How to Make Windows 11 Run Faster

This guide walks you through practical, safe ways to speed up a sluggish Windows 11 PC. You’ll learn how to disable startup bloat, free up storage, adjust visual effects, and fix common performance leaks—without buying new hardware. Most steps take under five minutes and don’t require any special tools.

What You’ll Need

• An administrator account on your PC (needed for some settings changes).
• At least 10–15 minutes of uninterrupted time.
• A stable internet connection for updating drivers and running Windows Update.
• Optional: an external drive or cloud storage to back up files before cleaning.

Step-by-Step

1. Restart your PC. A simple reboot clears memory leaks and stops background processes that have been running for days. Do this before tweaking anything else—it often fixes the issue immediately.
2. Disable startup programs. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager, click the Startup apps tab, and sort by Startup impact. Right-click any app with a High or Medium impact that you don’t need at boot (like Spotify or a printer utility) and choose Disable. Leave your antivirus and essential system drivers enabled.
3. Turn off visual effects. Press Win+R, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter. Go to the Advanced tab, click Settings under Performance, and select Adjust for best performance. Alternatively, keep only Show thumbnails instead of icons and Smooth edges of screen fonts checked for a balance between looks and speed.
4. Free up disk space. Open Settings > System > Storage. Click Cleanup recommendations and review the files listed. Select temporary files, old Windows updates, and recycle bin items, then click Clean up. Also enable Storage Sense to automate this monthly.
5. Run Disk Cleanup on system files. Search for Disk Cleanup, run it on your C: drive, then click Clean up system files. Check Windows Update Cleanup and Delivery Optimization Files—these can free up several gigabytes.
6. Check for malware. Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection, click Scan options, choose Full scan, and run it. A full scan can take an hour, but it catches hidden miners and adware that slow your system.
7. Update drivers and Windows. Go to Settings > Windows Update and click Check for updates. Install all pending updates, then restart. For graphics drivers, visit the manufacturer’s website (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) and download the latest version for your model.
8. Limit background apps. In Settings > Apps > Installed apps, click the three dots next to apps you rarely use and choose Advanced options. Under Background app permissions, select Never. Do this for apps like weather widgets or social media that don’t need to run in the background.
9. Change power mode to Best performance. Open Settings > System > Power & battery (or Power on desktop). Under Power mode, select Best performance. On laptops, this uses more battery but speeds up the CPU.
10. Defragment your hard drive (if you have an HDD). If your PC uses a traditional hard drive, search for Defragment and Optimize Drives, select your C: drive, and click Optimize. If you have an SSD, skip this—Windows does it automatically and manually defragging an SSD can reduce its lifespan.
11. Uninstall bloatware. Right-click the Start button and select Installed apps. Sort by Size and remove any apps you never use, especially trial software and manufacturer utilities. Right-click an app and choose Uninstall.
12. Add more RAM (if needed). If your PC has less than 8GB of RAM and you still feel slow after software tweaks, adding memory is the most effective hardware upgrade. Check your motherboard’s specs and install compatible RAM sticks.

Common Mistakes

• Disabling essential services. Some guides tell you to disable services like Superfetch or Windows Search. This often makes things worse—Windows 11 manages these better than you can. Stick to the steps above.
• Using third-party “optimizers” or registry cleaners. These rarely help and can corrupt your system. Windows 11 already maintains the registry automatically.
• Turning off Windows Defender. Disabling your antivirus to save resources is dangerous and not worth the tiny speed gain. Malware will slow you down far more.
• Defragging an SSD. This wears out the drive and provides zero benefit. Windows 11 automatically TRIMs SSDs.
• Deleting files without checking. Removing “temporary” files that are actually app data can break programs. Always use the built-in cleanup tools.

Tips

• Use Storage Sense to automatically clean temp files weekly.
• Keep at least 15–20% of your system drive free. Windows needs space for virtual memory and temporary files.
• If you have an SSD, make sure TRIM is enabled. Open Command Prompt as admin and run fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify. If it returns 0, TRIM is on.
• Use Ready Boost only if you have an HDD and a USB 3.0 flash drive—it won’t help an SSD.
• Schedule a weekly restart if you rarely shut down your PC.

Troubleshooting

PC is still slow after following all steps. Check if a single process is using high CPU or memory. Open Task Manager, sort by CPU and then Memory, and see what’s at the top. If it’s a program you use, close it. If it’s System or Antimalware Service Executable, run a full scan and then restart. If the issue persists, consider a clean install of Windows 11—this removes all accumulated junk.

Startup apps won’t disable. Some apps re-enable themselves. Open the app’s settings and turn off its “launch on startup” option. If it’s a service, you can disable it via Services (search services.msc) but be careful—only disable services you recognize.

Windows Update is stuck. Restart your PC and try again. If it fails, run the Windows Update Troubleshooter from Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.

Disk Cleanup doesn’t free much space. Use Storage Sense and also check the Downloads folder—old installers can be deleted manually. If you still need space, move personal files to an external drive or cloud.

Visual effects revert after restart. This can happen if you’re not using an administrator account. Make sure you’re logged in as admin when you change the settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will disabling animations make Windows 11 look too basic?
A: It removes fade and slide effects, but most windows and menus still look the same. You can keep “Show thumbnails” and “Smooth edges” for a good balance.

Q: Is it safe to use a registry cleaner?
A: No. Windows 11 manages the registry automatically, and third-party cleaners can delete valid entries, causing crashes or boot issues.

Q: How often should I restart my PC?
A: At least once a week. If you use heavy apps or leave many tabs open, a daily restart can help.

Q: Can I upgrade from an HDD to an SSD without reinstalling Windows?
A: Yes, you can clone your drive using free tools like Macrium Reflect, but a clean install is more reliable and often faster.

Q: Why is my PC slow right after boot but fast later?
A: That’s usually startup programs and services loading. Disable the ones you don’t need, and consider using a solid-state drive if you’re still on an HDD.

Q: Does Windows 11’s Game Mode help performance?
A: It can help games by prioritizing CPU/GPU resources, but it won’t fix a system that’s low on RAM or has a weak processor.

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