In this article, we have explained why your system is slowing down in the first place and different techniques to improve the performance of your system in Windows 11.
Using Advanced System Settings
If your PC operates sluggishly, you wouldn’t mind trading performance over the appearance. So, you can disable unnecessary visual effects from the Advanced System Settings to make your Windows 11 faster. Here’s how you can disable them.
Disable Startup Programs
Maybe you haven’t figured it out, but some programs silently run in the background. These programs can start automatically whenever you start the system and are called startup programs. You can disable them in Windows 11 as follows:
Uninstall Unnecessary Programs and Applications
It could be the case that you have several programs/applications which you use less often. Therefore, you should uninstall all the unnecessary ones. To uninstall an application in Windows 11,
Update the System
Your operating system rolls out updates now and then, whether it be major or minor. With every update, more and more bugs are fixed. In addition to it, the previously existing security vulnerabilities are also resolved. Hence, you should install the latest updates to make your Windows 11 faster. Here’s how you can do it.
Scan Your Computer
Most of the time, the culprit behind a slow computer is a virus/malware. Viruses are malicious programs that can affect the performance of your system. Thus, you should eliminate them to operate your PC to its full potential. To scan and remove viruses, Windows 11 provides a default antivirus program called “Virus & threat protection.” You can use it as follows: Alternatively, you can also install a reliable third-party antivirus program. Then, scan and remove any viruses/malware if detected. Also, if you have multiple antivirus programs, it can work adversely on the performance, so use one and uninstall the others.
Defragment the Drives
Defragmentation is a great way to boost your system performance. It organizes similar data and files in one place so they can be accessed quickly. Whenever you install/uninstall various applications and delete/add several files, their data files start to get scattered. Defragmenting minimizes it, leading to a faster access to your files from the hard drive. To defragment in Windows 11,
Update the Device Drivers
The device drivers are responsible for the proper functioning of your devices. In case they are outdated, you can face performance issues. Furthermore, your PC can even freeze. Hence, updating device drivers can help resolve the slow performance. To update the device drivers in Windows 11,
Run the System Maintenance Troubleshooter
Windows 11 has a diagnostic tool that helps you perform system maintenance. It diagnoses possible issues with your system and helps to fix them. To run the system maintenance troubleshooter,
Free up Some Storage
If you store lots of multimedia like videos, and audio files and install numerous applications, chances are your hard disk is almost full. In cases like these, it is natural that your PC is working slowly. Hence, you should give your PC room to breathe for it to work efficiently. Also, it is better if all of your drives, particularly the system drive, have at least some space left. So, you can start deleting large files like videos & audio files first to free up storage quickly. Furthermore, Windows 11 itself has a tool called “Storage sense” Turning on storage sense will automatically free up storage space by deleting unnecessary files like temporary and cache files. To turn on the storage sense,
Reset Your PC
Resetting your PC will restore everything in your PC to default settings. So, it is a viable option to eliminate all the unknown issues causing the performance issues. You can reset the system easily with the steps below.
Downgrade Windows 11 to Windows 10
If your PC was in optimal condition before upgrading from Windows 10 to 11, you could revert to Windows 10. However, you can do it only within ten days of upgrading. Here’s how you can do it.
Alternative Fixes
You can install Windows 11 on a system with only 4GB memory. However, you need at least 8GB of memory for decent system performance. Hence, you should upgrade your RAM to speed up the windows. Likewise, if your PC slows down while using GPU-intensive programs, you should get a dedicated graphics card for optimal performance. Furthermore, accessing anything from a hard disk is slower compared to an SSD because of the respective read/write speeds. Hence, if you are using a hard disk, you can install an SSD to boost the speed of your PC.