I can understand not wanting to open up the laptop.
Are you able to install Windows from scratch? If not, then you can at least make improvements by uninstalling unneeded apps and disabling unnecessary services. Delete any unneeded user files from the drive to free up space.
You can improve performance by adjusting Windows settings such as reducing display effects.
I suggest changing Folder Options settings so that it will always show file extensions (default is to hide file extensions). I believe that it's better if users see file extensions so that they will recognize when a file extension is of a risky type (e.g. .exe, .com, .msc, .reg).
It depends on how much time you want to spend on it. To really clean it up, first backup all user files to an external drive. Even better, make a full disk image using something like such as Macrium Reflect or Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office (formerly Acronis True Image).
Then, create a Windows installer usb flash drive, boot from it, wipe out the internal drive contents and install Windows. After installing, you would need to install drivers for your hardware, from Dell and possibly from component manufacturers, and possibly Dell-provided applications such as Waves MaxxAudio for sound.
Install the applications that your son needs.
Then, spend time uninstalling unneeded apps and disabling unneeded services.
You didn't give the model number, so I don't know how old it is. If more than a couple of years old or if used in an environment that is dusty or has shedding pets, you might consider an internal cleaning. Open it up to clean out dust. If it's a few years old, it can be worth disassembling the fan to clean out dust and fluff. I found a fair bit in two laptops I worked on recently. Depending upon the model, you may need to remove the heat sink, so you'd need then to remove old thermal compound and apply new before reinstalling the heat sink. As I say, you must decide how much time you want to spend on it.
You didn't say whether it has a hard drive or an SSD. If it's a hard drive, replacing it with an SSD will make it much faster and more responsive, a noticeable difference. I recently bought a Crucial Mx500 1TB SSD for about $100 Canadian. And, he may not even need that much storage.
filbert
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1.8K Posts
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July 19th, 2022 14:00
I can understand not wanting to open up the laptop.
Are you able to install Windows from scratch? If not, then you can at least make improvements by uninstalling unneeded apps and disabling unnecessary services. Delete any unneeded user files from the drive to free up space.
You can improve performance by adjusting Windows settings such as reducing display effects.
I suggest changing Folder Options settings so that it will always show file extensions (default is to hide file extensions). I believe that it's better if users see file extensions so that they will recognize when a file extension is of a risky type (e.g. .exe, .com, .msc, .reg).
filbert
4 Operator
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1.8K Posts
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July 19th, 2022 09:00
It depends on how much time you want to spend on it. To really clean it up, first backup all user files to an external drive. Even better, make a full disk image using something like such as Macrium Reflect or Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office (formerly Acronis True Image).
Then, create a Windows installer usb flash drive, boot from it, wipe out the internal drive contents and install Windows. After installing, you would need to install drivers for your hardware, from Dell and possibly from component manufacturers, and possibly Dell-provided applications such as Waves MaxxAudio for sound.
Install the applications that your son needs.
Then, spend time uninstalling unneeded apps and disabling unneeded services.
You didn't give the model number, so I don't know how old it is. If more than a couple of years old or if used in an environment that is dusty or has shedding pets, you might consider an internal cleaning. Open it up to clean out dust. If it's a few years old, it can be worth disassembling the fan to clean out dust and fluff. I found a fair bit in two laptops I worked on recently. Depending upon the model, you may need to remove the heat sink, so you'd need then to remove old thermal compound and apply new before reinstalling the heat sink. As I say, you must decide how much time you want to spend on it.
You didn't say whether it has a hard drive or an SSD. If it's a hard drive, replacing it with an SSD will make it much faster and more responsive, a noticeable difference. I recently bought a Crucial Mx500 1TB SSD for about $100 Canadian. And, he may not even need that much storage.
costaricagal
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3 Posts
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July 19th, 2022 14:00
Thank you so much for this reply. This is very involved...unfortunately, do not have that level of expertise. I appreciate your thorough response!
costaricagal
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3 Posts
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July 19th, 2022 14:00
I cannot reinstall Windows but I will clean up unnecessary apps and do what you suggest with Folder Options.