How to Speed Up Windows 11 – Guide
If your Windows 11 PC is lagging or taking too long to perform tasks that should be almost instantaneous, you might be wondering how to speed up your windows 11 laptop or desktop computer. Windows 11 is Microsoft’s latest operating system, but it can still fall victim to the sluggishness that has plagued Windows computers for decades. Fortunately, with a few simple cleaning and maintenance tasks, you can get Windows 11 running as fast as you expect. If you have upgraded from a previous version of Windows to Windows 11, it is likely that your computer has a lot of temporary files and unused programs that are putting a strain on your machine. There may also be outdated or missing drivers that need to be updated. Even machines that come with Windows 11 can wear out over time.
How to Speed Up Windows 11
Disable Windows 11 Startup Programs
One of the first issues users may notice is software loading in the background during the boot routine. This can load whether it is being used or not, slowing down the boot process as a result. If you find that Windows 11 is taking longer than usual to load after starting your machine, or if it is taking a long time for the system to become usable, an unwanted startup program could be the problem. This, thankfully, is a simple fix: go to settings, then ‘Applications’ and ‘Startup’ where you’ll find a list of software that automatically loads during the startup process. You need to shut down any non-essential software, particularly apps marked “high impact”. However, not all of these labels will be reliable. Another way is to simply press CTRL + Shift + ESC to access the Task Manager window, where the same boot menu can be found, but with an older UI. It is important not to be overly zealous here. Avoid uninstalling online backup services like OneDrive or Dropbox, which may end up up preventing your files from syncing properly. The same goes for security software, which can end up up weakening your machine because of a small performance boost. Windows 11 has added new software to the default startup, including Microsoft Teams, so feel free to disable it if it’s something you don’t use.
Migrate Windows 11 from Hard Drive to SSD
If your PC is still running on an old-fashioned hard drive, by far the biggest performance boost you can give is switching to an SSD. Solid state drives have no moving parts, unlike spinning hard drives, which means applications load quickly and files are recovered almost instantly. We have a separate article showing you how to upgrade a Windows 11 PC from hard drive to SSD. It’s the kind of upgrade you can do yourself, but if you’re not confident any PC repair shop will do the work for you. The most immediate change you will see is that Windows will boot in a fraction of the time it took on your mechanical hard drive. In addition, you will also be able to start using your system right away instead of waiting for background apps to load. Also, the overall responsiveness for most activities should increase substantially on an SSD. We also have plenty of reviews of the latest SSDs to hit the market in case you need help choosing one.
Install Windows 11 apps from safe locations
A good number of Windows performance issues are caused by app installations that bring all sorts of unwanted objects: extra apps, browser toolbars, or even malware. We’ve all been caught off guard by installers who have pre-selected boxes for additional software in their rush to install a new application. However, there are ways to avoid them. Only install software from known and reputable sources. Microsoft’s own app store now called the Microsoft Store and found in the Windows 11 taskbar – has been a void in recent years, but Microsoft has gone to great lengths to make the Store a one-stop shop for all types of apps in Windows 11. If you’ve struggled to find the apps you need in the past, it might be worth a look. You can be sure that any app installed from the Microsoft Store will not come with any unwanted baggage. Alternatively, those more familiar with the command line may prefer the Windows Package Manager. Those familiar with Linux should be right in home with Package Manager. Once installed, it essentially lets you install apps using a simple line of code, again avoiding any risk of something unwanted being bundled with the desired app. Installing an app becomes as simple as opening a command prompt and typing winget install < appname > (without the spaces before and after appname). Only a few apps are available this way. You can find out more about the Windows 11 Package Manager here.
Don’t Shut Down Windows 11
Windows used to have a bad reputation for chewing laptop batteries, even when the lid was closed and the computer should be sleeping. With the help of modern hardware, things have improved enormously in this department, which means there’s no need to completely shut down your PC if you don’t need it for a while – even for an entire weekend. The graph displayed above shows battery drain for a Windows 11 laptop that was left in sleep/hibernation for nearly four days. As you can see, the battery almost didn’t run out during this period, and when we chose it up by the fourth day it was ready to go from the moment we logged in. This is much faster than going through the full boot routine that a full shutdown would require. That said, if you find that performance is getting a little fiddly with your PC, sometimes shutting down and restarting is all you need to restore your zip.
Adjust Windows 11 performance settings
Windows 11 has a selection of performance settings that are well hidden, but can make a noticeable difference to your PC’s responsiveness if you’re running the operating system on a computer that only exceeds the minimum hardware requirements. To find these settings, open the Control Panel, then use the Search Control Panel bar in the upper-right corner of this window to search for ‘performance’. Click Adjust Windows appearance and performance. Here, you’ll have a number of options to choose from, but if you choose to check Tune for best performance, everything will turn off. This is an exaggeration as it turns off features such as ‘soft edges of screen fonts’ which can make on-screen fonts very jagged and difficult to read. Experiment with different options, but the most likely to increase performance are things like animations, menu fades, and shadows under windows.
Switch Windows 11 to Best Performance Battery Mode
If you are running a laptop on battery power, Windows 11 will by default launch the laptop in a ‘balanced’ power mode that compromises performance to prevent the battery from getting hammered. However, if your battery is fully charged and you need all the processing power available to complete an intensive task like rendering video, you may want to play the game. laptop in ‘best performance’ mode. To do this, go to Settings > Power & Battery and under Power Mode select ‘best performance’. This should give you the same level of performance as if the laptop However, keep an eye on the battery as it can drain very quickly when the system is being pushed to the limit. In addition to this adjustment, we also have some tips to improve laptop overall speed, which can also help improve your experience using Windows 11.
Final note
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