Making your computer run faster on Windows 11 isn’t rocket science, but it can feel like pulling teeth sometimes. These steps aren’t secret sauce, but they do help, especially if your PC is starting to feel sluggish or the fans won’t shut up. It’s kind of weird how Windows has a ton of stuff running in the background, and most of it isn’t necessary. Anyway, here’s what’s helped before — sometimes you need a mix of these methods, sometimes just one or two do the trick.
How to Make Computer Run Faster on Windows 11
When your PC takes ages to boot or lags while scrolling, it’s probably time to clean house. These steps can improve overall responsiveness, and yeah, they’re not too complicated. Expect quicker load times, less spinning circles, and just a smoother experience. Just keep in mind, on some setups, these things might need a restart or a couple of tries for full effect. Windows can be weird like that.
Step 1: Disable Startup Programs
This might be the easiest fix, but also one of the most overlooked. Stuff like Dropbox, Skype, or even some malware can load on startup and hog resources. Open the Task Manager by Ctrl + Shift + Esc, then hit the Startup tab. Scroll through that list — anything you don’t need immediately, you can right-click and hit Disable. This cuts down boot times immediately. When I did this on a slower laptop, it cut startup time down nearly in half.
Tip: Sometimes after disabling stuff, a reboot makes a noticeable difference. Windows seems to preload a lot of background crap unless you tell it not to.
Step 2: Clean Up Disk Space
Think of this as decluttering your desk. Over time, temp files, caches, and old system updates pile up and slow things down. Search for Disk Cleanup — it’s built-in, and pretty straightforward. Choose the drive (mostly C:) then check the boxes for things like Temporary Files, Thumbnails, and Recycle Bin cleanup. Sometimes, it helps to run it multiple times or check the box for Cleanup system files — that’ll free up more space from old Windows updates or system restore points. I’ve seen machines weirdly slow because they’re crammed with junk, and a cleanup can make a noticeable difference.
Note: For a deeper clean, consider using free tools like CCleaner or BleachBit, but don’t go overboard, especially with registry cleaners.
Step 3: Update Windows and Drivers
Keeping everything patched isn’t just security — it often fixes bugs that cause slowness. Head over to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and click Check for updates. Do the same for drivers — open Device Manager (right-click Start, then select it). For major hardware like graphics cards, motherboard chipset, or network adapters, jump to the manufacturer’s website if you want the latest version. Sometimes Windows Update isn’t enough, especially with GPU drivers, but I’ve had cases where outdated drivers caused lag and updating them fixed performance issues.
Pro tip: Some driver updates can cause issues, so if you notice problems after updating, roll back to previous versions.
Step 4: Adjust Power Settings
This is kind of a trade-off — if you want raw speed, switching to High performance mode in Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options helps. On this profile, Windows don’t mess around with power-saving stuff, so your CPU runs at full tilt. It does eat more power (obvious, right?), but if you’re plugged in most of the time, it’s worth it. You may also want to tweak advanced power settings for CPU minimum/maximum states or setting PCI Express link speeds higher if you’re into the detailed tweaks.
Step 5: Manage Background Processes
Open the Task Manager again (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and go to Processes. Anything unusual or resource-heavy that’s running? Right-click on them and choose End task. Watch out for stuff you recognize — some apps tend to run in the background by default, draining CPU and RAM. This helps free up memory, which can give noticeable speed gains. Sometimes, background apps automatically restart, so keep an eye on this over the next few days.
On some machines, killing background processes temporarily helps, but after a reboot, some of the stuff may respawn unless you tweak startup settings or uninstall unnecessary apps.
After a few rounds of this, you should get a noticeable speed boost, especially if your machine was bogged down with unnecessary background crap or clutter. These aren’t magic bullet fixes, but combined they can breathe new life into an otherwise sluggish Windows 11 box.
Tips to Make Computer Run Faster on Windows 11
- Check your startup list pretty often — stuff sneaks in.
- Run disk cleanup every month or so; it’s like vacuuming your system.
- Update Windows and drivers, especially graphics and chipset.
- If you can, add more RAM — that’s usually the bottleneck if things lag with multiple tabs or apps open.
- Go lightweight on antivirus—some free ones are faster and less bloated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know which startup programs to disable?
Anything you don’t recognize or doesn’t need to launch right away is fair game. Google the app if unsure. Sometimes, even antivirus and cloud sync apps load at startup, but you can disable them if they’re not critical right now.
Will adjusting power settings affect battery life?
Yeah, high performance eats battery faster, so if it’s a laptop unplugged, you might want to switch back to balanced or power saver when needed.
Is it necessary to update drivers regularly?
For most users, yes. Especially GPU, network, or chipset drivers—they often contain bug fixes and improvements that boost speed and stability.
Can too many background processes slow down my computer?
Absolutely. They consume CPU, RAM, and disk resources, which adds up quickly and can make your system unresponsive.
What should I do if my computer still runs slow after these steps?
Consider malware scans—sometimes viruses slow things down or cause weird issues. Also, hardware upgrades like more RAM or switching to an SSD can work wonders if software tweaks aren’t enough.
Summary
- Disable unnecessary startup programs.
- Clean up disk space pretty regularly.
- Update Windows and your drivers when possible.
- Set power plan to high performance if plugged in.
- Close or manage background processes that aren’t needed.
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. Don’t forget, sometimes the simplest fix is just cleaning out the junk and managing startup apps. Good luck!