Is your laptop or desktop taking forever to boot, freezing when you open a few browser tabs, or lagging during simple tasks? A slow computer wastes time and patience. The good news is that you can speed up Windows 11 with simple settings changes and a little cleanup, often without spending any money.

In this guide, we share 15 proven ways to speed up Windows 11 in 2026. The tips are arranged from quick fixes that take a minute to deeper improvements like upgrading to an SSD or more RAM. Each tip includes the exact steps, so even beginners can follow along safely.

Why Does Windows 11 Become Slow?

Before you speed up Windows 11, it helps to understand why it slows down in the first place. Common reasons include:

• Too many apps launching at startup
• Low free space on the system drive (usually C:)
• Background apps and services using CPU and memory
• Heavy visual effects on older hardware
• Outdated drivers or pending Windows updates
• Malware or unwanted software
• An old hard disk drive (HDD) instead of a solid-state drive (SSD)
• Not enough RAM for modern apps and browsers

Most of these problems are easy to fix. Let’s start with the quickest ones.

1. Restart Your PC Regularly

It sounds simple, but many people only put their laptops to sleep for weeks. Restarting clears temporary files in memory, stops stuck processes and completes pending updates. Restart your PC at least once every few days, and always after installing updates or new software. A fresh restart is the quickest way to speed up Windows 11 when things feel sluggish.

2. Disable Unnecessary Startup Apps

Startup apps are one of the biggest reasons for slow boot times. Many programs add themselves to startup without asking. Trimming this list is one of the most effective ways to speed up Windows 11 boot times.

1. Open Settings (press Windows + I).
2. Go to Apps > Startup.
3. Turn off apps you don’t need immediately after login, such as music players, game launchers, chat apps and updaters.

You can also open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), go to the Startup apps tab and check the “Startup impact” column. Disable apps with “High” impact if you don’t need them at startup. Keep your antivirus, touchpad and audio drivers enabled.

3. Choose the Best Performance Power Mode

Windows 11 balances performance and battery life by default. When you’re plugged in, switch to a faster mode: This one setting can speed up Windows 11 noticeably on plugged-in laptops.

1. Open Settings > System > Power & battery.
2. Under Power mode, select Best performance.

On laptops, you can keep “Balanced” on battery and “Best performance” when charging, if your version of Windows offers separate options.

4. Free Up Disk Space With Storage Sense

When your C: drive is almost full, Windows has less space for temporary files and updates, which slows everything down. Try to keep at least 15–20% of the drive free. Keeping enough free space helps speed up Windows 11 updates and everyday tasks.

1. Open Settings > System > Storage.
2. Turn on Storage Sense to automatically clear temporary files and empty the Recycle Bin.
3. Click Temporary files, select items like “Temporary files”, “Delivery Optimization Files” and “Recycle Bin”, and click Remove files.
4. Check Cleanup recommendations to find large or unused files and apps.

Be careful with the “Downloads” folder option. Only select it if you have already moved important files out.

5. Uninstall Bloatware and Unused Apps

Many laptops come with pre-installed trial software, games and utilities you never use. These take up space and sometimes run in the background. Removing clutter like this helps speed up Windows 11 on new and old laptops alike.

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
2. Sort by size or install date.
3. Click the three dots next to an app you don’t need and select Uninstall.

Only remove apps you recognise. If you’re not sure what an app does, search its name first. Don’t uninstall drivers or system components from your laptop maker unless you know they are not needed.

6. Adjust Visual Effects for Best Performance

Animations, shadows and transparency look nice, but they use system resources, especially on older or low-end PCs. On older hardware, this is a proven way to speed up Windows 11 instantly.

1. Press Windows + S and search for “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows”.
2. In the Performance Options window, choose Adjust for best performance.
3. Optionally, re-enable “Smooth edges of screen fonts” and “Show thumbnails instead of icons” so things still look good.
4. Click Apply.

You can also turn off transparency: go to Settings > Personalization > Colors and switch off Transparency effects. Animation effects can be turned off in Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects.

7. Stop Apps From Running in the Background

Some Microsoft Store apps keep running in the background to show notifications or update content. Limiting background activity helps speed up Windows 11 and saves battery too.

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
2. Click the three dots next to an app and select Advanced options (available for many Store apps).
3. Under Background apps permissions, choose Never.

Do this for apps you don’t need notifications from, such as games, news or entertainment apps.

8. Keep Windows and Drivers Updated

Updates include performance improvements, bug fixes and security patches. Regular updates quietly speed up Windows 11 by fixing bugs and improving drivers.

1. Open Settings > Windows Update.
2. Click Check for updates and install everything available.
3. Open Advanced options > Optional updates to see driver updates.

For graphics drivers, it’s often better to use the official tools from Intel, AMD or NVIDIA, or your laptop maker’s support app, to get the latest stable versions.

9. Scan for Malware and Unwanted Software

Malware can use your CPU, memory and internet in the background, making your PC slow and unsafe. Removing malware is essential if you want to speed up Windows 11 safely.

1. Open Windows Security from the Start menu.
2. Go to Virus & threat protection.
3. Click Quick scan. For a deeper check, open Scan options and run a Full scan or Microsoft Defender Offline scan.

Microsoft Defender, built into Windows 11, provides good protection for most users. Avoid installing multiple antivirus programs at the same time, as they can conflict and slow your PC down.

10. Manage OneDrive and Cloud Sync

Cloud sync apps like OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox can slow your PC while they upload or download large numbers of files. Managing sync properly can speed up Windows 11 during heavy file activity.

• Pause syncing temporarily when you need full performance, from the OneDrive icon in the taskbar.
• Use Files On-Demand in OneDrive settings so files stay in the cloud until you open them, saving disk space.
• Remove folders from sync that you don’t need on this PC.

11. Turn Off Tips, Suggestions and Extra Notifications

Windows shows tips, suggestions and promotional notifications that run small background tasks. Fewer background tasks help speed up Windows 11 and reduce distractions.

1. Open Settings > System > Notifications.
2. Scroll down to Additional settings.
3. Uncheck options like “Get tips and suggestions when using Windows” and “Suggest ways to get the most out of Windows”.

Also turn off notifications from apps you don’t need alerts from. Fewer notifications mean fewer interruptions and less background activity.

12. Optimise Your Drives

Windows automatically optimises drives on a schedule, but it’s worth checking: Letting Windows handle this automatically helps speed up Windows 11 disk access.

1. Search for Defragment and Optimize Drives in the Start menu.
2. Check that Scheduled optimization is turned on.
3. Select your drive and click Optimize if needed.

For traditional hard disks (HDD), this defragments files to improve speed. For SSDs, Windows runs a TRIM command instead, which is safe and helpful. You don’t need third-party defrag tools, and you should never manually “defrag” an SSD using old tools.

13. Use Your Browser Wisely

For many people, the browser is the heaviest app on the PC. Dozens of open tabs and extensions can use a lot of memory. A lighter browser setup can speed up Windows 11 more than you might expect.

• Close tabs you’re not using, or use sleeping tabs in Microsoft Edge and memory saver in Google Chrome.
• Remove browser extensions you don’t need.
• Clear the browser cache occasionally if pages load slowly.
• Keep your browser updated to the latest version.

14. Upgrade to an SSD

If your PC still uses a traditional hard disk drive (HDD), upgrading to a solid-state drive (SSD) is the single biggest improvement you can make. An SSD can make your PC boot in seconds and open apps much faster. No other upgrade can speed up Windows 11 as dramatically as an SSD.

• SATA SSDs fit most older laptops that use 2.5-inch drives.
• NVMe SSDs are much faster and fit newer laptops and desktops with M.2 slots.

You can clone your existing drive to the new SSD using the migration tool from the SSD maker, or do a fresh Windows 11 installation. If you’re not comfortable opening your laptop, visit an authorised service centre or a trusted technician.

15. Add More RAM

Windows 11 officially needs at least 4GB of RAM, but that’s not enough for smooth multitasking. For a comfortable experience in 2026: More memory is the best way to speed up Windows 11 when you multitask heavily.

Usage	Recommended RAM
Basic browsing, email, documents	8GB
Office work with many browser tabs	16GB
Photo/video editing, programming, gaming	16GB – 32GB

To check your current RAM usage, open Task Manager > Performance > Memory. If memory usage often stays above 80%, a RAM upgrade will help. Note that some thin laptops have RAM soldered to the motherboard and cannot be upgraded, so check your model first.

Bonus: Use Task Manager to Find What’s Slowing Your PC

Task Manager is your best friend when you want to speed up Windows 11. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open it.

• On the Processes tab, click the CPU, Memory or Disk column to sort and see which apps use the most resources.
• Right-click an app that is stuck or using too much and choose End task.
• Use the Performance tab to see overall CPU, memory, disk and GPU usage.
• Check the Startup apps tab to find programs that slow down boot time.

If an unknown process is using a lot of resources, search its name online before ending it. Some system processes are essential and should not be stopped.

Last Resort: Reset This PC

If your PC is still slow after trying everything, resetting Windows can give you a fresh start while keeping your personal files.

1. Back up important files to an external drive or cloud storage.
2. Open Settings > System > Recovery.
3. Click Reset PC next to “Reset this PC”.
4. Choose Keep my files to remove apps and settings but keep personal files, or Remove everything for a completely clean start.
5. Choose Cloud download or Local reinstall and follow the instructions.

After the reset, reinstall only the apps you really need, and follow the tips above to keep your PC fast.

Quick Checklist to Speed Up Windows 11

Tip	Time needed	Impact
Restart regularly	1 minute	Medium
Disable startup apps	3 minutes	High
Best performance power mode	1 minute	Medium
Storage Sense cleanup	5 minutes	Medium
Uninstall bloatware	10 minutes	Medium
Adjust visual effects	2 minutes	Medium (older PCs)
Update Windows and drivers	15–30 minutes	Medium
Malware scan	10–60 minutes	High if infected
Upgrade to SSD	1–2 hours	Very high
Add more RAM	30 minutes	High

Windows 10 Users: Should You Upgrade?

Microsoft ended regular support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. Without security updates, older systems become more vulnerable. If your PC meets the Windows 11 requirements, upgrading and then following these tips is a good idea. If it doesn’t, consider Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates option where available, or plan a hardware upgrade. You can check compatibility with the official PC Health Check app.

For more tech guides, read our tips to increase phone battery life and explore the best AI tools for YouTube creators. You can also read Microsoft’s official guide on tips to improve PC performance in Windows.

Common Mistakes That Make Windows 11 Slower

While trying to speed up Windows 11, many people accidentally make things worse. Avoid these mistakes:

• Installing “PC booster” or “RAM cleaner” apps: many of these tools run constantly in the background, show ads and may even contain unwanted software.
• Running two antivirus programs: they compete with each other and slow down file access. Microsoft Defender alone is enough for most users.
• Disabling important services blindly: tweaking services from random online guides can break updates, printing or networking.
• Ignoring overheating: a laptop with dusty vents or a blocked fan will slow itself down to control temperature. Keep vents clean and use the laptop on a hard, flat surface.
• Filling the C: drive completely: always leave free space for updates and temporary files.
• Never restarting: long uptime lets memory leaks and stuck processes build up.

Fixing these habits is often enough to make a noticeable difference in everyday performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest way to speed up Windows 11?

Disable unnecessary startup apps, switch to the Best performance power mode and free up disk space. These take only a few minutes and give quick results.

Does upgrading to an SSD really speed up Windows 11?

Yes. Moving from a hard disk to an SSD is the biggest upgrade for most older PCs, with much faster boot times and app launches.

How much RAM do I need for Windows 11?

8GB is enough for basic use, but 16GB is recommended for smooth multitasking with many browser tabs and office apps.

Is it safe to disable startup apps?

Yes, for most third-party apps. Keep security software, touchpad, audio and graphics driver utilities enabled.

Do I need a third-party PC cleaner?

Usually not. Windows 11’s built-in Storage Sense, Disk Cleanup and Microsoft Defender are enough for most users.

Will resetting my PC delete my files?

Not if you choose “Keep my files”. Still, always back up important data before resetting.

Conclusion

You don’t need a new computer to enjoy a faster experience. With a few simple steps, you can speed up Windows 11 significantly: trim startup apps, choose the right power mode, free up storage, remove bloatware, keep everything updated and scan for malware. If your PC is still slow, upgrading to an SSD or adding more RAM can make it feel like new. Follow this checklist every few months, and your Windows 11 PC will stay quick and responsive.