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Are you finding your Windows 11 PC slow? Do you find yourself waiting for programs to load or for your computer to respond? If so, then use the simple steps in this guide to make it run faster.
Whether you’re using a high-end computer or a budget laptop, low performance can be frustrating. Fortunately, you can speed up Windows 11 with a few easy steps. In this guide, we’ll show you some helpful tips to optimize your system, improve boot times, and improve overall performance.
Why might Windows 11 be lagging?
Before we dive into the solutions, let’s understand why Windows 11 might be running slower than expected. Common culprits include:
- Background processes: Too many apps running in the background can be draining system resources.
- Unnecessary services: Some services, like “SysMain” or “Connected User Experience and Telemetry”, can significantly slow down your Windows 11 computer.
- Storage issues: A damaged or nearly full drive, especially the system drive (C:), can slow down performance.
- Visual effects: Windows 11’s fancy animations and transparency effects can put a strain on lower-end hardware.
- Bloatware: Pre-installed apps or unnecessary software can clutter your system.
- Outdated drivers or software: Incompatible or old drivers can cause bottlenecks.
Whatever the reason your Windows 11 computer is slow, below you will find step-by-step instructions to make it faster.*
* Monitor Performance before the changes: Before you proceed with optimizing your computer’s speed using the instructions below, check its current performance so you can compare it after the changes. To do this:
1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. In the Processes tab, check at the top the total CPU, RAM, Disk, and Network usage, and below which process is consuming too many resources
3. Then, select the Performance tab to see more details about overall system performance and the current speed of your CPU.
How to optimize Windows 11 for better performance.
Follow these easy steps for optimizing your Windows 11 system, improving boot times, and improving overall performance:*
- Disable Unnecessary Startup Programs.
- Disable Unnecessary Services.
- Clean Temporary Files.
- Free Up Disk Space.
- Uninstall Unwanted Apps and Bloatware.
- Disable Automatic DEFRAG.
- Turn Off Visual Effects.
- Optimize Power Settings.
- Update Windows & Drivers.
- Scan for Malicious Programs.
- Repair System Files.
- Conclusion.
Step 1. Disable unnecessary Startup Programs.
Too many startup programs can slow down your system. So, the first step to fix slow performance issues is to turn off unnecessary applications that start at Windows startup and run in the background:
1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Click on the Startup apps tab.
3. Click Status to sort startup applications by whether they are “Enabled” or not (Disabled).
4. For each “Enabled” startup application, decide whether it is necessary for it to start at Windows startup and run in the background.
5. Then, for each app that doesn’t need to run in the background, click the Disable option after selecting it.*
* Note: Many apps like “Mobile Devices”, “Phone Link”, “Terminal”, or “Xbox” are not needed to run in the background and can be safely disabled.
6. After disabling the unwanted startup apps, restart your PC and check if it working smoothly. *
* Note: If you are having problems with a program that you have disabled after restarting, reopen Task Manager and enable it again.
Step 2. Disable unnecessary background services.
The following Windows 11 services are not needed for Windows to run smoothly and can significantly slow down your system. So, it safely to disable them:
- Connected User Experience and Telemetry (DiagTrack): This service collects and sends diagnostic and usage data to Microsoft.
- SysMain (formerly known as “Superfetch“): This service is supposed to maintain and improve system performance, but it has been observed to dramatically reduce the performance of Windows 11.
- Windows Insider Service (wisvc): This service provides infrastructure support for the Windows Insider Program.*
* Note: Do not disable this service if you are participating in the Windows Insider program and testing preview builds.
To disable these services:
1a. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run command box.
1b. In run command box, type the below command and press Enter, to open the Windows Services control panel:
- services.msc
2a. Right-click on each of the above mentioned services and select Properties.
2b. Change the Startup type to Disabled and click Apply > OK.
3. After disabling the unwanted services, restart your PC.
Step 3. Delete Temporary Files.
The next step to optimize Windows 11 performance, is by cleaning the temporary files.
1a. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run command box.
1b. In run command box, type the below command and press Enter, to open
folder containing the temporary files (C:Users%your-username%AppDataLocalTemp):
2. Press Ctrl + A to select all the temporary files and then press the Delete button to remove all of them.
3. For any file that cannot be deleted, select Do this for all current items and click Skip.
Step 4. Free up disk space with Disk Cleanup.
Disk Cleanup is a built-in Windows utility that helps free up space on your hard drive by removing unnecessary files like temporary files, system logs, old Windows updates, allowing you to delete them safely and improve system performance.
1. In Search type “disk cleanup” and then open the Disk Cleanup tool from the results.
2. In the Disk Cleanup utility, click Clean up system files.
3. Now select to delete the following items* and click OK.
- Windows Update Cleanup
- Windows Upgrade log files.
- Downloaded Program Files.
- Temporary Internet files.
- Recycle bin
- Temporary Files
* Note: Optionally, choose to delete the following items if you recently upgraded Windows to its latest version and everything is working smoothly.
- Previous Windows Installations.
- Temporary Windows Installation files.
Step 5. Uninstall Unwanted Apps or Programs.
Proceed and delete the programs that you’re not using, by doing the following:
1. Navigate to Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
2. Here explore the installed applications and if you don’t need any of them, click on the three dots menu next to it and select Uninstall.
Step 6. Disable Automatic DEFRAG (for SSD disks).
By default, Windows 11 automatically defragments drives to optimize their performance. However, on new solid-state drives (SSDs), defragmentation not only does not increase performance, but also reduces the disk’s life. So, if you own an SSD disk, proceed to disable the disk’s defrag.
1. Open File Explorer, select This PC on the left and then right-click on Local Disk (C:) and select Properties.
2. Select the Tools tab and click Optimize.
3. In the ‘Optimize Drives’ window, click Change settings.
4. In the Optimization schedule window, uncheck the option “Run on a schedule” and click OK. Then, click Close and OK to close all open windows.
Step 7. Disable Visual Effects.
Windows 11 has a range of visual effects that can make your PC look more attractive, but they can also slow it down. So, another way to fix the slow performance issues on Windows 11 is to disable visual effects.
1a. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run command box.
1b. In run command box, type the below command and press Enter, to open the System Properties.
2. In ‘System Properties’, select the Advanced tab and then click Settings under Performance.
3. Here select Adjust for best performance to disable all effects, or choose Custom and uncheck options like “Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing“, “Animations in the taskbar“, “Show shadows under mouse pointer” “Show shadows under windows.”, etc.. When done, click OK & OK again to apply the changes.
Step 8. Optimize Power Settings.
1. Navigate to Settings > System > Power & battery.
2. Change Power mode to Best performance.
Step 9. Update Windows & Drivers.
Outdated system files and drivers can slow down performance. So, ensure that Windows is fully updated. To do this:
1. Navigate to Start -> Settings -> Windows Update and click Check for updates to download and install all available updates.
2. After installing the new Windows updates, click Advanced options and under Additional Options click Optional Updates.
3. Finally, in ‘Optional updates’, check all the checkboxes to install all the available Windows and the Driver updates and click Download & install.
4. After installing the optional updates (if any), navigate to your computer’s manufacturer support page and download and install all the latest drivers for your system’s components (Chipset, Video Adapter, etc.).
Step 10. Scan your computer for Malware.
Because malware can be the cause of slow Windows 11 performance, verify that your computer is 100% clean from harmful programs like rootkits, malware or viruses. To do this, scan your computer first with your antivirus programs and then with Malwarebytes.*
* Related article: How to install and clean your computer with Malwarebytes
Step 11. Repair System Files.
Repairing system files in Windows 11 is essential for ensuring the stability, security, and optimal performance of your operating system. To repair the system files:
1. In Search type “cmd” and then open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. At the command prompt window, type the following command & press Enter:
- dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth
3. Be patient until ‘Deployment Image Servicing and Management’ (DISM) tool repairs the component store.
4. When the operation is completed, give the command below to repair the system files and press Enter:
- sfc /scannow
5. When SFC scan is completed, restart your computer.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you can speed up Windows 11 and ensure your PC runs at its best, whether you’re gaming, working, or just a home user. From disabling startup programs to optimizing power settings, these tweaks are simple yet effective.
If your computer is still running slowly despite applying all of the above tips, then try the following:
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Reset Windows: Resetting Windows 11 to its default state is an effective method to fix speed issues.
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Upgrade Hardware: If after following the above suggestions your system is still running slow, then it might be time for a hardware upgrade. Consider adding more RAM, switching to a solid-state drive (SSD)* for faster performance, or even buying a new, faster computer for a significant speed boost.
* Suggestion: Always check the health of your hard drive(s) and replace them if needed.
That’s it! Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.
