Computer running slow — the safe first steps

Steps

1. Restart — click Start → Power → Restart (not Shut down; Windows' shut-down keeps things in memory). Do this once a week.
2. Updates: Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates. Install and restart. Then leave it 20 minutes — it's often busy finishing in the background.
3. Space: Settings → System → Storage. If the C: drive is nearly full (less than about 10% free), click Temporary files and remove them, and empty the Recycle Bin.
4. Startup programs: press Ctrl + Shift + Esc → Startup apps. Right-click and Disable anything you don't need the moment you turn on (Spotify, Teams, updaters). Don't disable your antivirus.
5. Uninstall what you don't use: Settings → Apps → Installed apps. Sort by size; remove trials and things you've never opened. If unsure, leave it.
6. Optional: Microsoft's own free PC Manager app (from the Microsoft Store) has a one-click Boost and a health check that's safe for anyone to use.

If that didn't work

• If it's still slow after all that, it's usually a spinning hard drive that wants replacing with an SSD (a big, cheap improvement on most machines) or too little memory — I can tell you which in a few minutes.