How to speed up Windows 11: 10 safe tweaks that make a real difference

Before you start

Write down what feels slow: starting up, opening apps, the browser, or everything. That helps you find the right fix. None of the steps below delete your personal files.

1. Restart properly

Many people only close the lid or use Sleep for weeks. A restart clears memory and finishes pending updates. Choose Start > Power > Restart (not Shut down, which on many PCs keeps parts of Windows loaded because of Fast startup).

2. Install updates

Open Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates. Also open Advanced options > Optional updates to install driver updates. Updates often fix performance and battery bugs.

3. Turn off startup apps you don’t need

1. Open Settings > Apps > Startup.
2. Turn off apps you do not need the moment Windows starts, such as game launchers, music apps or chat apps you rarely use.

Leave security software, touchpad, audio and graphics utilities on. You can still open any app normally later.

4. Uninstall software you don’t use

Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, sort by Size, and uninstall trial software, old games and duplicate tools. Fewer apps means fewer background processes and updates.

5. Free up disk space

Windows slows down when the main drive is almost full.

1. Open Settings > System > Storage.
2. Turn on Storage Sense so Windows clears temporary files automatically.
3. Select Temporary files, tick what you no longer need (for example Windows Update Cleanup and Temporary files) and select Remove files.

Be careful with the Downloads box: it deletes everything in your Downloads folder.

6. Choose the right power mode

Open Settings > System > Power & battery > Power mode.

• Plugged in: choose Best performance.
• On battery: Balanced or Best power efficiency saves battery.

7. Turn off animation effects

Open Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects and turn off Animation effects and Transparency effects. Older PCs feel noticeably snappier, and you can turn them back on any time.

8. Scan for malware

Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection and run a Quick scan. If anything looks wrong, run a Full scan. Malware and adware can use a lot of resources.

9. Find out what’s using your PC

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and sort the Processes tab by CPU, Memory or Disk.

• One app always at the top? Update it, limit it, or replace it.
• Memory constantly above 85–90%? You are running out of RAM. Close browser tabs or consider more memory. Our article on how much RAM you need explains the options.
• Disk at 100% on an older PC? It probably has a hard disk drive. An SSD upgrade will make a dramatic difference.

10. Tidy your browser

Browsers are often the heaviest thing running. Close tabs you do not need, remove extensions you do not use, and turn on your browser’s efficiency or sleeping tabs feature (Edge and Chrome both have one).

What not to do

• Don’t install “registry cleaners” or “RAM boosters”. They rarely help and can cause problems.
• Don’t disable Windows services based on random lists online unless you know exactly what each one does.
• Don’t turn off Windows Security to gain speed. The difference is small and the risk is real.

Still slow?

If your PC is several years old with a hard disk or 4–8GB of RAM, hardware may be the limit. An SSD or extra RAM (if your PC allows upgrades) can help. If you are shopping for a new laptop, start with our best laptops for students guide or the comparison tool.