How to Speed Up Windows 11 in 2026 (10 Proven Fixes)

Does your Windows 11 PC feel slower than it used to? You are not imagining it. Over time, startup programs pile up, background apps multiply, and old files clog your drive. The good news: you can fix most of it in under an hour, without spending a cent. Here are 10 proven ways to speed up Windows 11 in 2026.

1. Disable Unnecessary Startup Apps

Startup apps are the number one cause of slow boot times. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, go to the Startup apps tab, and disable everything you do not need immediately at boot — game launchers, chat apps, and updaters. Keep only your antivirus and essential utilities. This alone can cut boot time in half.

2. Uninstall Bloatware and Unused Programs

Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps and remove programs you never use. Pre-installed trial software, old games, and duplicate utilities all consume disk space and sometimes run background services. Be ruthless — if you have not opened it in six months, uninstall it.

3. Turn Off Visual Effects

Windows 11's animations look nice but cost performance on older hardware. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects and turn off transparency effects and animation effects. For maximum speed, open System Properties > Advanced > Performance Settings and select Adjust for best performance.

4. Run Disk Cleanup and Storage Sense

Temporary files, old Windows update leftovers, and cached data can eat tens of gigabytes. Search for Disk Cleanup in the Start menu, select your system drive, and check every box — especially Windows Update Cleanup and Temporary files. Then enable Storage Sense (Settings > System > Storage) so Windows cleans itself automatically.

5. Switch to a High Performance Power Plan

Laptops often ship on balanced or power-saver plans that throttle your CPU. Go to Settings > System > Power & battery and set the power mode to Best performance. On desktops, open the Control Panel power options and select the High performance plan. This makes a noticeable difference in responsiveness.

6. Update Windows and Your Drivers

Microsoft regularly ships performance fixes in Windows updates. Go to Settings > Windows Update and install everything pending. Then update your graphics driver — visit NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel's site for the latest version, or use your laptop maker's support page. Outdated drivers are a silent performance killer.

7. Scan for Malware

Malware and adware running in the background can cripple even a powerful PC. Run a full scan with Windows Security (built into Windows 11 and quite good), and consider a second-opinion scan with the free version of Malwarebytes. If your PC suddenly got slow, this should be your first suspect.

8. Disable Background Apps You Don't Need

Many apps keep running after you close them. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, click the three dots on any app, choose Advanced options, and set Let this app run in background to Never for apps you do not need constantly active.

9. Upgrade to an SSD (If You Haven't)

This is the single biggest hardware upgrade you can make. If your PC still runs on a spinning hard drive, switching to an SSD will make it feel like a new machine — boot times drop from minutes to seconds. A 500GB SATA SSD now costs under $50, and cloning your old drive is straightforward with free tools like Macrium Reflect.

10. Consider a Fresh Install as a Last Resort

If nothing else works, a clean install of Windows 11 wipes away years of accumulated cruft. Use Settings > System > Recovery > Reset this PC and choose Remove everything (back up your files first!). Most PCs feel brand new afterward. Plan for a couple of hours to reinstall your apps.

How Much Faster Will It Be?

Results vary by machine, but on a typical 3–4-year-old laptop, these fixes commonly cut boot times from 2–3 minutes to under 40 seconds and make everyday tasks noticeably snappier. The software fixes (steps 1–8) are free and take about 30–45 minutes total.

FAQs

Why is my Windows 11 PC so slow?

The most common causes are too many startup programs, a full or aging hard drive, outdated drivers, and accumulated temporary files. The fixes above address all of them in order of impact.

Will disabling startup apps break anything?

No — disabling a startup app only stops it from launching at boot. You can still open it manually anytime. Your antivirus and core system services stay running regardless.

Is Windows 11 slower than Windows 10?

On the same hardware, Windows 11 is roughly comparable, sometimes slightly faster. If your PC felt faster on Windows 10, it is usually the accumulated clutter rather than the OS itself — a cleanup usually restores that speed.

Do I need more RAM?

If Task Manager shows memory usage above 80% during normal use, upgrading from 8GB to 16GB makes a big difference, especially for multitasking. RAM is cheap and easy to install on most desktops and many laptops.

Final Thoughts

A slow PC is rarely a dying PC — it is usually just a cluttered one. Work through these 10 fixes in order, and you will likely rediscover how fast your machine actually is. Bookmark this guide for the next time things start dragging, and share it with anyone whose laptop takes five minutes to wake up.