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Why is my HP Laptop Slow? (SOLVED)

Why is my HP laptop slow?

In this fast-moving world, we all expect our technology to work fast too. From laptops to smartphones, slowdowns happen for many reasons. It could either be outdated software or malfunctioned hardware. To come up with a solution, the first step is to diagnose the reason behind it.

 

I am going to break down the many reasons that can cause your HP laptop to slow down.

An overloaded start-up:

Your laptop is probably taking too much time because it is clogged up with too many running applications at one time. So, to keep them all running instead of saving you time, it does the opposite.

 

Your laptop is out of RAM:

Random Access Memory is where the laptop stores all the information. The more the memory, the better your laptop will run.

 

Virus:

Whenever the laptop acts differently or is not ordinary, there are chances that a virus infects your laptop.

 

A loaded hard drive:

All the music, photos, and applications are saved in the hard drive, so if your laptop has too many of these, then that could be the reason why your laptop has slowed down.

 

Too many tabs open at the same time:

Your internet access also decides if your laptop is running slow or fast. If you have a fast network, but too many tabs are open on your browser, it can slow down your laptop.

 

HP laptop is slow

Troubleshooting a Slow HP Laptop

ProblemCause
HP laptop slow to start-up Too many applications are allowed to self-start after every power-on.
HP laptop slow when charging A non-original adapter can cause this problem. An issue with the BIOS can also cause your system to slow down.
HP laptop slow when not chargingYour HP laptop is not updated.
HP laptop has slow internet· Spyware
· Adware
· Virus
· Unwanted internet files
HP laptop slow to start-up An overloaded start-up can cause your laptop to start slower.

 

How to fix an HP laptop that’s running very slow

 To fix a HP laptop that is running very slow, you should update Windows, check for viruses or malware, and fix any registry errors.

Windows Update

We often ignore the update notification by simply clicking on ‘Remind me later.’ But these updates are crucial for the laptop to function properly. If your laptop is running slow, then first go and check for updates. If updates are available, install the updates, and then your laptop won’t run slow.

  • Go to ‘This PC’
  • Open the settings window
  • Check for updates under ‘Updates & Security’

 

Check for Viruses and Malware

The main concern when it comes to your laptop is viruses. Viruses and malware can damage your laptop, including compromising security, slow speed, data loss, etc. Install anti-virus protection in your laptop to protect it from any virus attacks and keep your laptop clean from junk.

 

Fix Windows Registry

Registry errors occur when you are installing and removing third-party applications or programs. The third-party information is stored in the registry. This sometimes causes your laptop to slow down, not shut down properly, and other problems.

Fixing a Windows registry is not very easy for everyone to perform. Get in touch with someone familiar with the Windows registry and help you resolve the problem.

 

How to fix HP laptop slow after update

There can be many reasons for the slow performance of your laptop. If your laptop is running slow, even after an update, try the following steps:

  1. Update BIOS and the drivers
  2. Increase RAM
  3. Increase virtual memory
  4. Uninstall applications or programs you don’t use
  5. Run disk clean-up
  6. Clear out the recycle bin
  7. Delete temporary files
  8. Run disk defragment
  9. Disable auto start-ups from the task manager

 

Besides these basic steps, follow these additional tips to prevent your laptop from running slow:

  1. Avoid multi-tasking. Close the tabs and applications when you are no longer using them. Don’t run too many tabs at once.
  2. Use ad-blocker. Watch out for sites that are filled with flash and pop-up ads. These tend to consume a lot of resources and also cause your laptop to overheat.
  3. Many laptops don’t have the storage and capacity for video editing and gaming, so know well about the limits before you overload your laptop.
  4. Don’t use your laptop on soft surfaces like your bed, cushion, or lap. This will block the vent and not let your laptop cool. This also slows down your laptop.

 

HP laptop slow when charging

The reason behind your laptop’s slow functioning during charging can be that your system is counting low voltage on the monitor pin. This further indicates to the system that the battery is low, and the system responds by cutting back on the mainboard frequency to save power. This leads to the slow functioning of the laptop.

In this case, you might want to contact your manufacturer. But before you do that, follow these steps:

  1. Open ‘Control Panel’
  2. Go to the ‘Power Options’
  3. Select the ‘Change Plan Settings’ option
  4. Now select ‘Change Advanced Power Settings’
  5. Scan through all the options to make sure there is no interference with using it while your laptop is plugged in
  6. Check all of them since there could be not one, but multiple interferences
  7. Make the required changes and once you’re done, click on ‘Apply’ and then ‘OK’
  8. Restart your laptop to apply the changes

 

Why is my HP laptop slow to start-up?

There are several possibilities why your HP laptop is facing a slow start-up, and it may vary from laptop to laptop. These are the most common reasons:

  • Hardware issues like outdated CPU, hard drive failing, lack of storage, not enough RAM, etc.
  • Software issues like adware attack, third-party programs, and applications eating up resources, windows registry issues, etc.
  • Starting the system with too many open programs or applications at the same time
  • Piled up temporary files, unused programs or applications, junk files, other types of files and programs

 

How can you speed up the start-up?

If your laptop is taking too long to start up, follow these quick ways to help your HP laptop start-up go faster:

  • Uninstall unused programs and applications
  • Run disk clean-up
  • Restart your laptop
  • Install and run an anti-virus
  • Limit or reduce the number of start-up programs
  • Increase the RAM capacity
  • HDD upgrade to SSD

 

HP laptop slow when not plugged in

This probably happens because HP, just like most laptops, is configured to lessen the power usage when the laptop is not plugged in. The laptop functions this way to increase battery life.

This has two major effects on the laptop, and these are:

  • Slow Speed: To save the resources and battery life, the laptop’s speed reduces as compared to its speed when plugged in.
  • Display brightness: You will notice that the brightness of your laptop’s screen increases when plugged in and decreases when not. It decreases to save battery life.

 

Follow these steps below to keep your laptop in check and control.

 

Windows Settings

  1. Go to the windows setting application
  2. Select ‘System’
  3. Click on ‘Power & Sleep’
  4. Scroll down and then select the ‘Additional Power Settings’ option
  5. The ‘Control Panel Power Options’ page will open
  6. Click on the ‘Plan Settings’ beside your current plan. You will see the settings that control when your laptop goes to sleep or hibernate
  7. By clicking on ‘Change advanced power settings,’ you will be able to view more things that you can control

 

Why is my HP Pavilion G6 so slow?

These could be the reasons why your HP Pavilion G6 is running slow:

 

An overloaded start-up

Your laptop is taking too much time, probably because it is clogged up with too many running applications at one time. So, to keep them all running instead of saving you time, it does the opposite.

 

Your laptop is out of RAM

Random Access Memory is where the laptop stores all the information. The more the memory, the better your laptop will run.

 

You have a Virus

Whenever the laptop acts differently or is not ordinary, there are chances that a virus infects your laptop.

 

A loaded hard drive

All the music, photos, and applications are saved in the hard drive, so if your laptop has too many of these, then that could be the reason why your laptop has slowed down.

 

Too many tabs open at the same time

Your internet access also decides if your laptop is running slow or fast. But if you do have a fast network, but too many tabs are open on your browser, then that can slow down your laptop too.

 

Check for Viruses and Malware

The main concern when it comes to your laptop is viruses. Viruses and malware can damage your laptop, including compromising security, slow speed, data loss, etc.

Install an anti-virus in your laptop to protect it from any virus attack, and it also keeps your laptop clean from any kind of junk.

 

Fix Windows Registry

Registry errors occur when you are installing and removing third-party applications or programs. The third-party information is stored in the registry. This sometimes causes your laptop to slow down, n0t shut down properly, and other problems.

Fixing a windows registry is not very easy for everyone to perform. Get in touch with someone familiar with the Windows registry and can help you resolve the problem.

 

Why is my HP 650 G4 slow?

These could be the reasons why your laptop is lagging or is running slow:

  • An overloaded start-up: Your laptop is taking too much time, probably because it is clogged up with too many running applications at one time. So, to keep them all running instead of saving you time, it does the opposite.
  • Too many tabs open at the same time: Your internet access also decides if your laptop is running slow or fast. If you do have a fast network, but too many tabs are open on your browser, then that can slow down your laptop too.

 

Is your HP Laptop still running slow? Read my guide on how to Fix a Freezing HP Laptop

Ernie Lo

Ernie Lo is a qualified web designer and web developer. He works as an IT support technician and website manager at Benleigh Vending, and he also fixes vending machines.

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