By Shuaib S. Agaka

Do you remember how fast your laptop was when you first bought it? Apps opened instantly, boot time was lightning quick, and everything just worked. Now, it crawls through tasks, takes forever to start up, and feels like it’s aged 10 years overnight. Don’t worry, you don’t need to spend a dime to fix it. With a few smart tweaks, you can breathe new life into your laptop and get it running like new again.

1. Disable Startup Programs

Too many apps launching at startup can drastically slow boot time.

How (Windows): Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc → Go to Startup tab → Right-click and disable apps you don’t need.
How (Mac): Go to System Settings > General > Login Items and remove unnecessary items.

2. Clear Background Processes

Some apps continue running in the background long after you’ve closed them.

How:
Open Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) → Sort by CPU or Memory usage → Force quit heavy apps that aren’t in use.

3. Uninstall Bloatware and Unused Apps

Over time, unused software clutters your system.

How to remove:
Go to your Control Panel (Windows) or Applications folder (Mac) → Uninstall apps you no longer use.

4. Delete Temporary and Cache Files

These junk files accumulate and slow down performance.

How (Windows):
Press Win + R, type %temp%, and delete all files.
Also, use Disk Cleanup to free more space.

How (Mac):
Use Finder > Go > Go to Folder, type ~/Library/Caches, and delete contents.

5. Turn Off Visual Effects

Fancy animations look good, but can drain performance.

How (Windows):
Search “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows” → Select Adjust for best performance.

How (Mac):
Go to System Settings > Accessibility > Display → Turn on “Reduce motion” and “Reduce transparency.”

6. Keep Your OS and Drivers Updated

Updates often fix bugs and improve speed.

How:
Go to Settings > Updates (Windows) or System Settings > Software Update (Mac) and ensure your system is up to date.

7. Restart Regularly

Sounds basic, but many users leave their systems running for days. A simple reboot clears memory, closes lagging processes, and improves responsiveness.

You don’t need deep pockets to give your laptop a performance boost. These no-cost fixes are often all it takes to revive a slow machine. Try them out before you think of spending.

Shuaib S. Agaka

The post 7 Ways to Speed Up Your Laptop Without Paying a Dime appeared first on Tech Digest News.

TECH DIGEST– Asian tech companies like Samsung, which makes chips, and LG Display, which makes display panels, have issued warnings about a dramatic downturn in demand for smartphones, TVs, and other electronics as rising inflation and growing recessionary fears restrain consumer spending.

The warnings from U.S. and European businesses that consumers with lower incomes are skipping discretionary items and sticking to cheaper basics when buying everyday necessities due to global unrest, the Ukrainian crisis, and the impact of China’s COVID lockdowns have been echoed by top business executives in Asia, known as the “factory of the world.”

“As a recession approaches, consumption is anticipated to typically slow down, with the exception of necessities”, according to LG Display Co Ltd, a supplier of display panels to Apple and TV manufacturers. Retailers in general and set makers are becoming more cautious in their business practises. The leading manufacturer of memory chips and cellphones, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, stated on Thursday that “PC and mobile demand is likely to witness continuing decline.”

READALSO: Kwik Lauches e-Commerce Store

Although demand from server or data centre customers is less impacted by macroeconomic factors, the South Korean company warned that server clients would also need to alter their inventory if a recession develops.

Data centre customers have been a bright light for chipmakers so far, supported by big giants like Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc. that posted excellent quarters. On the other hand, Samsung’s smaller rival SK Hynix Inc. issued a warning on Wednesday about declining expenditure from both smartphone and data centre clients.

According to the statement, “Companies are now clearly moving to cut costs since consumer sentiment has recently been fast declining due to deepening fears about inflation and the economic slowdown.” Following a two-year lengthy semiconductor scarcity that hampered the production of consumer devices and autos, American chipmakers Micron and AMD have recently indicated falling demand as well.

The post Consumers Uncertainty Affects The Future Of Asian tech appeared first on Tech Digest News.

TechDigest- happens. The longer we keep our devices, the more cluttered they become.

Open your phone’s app tray for a great example. How many are sitting there that you haven’t opened in months or years? This clutter isn’t just annoying — it can be dangerous, too.

On your PC, your Start menu is probably a mess, too. That’s easy to clean up and you’ll thank yourself every time you click it.

Then there are all those files you genuinely don’t need. Keep reading for your easy action plan to free up some space like a pro.

Step 1: Empty the Recycle Bin

When you delete a file, it’s not gone. It first goes to the Recycle Bin, waiting for you to take more permanent action. To get them out of purgatory, right-click on your Recycle Bin and click Empty Recycle Bin.

Here’s another option that shows you even more files: Go to Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files. You’ll see a list of temporary files, including the contents of the Recycle Bin. Check the Recycle Bin box (and anything else you want to get rid of), then select Remove files.

Deleting old photos, documents and spreadsheets is just the beginning.

Step 2: Clear temporary files

Temporary files are created to help apps or processes go off without a hitch — or to help with transferring data and other processes. Over time, they can take up a lot of space. To clear them, open your C: drive and select the Windows folder, then Temp (C:\Windows\Temp). Press Ctrl + A to select everything, then hit Delete.

You can also navigate to Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files. Select what you want to delete and hit Remove files.

Sick of paying for expensive software?

Step 3: Wipe out the Hibernation File

When you put your PC to sleep, it stores your open windows, documents, and files in the memory.

Hibernate does the same thing, but it saves these things to your hard drive instead of using your system’s memory. You can disable hibernate if you don’t use it. Here’s how:

Right-click on the Start button or press Win + X, then select Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin). Type the following command to disable hibernation: powercfg.exe /hibernate off.

Step 4: Delete the old version of Windows

Windows automatically deletes the old version of the OS off your machine after an upgrade. You can also manually delete it before that happens to regain some space. Warning: You won’t be able to return to your previous Windows version if you change your mind.

Go to Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files. Under Remove temporary files, select Previous version of Windows and then Remove files.

SOURCE: FoxNews

The post Tech cleanup: Files and folders taking valuable storage from your PC appeared first on Tech Digest News.

TECH DIGEST – After enjoying a run of uninterrupted supply of personal computers (PCs), laptops and other digital devices for nearly a quarter of a century, the world is currently in the middle of a major supply chain crisis that has seen global manufacturers struggle to meet growing demand.

The situation is exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, a global health challenge that began in late 2019, spreading from Wuhan, China where it originated to virtually all corners of the globe.

With the onset of the pandemic, supply of laptops, PCs and other hardware components had taken a huge bashing. Global data released two weeks ago shows that most major global computer OEMs are unable to supply five per cent of orders placed and paid for by distributors and this has skyrocketed retail prices of PCs and laptops. In Africa, and particularly in Nigeria, consumers are paying higher prices to secure few available units in the market. It is speculated that things may not improve until mid-next year.

This is hardly surprising as China, the original epicenter of the pandemic, had for a while now, become the world’s leading manufacturing hub. Consequently, the lockdowns occasioned by the pandemic had seen a breakdown of China-based global computer supply chains, delaying the arrival of computers and laptops in shops across the world.

Earlier in 2020, specifically in March, a report in the Financial Times indicated that retailers were told that it is taking up to three times as long for PCs and parts to be delivered. Industry experts said that only those brands able to pay upfront and work closely with component suppliers, such as Apple and Samsung, would be able to secure enough production capacity, as shortages rippled through the supply chain.

“One channel partner in Australia was notified by key manufacturers that shipments can take up to 14 weeks, as opposed to the normal four weeks,” said Sharon Hiu, an analyst covering sales and distribution channels in Asia-Pacific at Canalys, the technology research firm. “Some channel companies have been given a 10-week estimate, while others have not been able to get a projected time of arrival at all.”

Indeed, no major OEM was left out.

Research showed that shipment times for Dell computers to Australia were extended from the usual three to five weeks to 10 weeks. Notebooks and desktop computers of HP’s Elite series had run out of stock in some shops. In Nigeria, Zinox, a local computer manufacturer and one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s major players, was experiencing delays of up to nine weeks in taking delivery of essential hardware and other components.

With the gradual lifting of the lockdowns in many parts of the world around May, many heaved a sigh of relief as factories began reopening in China and other countries. However, supply chain experts had warned back then that the effects of the shutdown will linger because the disruption had resulted in shortages of components which only gradually become visible.

Currently, that prognosis is proving to be true.

In addition to fears of a predicted second wave of COVID-19, many global manufacturers are battling to meet five per cent of demands for PCs and laptops. The foregoing has seen estimates for PC shipments this year revised to reflect the current state of scarcity. Tech experts expect global PC shipments this year to drop by over 34 per cent in a best-case scenario and 45 per cent in a worst-case scenario.

Why is the global demand for PCs and laptops overshooting supply so much even in the tail-end of 2020?

The reason is hardly far-fetched. Apart from the lingering disruption of supply chains occasioned by the lockdowns, the world has also seen a rise in the adoption of virtual learning or at-home schooling by educational institutions. Also, many corporate organizations have also embraced virtual work or meetings, encouraging more staff and business partners to leverage tech tools to navigate the current health challenge.

The foregoing scenarios have seen demands for PCs and laptops sky-rocket across the globe. Further, it has pushed the personal-computer market to its strongest demand growth in more than a decade, according to third-party analyses released by Gartner and IDC in late October. However, OEMS are unable to mop up the demand which is expected to see scarcity carry on into the latter part of 2021.

“Consumer demand and institutional demand approached record levels in some cases,” disclosed Jitesh Ubrani, a research manager for IDC. “Gaming, Chromebooks, and in some cases cellular-enabled notebooks were all bright spots during the quarter.”

The report also pointed to a paucity of supplies to continue feeding the increased demand for PCs, with panels and processors mentioned as especially in demand.

“The PC industry rode into the third quarter with a sizeable backlog of unfulfilled orders. And it appears the quarter will end under the same auspices,” Linn Huang of IDC said in a statement. “Given that the shortages have been due more to a shortfall of business planning than a technical glitch, we do not anticipate a sudden surge in capacity. Consequently, this backlog will likely carry into 2021.”

Both companies reported that Lenovo Group Ltd. 992, +0.74% had the strongest market share among PC manufacturers in the quarter, topping HP Inc. HPQ, +0.62%, but the Chromebook discrepancy showed up in those numbers as well. Gartner credited Lenovo with 25.7% of the market and HP 21.6%, but HP’s Chromebook sales made the race much tighter — 23.7% to 23% — in IDC’s results. Both companies had Dell Technologies Inc. DELL, +0.12% third in the market-share rankings, followed by Apple Inc. AAPL, -0.11% and Acer Inc.

In Nigeria, Africa’s biggest market, many corporates and educational institutions are technically in trouble as the scarcity is taking a huge toll on their budget. As one technology enthusiast said in a virtual conference last week, “in the 21st century, when you wake up late, you definitely shall pay the price for lateness.’’

However, it remains to be seen how the world will cope in the face of a supply challenge that experts predict will last till June 2021.

The post Nigerians Groan As Corporates, Educational lnstitutions Suffer Global Computer Scarcity appeared first on Tech Digest News.