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Top 5 Reasons Your Laptop Is Slow - NZ Guide

  • Jan 7
  • 3 min read

Updated: Jan 15

Is Your Laptop Slow? Here’s the NZ Guide to Fixing It

Few things are more frustrating than sitting down to work or study and watching your laptop take ages to load, freeze during simple tasks, or delay opening apps.If you’re in New Zealand and your laptop has suddenly turned into a sluggish machine, you’re not alone - slow laptops are one of the most common issues Kiwi users experience.

The good news? A slow laptop doesn’t mean it’s “too old” or needs to be replaced. In many cases, the cause is simple, and the fix is affordable.

Here are the Top 5 Reasons Your Laptop Is Slow and exactly how to fix them.


1️. Your Laptop Still Uses an HDD Instead of an SSD

If your laptop takes long to boot, apps freeze, or files open slowly, you are most likely running on an old Hard Disk Drive (HDD).

Why this slows your laptop:

  • HDDs use spinning disks

  • They read data much slower

  • They struggle with multitasking

  • They heat up easily

  • They become slower with age

The Fix: Upgrade to an SSD

An SSD (Solid State Drive) is the #1 upgrade recommended across NZ.

Benefits:

  • 10× faster speed

  • Faster startup

  • Instant app loading

  • Better performance for work & study

  • Longer laptop lifespan

Tech4You performs same-day SSD upgrades, and customers often say their laptop feels like brand new - even if it’s 5-8 years old.

2️. Too Many Startup Apps Running in the Background

A very common cause of slow laptops in NZ is background programs and startup apps that load automatically.

These include:

  • Chrome extensions

  • Zoom, Teams, Discord

  • Antivirus apps

  • Cloud apps (OneDrive, Dropbox)

  • Printer apps

  • Spotify, Steam, Adobe

Signs this is your problem:

  • Laptop takes long to boot

  • High CPU usage

  • Fan gets loud

  • Apps lag or crash

The Fix: Disable Startup Apps

You can disable unwanted apps using:

Windows:Task Manager → Startup → Disable unnecessary apps

Mac:System Settings → General → Login Items

If you’re unsure what to disable, Tech4You can perform a system optimisation in minutes.

3️. Your Laptop Doesn’t Have Enough RAM

RAM affects your laptop’s ability to multitask.

If you:

  • Use Zoom, Teams or Meet

  • Keep many browser tabs open

  • Use Office apps

  • Edit photos or videos

  • Run design or engineering software

Then 4GB RAM is not enough.

Why this slows your laptop:

  • Laptop freezes

  • Apps randomly crash

  • Browser lags

  • Video calls glitch

  • Slow file switching

The Fix: Upgrade RAM

Common upgrades for NZ users:

  • 4GB → 8GB (for basic use)

  • 8GB → 16GB (for students & professionals)

  • 16GB → 32GB (for heavy users, editors, developers)

RAM upgrades are affordable and dramatically improve speed.

4️. Overheating Due to Dust & Poor Cooling

NZ homes and offices collect a lot of dust, especially near:

  • Carpets

  • Pets

  • Coastal areas

  • Old buildings

  • Construction zones

Dust blocks air vents and fan movement, causing your laptop to overheat, which slows performance to protect components.

Signs your laptop is overheating:

  • Loud fans

  • Laptop gets hot under the keyboard

  • Sudden shutdowns

  • Lag during Zoom calls

  • Games stutter

The Fix: Professional Deep Cleaning

Tech4You offers:

  • Fan cleaning

  • Thermal paste replacement

  • Cooling optimisation

This immediately reduces heat and boosts speed.

5️. Your Laptop Has Malware or System Errors

Viruses, spyware, and hidden background software can slow your device dramatically.

NZ users often face:

  • Pop-ups

  • Fake antivirus messages

  • Browser redirects

  • High CPU usage

  • Slow internet

  • Strange background processes

The Fix: Malware Removal & Software Repair

Tech4You can:

  • Clean viruses

  • Remove malware

  • Repair corrupt files

  • Fix Windows/Mac errors

  • Reset OS without losing data

Bonus Reason: Your Laptop Is Outdated or Needs a New Battery

Slow laptops can also be caused by:

  • Failing batteries

  • Outdated operating systems

  • Corrupted software

  • Broken hard drives

  • Failing motherboards

If your laptop is older than 5–7 years and never serviced, it likely needs upgrades.


How Tech4You Fixes Slow Laptops Across NZ

Tech4You provides professional laptop repair and performance upgrades for all brands:

  • HP

  • Dell

  • Lenovo

  • Acer

  • Asus

  • Apple MacBook

  • Samsung

  • MSI

  • Razer

  • All Windows & macOS devices

Our services include:

✔ SSD upgrades ✔ RAM upgrades ✔ Virus removal ✔ Deep cleaning & thermal paste ✔ Windows/Mac optimisation ✔ Laptop battery replacement ✔ Keyboard & screen repair ✔ Motherboard repair ✔ Data recovery

Most jobs are completed same day.

Serving All New Zealand Users

Tech4You offers repair services across:

  • Auckland

  • Hamilton

  • Newmarket

  • Ellerslie

  • Surrounding suburbs

Walk-in, drop-off, and courier repairs are available NZ-wide.



 
 
 

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