Speed Up Windows 11 FAST: 12 Proven Tweaks to Fix Slow PCs (2025)

Speed up Windows 11 with these proven fixes—remove bloat, cut startup load, and tune settings for smooth performance. Start with the quick wins, then work down the list.

Updated: August 12, 2025

Quick wins to speed up Windows 11

1. Disable heavy startup apps.
2. Turn on Storage Sense and clear temp files.
3. Switch power plan to Balanced/Best performance (on mains).
4. Update GPU/Windows; reboot.

1) Disable startup apps (biggest impact)

1. Right-click Taskbar → Task Manager → Startup apps.
2. Sort by Startup impact → Disable high-impact apps you don’t need.

2) Free space & temp files (Storage Sense)

1. Settings → System → Storage → Storage Sense → Turn on.
2. Run Cleanup recommendations to remove temp files, recycle bin, previous Windows installs (if safe).

3) Trim visual effects (snappier UI)

1. Press Win+R → sysdm.cpl → Advanced → Performance → Settings.
2. Select Adjust for best performance (or keep “Smooth edges of screen fonts”).

4) Power plan & battery settings

• Settings → System → Power & battery → On AC power, choose Balanced or Best performance.
• Laptops: keep battery saver off when performance matters.

5) Update Windows, drivers, and apps

• Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates.
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce Experience / AMD Software / Intel Arc Control.
• Microsoft Store → Library → Get updates.

6) Uninstall bloat & optional features

1. Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Sort by size → Uninstall what you don’t use.
2. Settings → Apps → Optional features → Remove extras you never use.

7) Background apps & notifications

1. Settings → Apps → Installed apps → App → Background apps permissions → Never for non-essentials.
2. Settings → Notifications → Disable noisy apps.

8) Search indexing scope

1. Settings → Privacy & security → Searching Windows.
2. Use Classic or exclude heavy folders from Custom index locations.

9) Malware scan (safety check)

1. Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Quick scan.
2. If suspicious, run Microsoft Safety Scanner (on-demand) or your AV full scan.

10) As a last resort: Repair/Reset

• Settings → System → Recovery → Reset this PC (keep files) if corruption persists.
• Before that, try DISM and SFC: open Terminal (Admin) → DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth then sfc /scannow.

FAQ: speed up Windows 11

What gives the biggest boost? Disabling high-impact startup apps and freeing disk space usually deliver instant results.

Is antivirus slowing me down? Real-time protection costs some CPU, but huge slowdowns usually point to duplicate AVs, malware, or low free disk space.

More guides:
Windows fixes & tips •
InfoBoosters Home

References:
Microsoft Windows Support •
Optimize Windows 11 performance (MS Learn)