10 Essential Tips to Speed Up Your Windows 11 PC

Published on September 12, 2025 by Tech Support Staff
A dashboard gauge showing high speed for Windows 11

Is your Windows 11 computer feeling sluggish? Over time, all PCs slow down as they get filled with files, apps, and background processes. The good news is you don't have to live with it.

Before you consider buying a new computer, follow these 10 simple, actionable steps to clean up your system, optimize settings, and get your PC running (almost) like new.

Your 10-Step Performance Guide

  1. Disable Startup Apps
    Many programs set themselves to run automatically when you turn on your PC, slowing down your boot time.
    How: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Click the "Startup apps" tab. Right-click any non-essential program (e.g., Spotify, Steam, Adobe Updater) and select "Disable."
  2. Run Disk Cleanup
    Windows accumulates a lot of junk files. Disk Cleanup is a built-in tool to remove them.
    How: Open the Start menu and type "Disk Cleanup." Select your C: drive. Check the boxes for "Temporary Internet Files," "Recycle Bin," and "Temporary files," then click "OK."
  3. Set Power Plan to 'Best Performance'
    Windows often defaults to a "Balanced" power mode to save energy, especially on laptops. This can throttle your PC's performance.
    How: Go to Settings > System > Power & battery. Change the "Power mode" from "Balanced" to "Best performance."
  4. Uninstall Unused Software (Bloatware)
    New PCs often come with "bloatware" you'll never use, and you've likely installed apps you no longer need.
    How: Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Scroll through the list and uninstall anything you don't recognize or use.
  5. Reduce Visual Effects
    Windows 11's animations and shadows look nice but use system resources. You can turn them off for a snappier feel.
    How: Open the Start menu and search for "View advanced system settings." Under the "Performance" section, click "Settings..." and select "Adjust for best performance."
  6. Keep Windows and Drivers Updated
    These updates don't just patch security holes; they often include critical performance fixes and optimizations.
    How: Go to Settings > Windows Update and click "Check for updates." Also, visit your graphics card manufacturer's website (Nvidia, AMD, Intel) for the latest GPU drivers.
  7. Scan for Malware
    If your PC is suddenly slow, it could be a sign of malware running in the background, consuming resources.
    How: Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security. Click "Virus & threat protection" and run a "Full scan."
  8. Optimize Your Drives (Defrag/Trim)
    This step is different for old hard drives (HDD) and modern solid-state drives (SSD).
    How: Open the Start menu and type "Defragment and Optimize Drives." Select your C: drive and click "Optimize." Windows knows whether you have an HDD (and will defragment it) or an SSD (and will "trim" it).
  9. Manage Background Apps
    Many apps run in the background even when you're not using them, consuming CPU and RAM.
    How: Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Click the three-dot menu on an app, select "Advanced options," and under "Let this app run in background," change it from "Always" or "Power optimized" to "Never."
  10. The Hardware Fix: Upgrade RAM or SSD
    If you've done all of the above and your PC is still slow, a hardware upgrade is the most effective fix.
    • Upgrade to an SSD: If you're still using an old mechanical hard drive (HDD), this is the single best upgrade you can make. An SSD will make your PC boot, launch apps, and open files light-years faster.
    • Upgrade Your RAM: If you have 8GB of RAM or less, upgrading to 16GB will make a huge difference in multitasking.