Most slow machines are not failing hardware — they are machines carrying years of accumulated background work.
- 01Review startup programs quarterly; anything you don't use daily can be disabled.
- 02Keep at least 15% of the system drive free so the OS can manage cache and updates.
- 03Restart weekly. Sleep is not a substitute for a clean boot.
- 04Watch temperatures on laptops older than three years — dust is the usual cause of throttling.