To significantly improve the performance of Windows 11, especially on older laptops or PCs, here’s a detailed guide on optimizing various settings and practices that will help speed up your system. Windows 11, while packed with new features and improvements like memory management and app prioritization, may still struggle on older hardware. Let’s dive into a comprehensive tutorial to help boost your system’s speed and overall performance.
1. Restart and Update Your PC
The first and simplest thing to do is ensure your PC is running the latest version of Windows 11. Updates not only bring new features but also crucial performance and security improvements.
- Navigate to Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates and install any pending updates.
- Even if no updates are available, a restart can sometimes resolve temporary performance lags by clearing background processes and freeing up system resources. While this is a temporary fix, it’s often a good first step to rule out minor issues before diving into deeper optimizations.
2. Disable Startup Programs and Apps
Many programs automatically launch when you boot your PC, consuming memory and CPU, which can slow down your startup time. Disabling unnecessary startup apps is an effective way to speed up boot times.
- Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
- Click on More details and switch to the Startup tab.
- Here, you can right-click on non-essential programs and click Disable.
- Additionally, go to Settings > Apps > Startup to prevent apps like Microsoft Teams, Skype, and OneDrive from launching at startup. Disabling these apps will allow your PC to boot faster and improve initial performance right after login.
3. Debloat Windows 11
Debloating refers to the removal of unnecessary pre-installed apps and services that consume system resources without providing much value. By debloating Windows 11, you can make your system lighter and more efficient. There are several scripts available that help automate this process, including disabling Bing in the Start menu, removing unused apps, and stopping telemetry services that gather data in the background.
- These scripts can also help optimize privacy settings, reducing the load on your CPU and RAM by disabling background processes that constantly run and collect usage data.
4. Change Power Mode Settings
Windows 11 offers multiple power modes that balance performance and energy efficiency. If you prioritize performance over battery life, switching to Best Performance mode can make a significant difference, especially on laptops.
- Head to Settings > System > Power & battery.
- Under Power mode, choose Best Performance for maximum speed and responsiveness. This setting will allocate more resources to performance, potentially reducing battery life but giving you a smoother experience, particularly with resource-heavy tasks.
5. Defragment Your Hard Disk (For HDD Users)
Over time, files on traditional hard drives can become fragmented, meaning pieces of data are spread across the drive, slowing down read and write speeds. Defragmenting your hard drive reorganizes these files for quicker access, thereby improving overall performance.
- Search for Defragment and Optimize Drives and open the tool.
- Select your hard drive and click Optimize to defragment it.
- Note: If you are using an SSD, skip this step. SSDs don’t require defragmentation and doing so could reduce their lifespan.
6. Add More RAM or Upgrade to SSD
One of the most effective ways to boost performance is by upgrading your hardware, particularly your RAM and storage drive. If your system is running low on memory, adding more RAM will help it handle multiple applications smoothly.
- Consider switching from an HDD to an SSD. SSDs are significantly faster than traditional hard drives. The performance difference is especially noticeable in boot times and how quickly applications open. A standard SATA SSD is about 5x faster than an HDD, and if you upgrade to an NVMe SSD, the speed increase is even greater. Upgrading to an SSD is highly recommended for systems running Windows 11, as it improves responsiveness dramatically.
7. Disable Restartable Apps
Windows 11 can restart apps that were running before you shut down or restarted your PC, but this can slow down performance on older machines.
- Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
- Toggle off Automatically save my restartable apps and restart them when I sign back in. This will prevent background apps from slowing down your system when you log in.
8. Uninstall Unwanted Software and Bloatware
Uninstalling apps you no longer need can free up storage and reduce the load on your system. Windows often comes pre-installed with apps that you may never use but still consume system resources.
- Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & Features and review the list of installed apps. Uninstall the ones you don’t use by clicking the three-dot menu next to each app and selecting Uninstall.
9. Delete Temporary Files
Temporary files are often created when applications perform tasks. While these files can improve app performance temporarily, over time they accumulate and take up unnecessary space.
- Press Windows + R, type %temp%, and hit OK.
- Select all files in the folder and delete them. You can also use Disk Cleanup to remove additional junk files.
- Regularly clearing temporary files will free up storage and improve system speed, especially when your hard drive starts getting full.
10. Free Up Disk Space
If you upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11, you may still have leftover files from the previous version, which take up space unnecessarily. These files are kept in case you want to revert to Windows 10, but if you don’t plan to go back, it’s best to delete them.
- Open Settings > System > Storage and enable Storage Sense. This will automatically clean up temporary files and old installation files when your storage runs low.
11. Disable Visual Effects and Animations
Windows 11 comes with sleek animations and visual effects like transparency and acrylic blur, which look great but can slow down older systems without dedicated GPUs.
- Go to Settings > Personalization > Colors and turn off Transparency effects.
- Next, go to Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects and disable Animation effects.
- For further performance gains, open View advanced system settings, click on Settings under the Performance section, and select Adjust for best performance. This will disable all unnecessary visual effects, making your PC more responsive.
12. Turn Off Notifications and Tips
Windows 11 frequently displays tips, tricks, and notifications to improve user experience, but this constant scanning can slow down your PC. Disabling these notifications can boost system performance.
- Navigate to Settings > Notifications and disable Get tips and suggestions to reduce background activity.
13. Disable Background Apps
Some apps continue to run in the background, even when you’re not actively using them, which consumes CPU and RAM.
- Right-click the Start button, select Apps & Features, choose the app, click on Advanced options, and turn off Background apps permissions.
- To terminate running background apps, open Task Manager, select the app, and click End Task.
14. Disable Game Mode (For Non-Gamers)
If you’re not using your PC for gaming, disabling Game Mode can improve performance by preventing unnecessary Xbox-related background services.
- Open Settings > Gaming > Game Mode and toggle it off. Also, disable Xbox Game Bar and Captures from the same menu.
15. Avoid Installing Third-Party Antivirus Software
Windows 11 comes with Windows Security (previously called Windows Defender), which is sufficient for most users. Installing third-party antivirus software often slows down your system by running unnecessary scans in the background.
- Stick to Windows Defender, as it provides regular virus definition updates and uses fewer resources compared to many third-party alternatives. However, if you frequently visit risky websites or download from untrusted sources, using a dedicated antivirus might be necessary.
By following these comprehensive steps, you can dramatically improve the performance of your Windows 11 PC. From hardware upgrades to system tweaks, these changes will help keep your machine running fast and efficiently, even on older devices. Regular maintenance like updating drivers, cleaning up temporary files, and keeping software up to date will ensure long-term performance improvements.
