Everyday Computer Skills · Keeping It Running · Lesson 5 of 5

Challenge: The Back-to-School Tune-Up

Get a slow family laptop ready for a new school year.

A slow family laptop

School starts next week. Your nephew Sam will use the family laptop for homework. But he says it's painfully slow and the battery dies before lunch.

You sit down with him to give it a tune-up. Nothing is broken that you can see. The laptop runs Windows 11 and still gets updates.

You press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager. On the Processes tab, you sort by Memory. At the top is the web browser. Sam admits he has about 50 tabs open, some from last spring.

He also says he never restarts. He just closes the lid.

Making room for schoolwork

The laptop is faster now. Next you open Settings, then System, then Storage. The bar is almost full.

Cleanup recommendations shows a lot of temporary files. You also spot a folder packed with old game installers and videos from websites Sam visited over the years.

Later, you will turn on Storage Sense so it can tidy up on its own.

Checking the battery

Now for the battery. In Settings, Power & battery, you see the laptop is set to Best performance.

Sam says he usually does homework on his bed, with the laptop on a pillow. The bottom often feels hot, and the fan gets loud.

You switch the power mode to Balanced. Then you think about his habits.

Repair or replace

A week later, the laptop is quick again. But the battery still only lasts about three hours. A repair shop says a new battery costs much less than a new laptop.

The laptop still gets security updates and does everything Sam needs for school.