Your Laptop Isn't Old: Let Claude Code Find What's Slowing It Down
A slow computer costs you time every single day, and most people's fix is buying a new one. This one prompt has Claude Code check your computer like a tech would, explain what's slowing it down in plain words, and fix only what you say yes to.
Your computer was fast when you bought it. Now it takes forever to open anything, the fan sounds like a jet, and you're thinking about buying a new one.
Most of the time, the computer is fine. Something on it is eating it alive: apps that open themselves every morning, a full drive, a browser with 40 tabs, an app stuck in a loop.
A tech would find it in 10 minutes. Claude Code can do the same checks, and tell you what it found in plain words.
Step 1. Open Claude Code
Open the Claude desktop app, switch from Chat to Code at the top, and pick any folder. A new empty folder is fine.
Claude will ask before it runs each check. Say yes to the look-only ones. Read anything that would change something before you allow it.
Step 2. Paste the checkup prompt
My computer is slow. Check it like a good tech would and tell me why, in plain words. Rules: - First, find out what kind of computer this is (Mac or Windows) and its version. - LOOK ONLY. Only run commands that read information. Don't delete, close, change, install or turn off anything. - Before each command, tell me in one plain line what it checks. Check these: 1. Which apps and programs are using the most memory and the most processor right now. 2. How full the main drive is. 3. Which apps start on their own when the computer turns on. 4. How long since the last restart. 5. Anything else that looks wrong, like one app using way more than it should. Then give me: - What's slowing it down, worst first, in plain words. For each one, how sure you are. - A fix list, best first. For each fix: what it does, how to do it, and if it's safe to undo. - Anything you checked that looks fine, in one line. Don't do any fix yet. I'll tell you which numbers to do.
It runs a few quick checks, then gives you what it found and a fix list, best first.
Step 3. Pick your fixes
Tell it the numbers you want, like "do 1 and 3." Read what it's about to do before you say yes.
Do fix number [1] for me. Before you change anything, tell me exactly what you'll do and wait for my yes. If it's safer for me to do it by hand, walk me through it step by step instead.
Some fixes are faster by hand, like closing an app or turning off what starts on its own in your settings. Claude will walk you through those.
The limitations you should know
- If your computer is really old or the drive is failing, no prompt fixes that. Claude will usually tell you when the hardware is the problem.
- It only sees this moment. If it's slow at a certain time of day, run the check while it's slow.
- Never let it delete files you don't recognize without checking first. "Cache" folders are usually safe to clear. Your documents are not.
- Tested on a Mac. On Windows the checks are different. The prompt tells Claude to find out which one you have first.
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