How to speed up my old laptop

Damorihno · Mar 12, 2016

Hi guys,
I'm just wondering, my current laptop as I can't get a new one soon, is very slow. It's a Toshiba Satellite Pro L500-1VZ. Booting to windows is fine, it actually manages that very quickly, but opening any application, or performing any task really can cause it to freeze temporarily, or just not open the application at all. Sometime even typing in word it can lock up for a second then be fine again. I have tried to overclock it but there's nothing in the BIOS. It has an Intel Core 2 Duo T6570 @ 2.10GHz. It has 4GB or RAM, windows 10 64-bit. Funny thing is in the My PC Properties menu it says Dell is the manufacturer, just something that has always confused me. Anyway, is there any way I can speed it up, or attempt to overclock the CPU. Wiping the drive or reinstalling a clean version of windows is not an option.
Thanks all.

sizzling · Mar 12, 2016

When in Windows review task manager, are there programs running in the background using up high percentages of CPU, RAM or Disk?

Renaldo Xhahu · Mar 12, 2016

What I always do with old laptops is to install Linux. I recommend Xubuntu or Elementary OS, both pretty lightweight and really fast. You can boot them up from a USB and see if you like them. You can also install them and not loose your files. Check it out because that's the only way to speed up old laptops.

Damorihno · Mar 12, 2016

sizzling :

Not really. I mean AVG is constantly running and I know that'a a prick for CPU usage, but it's not terrible right now. I have to say, Chrome hogs alot, also Microsoft Account is currently using a crapload of CPU.

Damorihno · Mar 12, 2016

Also, RAM usage is hovering around the 3GB mark out of 3.8GB usable, should I try upgrading the RAM? Even now, cpu usage is down to 30% and hdd at about 10% and RAM is staying up at the 3GB mark

smorizio · Mar 12, 2016

https

/www.crucial.com/
run the memory tool see if your laptop can max out to 8g if it can pick up a kit.
run hdtune check your hard drive health.
may be time to back up your data and replace the drive if the old one is stalling.

Damorihno · Mar 12, 2016

smorizio :

Ok thanks a mil.

Damorihno · Mar 12, 2016

It says max is 8GB but dont exceed manufacturer supported memory and it shows 2x2gb blocks

sizzling · Mar 12, 2016

With very little running in the background 4gb should be plenty. I have a Surface 3 which has 4gb and runs Windows 10 superbly, they also do a version which only has 2gb but that is a little slow. You don't seem to be getting the performance you should but 8gb ram may help cover the problem. Try running CCleaner to clean the registry and a full defrag of the HDD

I know you say you don't want to reinstall Windows but sometimes that is best as it rules out a software problem.

Damorihno · Mar 12, 2016

It says HDD is healthy, I defrag it regurlarly enough, its not that, but ill run ccleaner again. Thanks for everything

mbarnes86 · Mar 12, 2016

Hi

If the Windows 10 was a upgrade from Toshiba (or Dell?) Windows 7 or 8 check if those Toshiba (or Dell) Utilities are still installed. If they are there un install them

The Toshiba program to check for driver & bios updates is useful for a year or 2 untill the upgrades stop
Others reminding you about the warantee registration and similar can be un installed.
Check for background programs you never use.

If the Windows 7/8 was in use for several years a clean Windows 10 install may speed things up provided you can find the correct Toshiba Win 10 device drivers for:- Sound, network, wireless networking, power management, intel graphics etc (preferrably in advance of Windows re installing)

some reviews say win 7 pro 32 bit was installed, you already have the 64 bit version which can use all of the RAM

regards
Mike Barnes

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