Is your Windows 11 PC running slow in 2026? You’re definitely not alone. Every month, millions of users search for “how to speed up Windows 11” — and for very good reason. Over time, bloatware, junk files, outdated drivers, and misconfigured settings quietly steal your PC’s performance without you even noticing.
The great news? You don’t need to buy a new computer. In this complete guide, we’ll walk you through 12 expert-tested, proven methods to dramatically speed up Windows 11 — whether you have a budget laptop or a gaming powerhouse. Let’s fix your slow PC right now!
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⚡ Why Is Windows 11 Running Slow? (Root Causes Explained)
Before we jump into the fixes, it’s important to understand why Windows 11 gets slow in the first place. Here are the most common culprits:
- 🔴 Too many startup programs hogging RAM and CPU at boot
- 🔴 Full or fragmented storage slowing down read/write speeds
- 🔴 Outdated drivers and Windows updates causing inefficiencies
- 🔴 Background apps silently consuming resources
- 🔴 Malware or adware running hidden processes
- 🔴 Visual effects and animations taxing older GPU/CPU
- 🔴 Insufficient RAM or HDD instead of SSD
- 🔴 Misconfigured power plan throttling your CPU
Now that you know the enemy — let’s defeat it. Here are the 12 best ways to speed up Windows 11 in 2026, starting from the quickest wins.
✅ 1. Disable Startup Programs (Fastest Fix)
One of the biggest causes of a slow Windows 11 boot is an overloaded startup list. Every app that launches when you turn on your computer consumes CPU and RAM before you even open a browser tab.
How to Disable Startup Programs in Windows 11:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
- Click the Startup Apps tab
- Right-click any app marked “High” startup impact (e.g., Spotify, Discord, Teams)
- Select Disable
- Restart your PC and enjoy a faster boot!
✅ 2. Enable Storage Sense & Delete Junk Files
A cluttered disk is a slow disk. Windows 11’s built-in Storage Sense feature automatically removes temporary files, old Windows Update remnants, and Recycle Bin junk on a schedule — completely hands-free.
Steps to Enable Storage Sense:
- Open Settings → System → Storage
- Toggle Storage Sense to On
- Click Configure Storage Sense to set a monthly cleanup schedule
- Under Temporary Files, check all unwanted categories
- Click Run Storage Sense Now for an instant cleanup
You can also manually run Disk Cleanup as an Administrator — search for it in the Start menu, click Clean up system files, check all boxes, and hit OK. Users commonly free up 5–15 GB in one pass.
✅ 3. Turn Off Visual Effects for Maximum Speed
Windows 11 is designed to be beautiful — but all those animations, shadows, transparency effects, and fades come at a real performance cost, especially on older hardware. Disabling them can feel like getting a brand-new PC.
How to Adjust Visual Effects:
- Press Win + R, type
sysdm.cpl, press Enter - Go to the Advanced tab → Under Performance, click Settings
- Select “Adjust for best performance” to disable all effects at once
- OR manually uncheck: Animate windows, Fade menus, Show shadows
- Click Apply → OK
✅ 4. Update Windows 11 & All Drivers
Outdated drivers are one of the most overlooked causes of Windows 11 slowness. Graphics drivers, chipset drivers, and even audio drivers can create system-wide bottlenecks. Microsoft also ships performance improvements inside cumulative Windows updates.
How to Update Everything:
- Go to Settings → Windows Update → Check for Updates
- Also check Advanced Options → Optional Updates for driver updates
- For GPU drivers: visit nvidia.com, amd.com, or intel.com for the latest versions
- Use Device Manager (Win + X → Device Manager) to check individual drivers
Also check out our guide on the Microsoft Update Catalog for manually downloading specific updates for your system.
✅ 5. Switch to ‘Best Performance’ Power Plan
By default, Windows 11 uses the Balanced power plan to conserve energy — which intentionally throttles your CPU. Switching to a high-performance profile unlocks your processor’s full potential.
Steps to Change Power Plan:
- Press Win + R → type
powercfg.cpl→ Enter - Click Show additional plans
- Select High Performance or Ultimate Performance
- Alternative: Settings → System → Power & Battery → Power Mode → Best Performance
✅ 6. Disable Background Apps
Many apps — especially Microsoft Store apps — run silently in the background even when you’re not using them, draining RAM and CPU. Revoking their background permissions is a quick, impactful, zero-cost fix.
How to Stop Background Apps:
- Go to Settings → Apps → Installed Apps
- Click the 3-dot menu next to any app → Advanced Options
- Under Background App Permissions, set to Never
- Repeat for: Xbox, Weather, News, Maps, Tips, and other built-in bloatware
✅ 7. Optimize Virtual Memory (Page File)
Virtual memory acts as an overflow tank for your RAM. When physical RAM fills up, Windows writes data to your storage drive. If the page file is misconfigured, it can cause severe slowdowns during multitasking.
How to Optimize Virtual Memory:
- Press Win + R →
sysdm.cpl→ Advanced tab → Performance Settings → Advanced - Under Virtual Memory, click Change
- Uncheck “Automatically manage paging file size”
- Select Custom size: Set Initial = 1.5× your RAM in MB, Maximum = 3× RAM in MB
- Click Set → OK → Restart
Example: If you have 8GB RAM (8192 MB) → Initial: 12288 MB, Maximum: 24576 MB
✅ 8. Run Disk Cleanup & Optimize Your Drive
Fragmented files and accumulated junk data slow your drive considerably. For HDD users, defragmentation is essential. For SSD users, Windows automatically runs TRIM to keep things fast — don’t manually defrag an SSD.
Steps:
- Search Disk Cleanup in Start → Run as Administrator
- Click Clean up system files → Check all boxes → OK → Delete Files
- Open Defragment and Optimize Drives → Select your drive → Click Optimize
- For SSDs: The tool will run TRIM automatically — do not manually defragment
✅ 9. Scan & Remove Malware Completely
Hidden malware, adware, and cryptominers are notorious for consuming 100% of your CPU and RAM silently. If your PC suddenly became slow, a malware infection could be the culprit. Windows Defender is surprisingly powerful when used correctly.
Full Malware Scan Steps:
- Open Windows Security → Virus & Threat Protection
- Click Scan Options → Full Scan → Scan Now
- Also run Microsoft’s free Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT)
- For a second opinion, use Malwarebytes Free
✅ 10. Debloat Windows 11 — Remove Useless Pre-Installed Apps
Windows 11 ships with dozens of pre-installed apps that most users never open — yet they run in the background and waste resources. Removing bloatware is one of the most impactful things you can do to free up RAM and storage.
How to Remove Bloatware:
- Go to Settings → Apps → Installed Apps
- Uninstall apps you never use: Candy Crush, TikTok, Clipchamp, LinkedIn, etc.
- For deeper removal, open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
Get-AppxPackage | Select Name, PackageFullName
Then remove specific apps with:Get-AppxPackage *appname* | Remove-AppxPackage
✅ 11. Enable Fast Startup in Windows 11
Fast Startup is a hybrid shutdown feature that saves your system state to a file, allowing Windows 11 to boot significantly faster on next startup. It’s quick to enable and makes a noticeable difference, especially on HDDs.
How to Enable Fast Startup:
- Open Control Panel → Power Options
- Click Choose what the power buttons do (left panel)
- Click Change settings that are currently unavailable
- Check “Turn on fast startup (recommended)”
- Click Save changes
Also check out our detailed guide: Windows Command Line Power Tools – Complete 2026 Guide for more advanced Windows optimisation techniques.
✅ 12. Upgrade RAM or Switch to SSD (Biggest Impact)
When software fixes aren’t enough, hardware is the answer. If you have less than 8GB RAM or are still running a spinning HDD, no amount of tweaking will deliver truly satisfying performance. In 2026, 16GB RAM + NVMe SSD is the new standard.
RAM Upgrade Checklist:
- Check current usage: Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Performance → Memory
- If consistently above 80% → Upgrade to 16GB DDR4 or DDR5
- Use two matched sticks for dual-channel performance
SSD Upgrade Checklist:
- Verify your drive type: Task Manager → Performance → Disk → Type
- Replace HDD with NVMe SSD (e.g., Samsung 990 Pro, WD Black SN850X)
- Clone your drive using free software like Macrium Reflect (no reinstall needed)
- Result: Boot time drops from 60–90 seconds → under 10 seconds
📊 Windows 11 Speed Optimization – Quick Reference Table
| # | Optimization Method | Difficulty | Time Required | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disable Startup Programs | ⭐ Easy | 5 mins | 🔥🔥🔥 High |
| 2 | Enable Storage Sense | ⭐ Easy | 5 mins | 🔥🔥 Medium |
| 3 | Turn Off Visual Effects | ⭐ Easy | 3 mins | 🔥🔥🔥 High |
| 4 | Update Drivers & Windows | ⭐⭐ Medium | 20–40 mins | 🔥🔥 Medium |
| 5 | Switch Power Plan | ⭐ Easy | 2 mins | 🔥🔥🔥 High |
| 6 | Disable Background Apps | ⭐ Easy | 10 mins | 🔥🔥 Medium |
| 7 | Optimize Virtual Memory | ⭐⭐ Medium | 5 mins | 🔥🔥 Medium |
| 8 | Disk Cleanup & Defrag | ⭐ Easy | 15–30 mins | 🔥🔥 Medium |
| 9 | Malware Scan | ⭐ Easy | 30–60 mins | 🔥🔥🔥 High |
| 10 | Remove Bloatware | ⭐⭐ Medium | 20 mins | 🔥🔥 Medium |
| 11 | Enable Fast Startup | ⭐ Easy | 2 mins | 🔥🔥 Medium |
| 12 | Upgrade RAM / SSD | ⭐⭐⭐ Advanced | 1–3 hours | 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Maximum |
❓ Frequently Asked Questions – How to Speed Up Windows 11
Q: Why is Windows 11 so slow even on a new PC?
A: Even new PCs can be slow due to excessive pre-installed bloatware (adware-bundled software from manufacturers), a misconfigured power plan, too many startup apps, or Windows Update running in the background. Follow steps 1, 5, and 10 first for immediate improvement.
Q: Does Windows 11 run slower than Windows 10?
A: On modern hardware (8th gen Intel or Ryzen 3000+), Windows 11 performs comparably or better than Windows 10. On older hardware, Windows 11 can feel heavier due to higher system requirements. An SSD upgrade is the most effective equalizer.
Q: How do I make Windows 11 faster for gaming?
A: For gaming specifically: (1) Switch to Best Performance power plan, (2) Enable Game Mode (Settings → Gaming → Game Mode → On), (3) Update GPU drivers, (4) Disable Xbox Game Bar if not needed, (5) Close all background apps before gaming.
Q: Can I speed up Windows 11 on a laptop without hardware upgrades?
A: Absolutely. Steps 1–3, 6, 9, 10, and 11 are entirely software-based and cost nothing. Many users report a 40–60% improvement in responsiveness just from disabling startup programs, removing bloatware, and clearing junk files.
Q: How often should I optimize my Windows 11 PC?
A: A monthly cleanup routine is ideal: run Storage Sense, check for updates, and scan for malware. A quarterly deeper maintenance (defrag/TRIM, review startup apps) keeps your PC running at peak performance year-round.
Q: Is it safe to edit Windows 11 registry for speed?
A: Registry tweaks can be effective but carry risk if done incorrectly. Always export a full backup first (regedit → File → Export). Stick to well-documented tweaks from Microsoft’s official documentation or reputable tech sources.
🏁 Conclusion: Speed Up Windows 11 Starting Today
A slow Windows 11 PC doesn’t have to be your reality. By working through these 12 proven optimization methods, you can dramatically improve speed, boot time, and overall responsiveness — often in under an hour, and completely for free.
Here’s your recommended action plan:
- Start today (5–15 mins): Disable startup programs, switch power plan, enable Storage Sense
- This weekend (30–60 mins): Run malware scan, remove bloatware, update all drivers
- This month: Evaluate RAM and storage — upgrade if needed
Also check out these related guides on PG Update:
- 📖 How to Get Custom Skin Packs for Windows 11
- 📖 Microsoft Update Catalog – Complete IT Guide
- 📖 How to Install Windows on Chromebook
- 📖 Complete GPUpdate Commands Guide 2026
Did this guide help you speed up your Windows 11 PC? Drop a comment below and let us know which tip worked best for you — or ask us any question. We’re here to help! 🚀
Last Updated: February 2026 | Author: PG Update Tech Team | Category: Windows Tips & Tricks | Read Time: ~10 minutes
