

If it’s been a while, a fresh restart clears temporary files and stuck background processes.

Tip: Fully shut down → wait 10 seconds → turn back on.

2. Update Windows or macOS

Updates improve speed, fix bugs, and close security holes.

Windows: Settings → Windows Update
Mac: System Settings → General → Software Update

Install anything marked “important” or “security.”

3. Clean Out Startup Apps

Apps that auto-launch can make your system crawl.

Windows: Task Manager → Startup
Mac: System Settings → General → Login Items

Disable anything you don’t use daily.

4. Free Up Storage for Holiday Photos

A nearly-full drive slows everything down.

Quick wins:

Empty Recycle Bin/Trash
Delete old downloads
Move large photo/video folders to an external drive or cloud
Uninstall programs you no longer use

Try to keep at least 20–25% free space.

5. Run Built-In System Cleanup Tools

Windows: Search “Disk Cleanup” or use Storage Sense
Mac: Apple menu → About This Mac → Storage → Optimize

These remove temp files, logs, caches—safe to clean.

If your laptop still feels sluggish…

PCRescue can run a deeper tune-up remotely, check for failing hardware, malware, or outdated drivers, and prep your device for the holidays.

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