Windows 11 Very Slow or Not Responding? Here’s How to Speed It Up (2026 Guide)

Is your Windows 11 PC or laptop suddenly running very slowly, freezing, or taking a long time to start and shut down, especially after an update? You’re not alone. Windows 11 can slow down for many reasons: insufficient storage, too many startup apps, outdated drivers, bloatware, 100% disk usage, or even failing hardware. However, in most cases, you can fix a slow Windows 11 computer with a few optimizations.

In this article, you’ll learn how to:

• Speed up Windows 11 on old and new PCs
• Fix a slow or freezing laptop
• Reduce boot time and shutdown time
• Improve performance for gaming and multitasking

If your copy of Windows 11 has crawled to a slow after an update, these tips should help you troubleshoot the problem and get it back to its original state.

How to speed up Windows 11

You can optimize and speed up Windows 11 performance by disabling startup apps, uninstalling unused programs, freeing up disk space with Disk Cleanup, and adjusting visual effects for the best performance. Let’s start with a simple reboot and then follow the other steps.

Restart Windows and scan for malware

Before changing settings, always do these two basic checks:

1. Restart your PC

This will refresh the Windows 11 OS, clear any temporary glitches that may be present there, and slow down the system.

Click Start > Power > Restart (don’t just close the lid on a laptop).

2. Scan for viruses and malware

Again, a virus or Malware infection is a very common reason your Windows 11 computer suddenly feels slow and not respond.

• Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
• Go to Privacy & Security > Windows Security.
• Click Virus & threat protection.
• Select Scan options and run a Full scan.

If you suspect more serious infection, use a trusted third‑party scanner (like Malwarebytes) as a second opinion.

Update Windows 11 to the latest version

Microsoft regularly releases Windows updates that patch security vulnerabilities that may affect your PC and improve system performance. Running an outdated build can make your PC slow or unstable.

To check and install Windows 11 updates:

• Press Windows key + I to open settings
• Go to Windows Update and hit the check for updates button,
• If any updates are pending, allow them to download and install on your device.
• Once complete, reboot your system to apply the changes and check whether system performance has improved.

Free up storage space (especially on C: drive)

If your Windows 11 PC or laptop is running low on storage space (Especially the C drive), that may slow down the system performance. And you need to free up storage space, such as removing large files to an external disk, running disk cleanup, or removing temporary files, to speed up Windows 11.

Move or delete large files:

• Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer.
• Right‑click the C: drive > Properties and check used vs free space.
• Move large videos, ISO files, installers, and old backups to another drive or external disk.

Remove temporary files following the steps below.

Temporary files are created by programs for temporary purposes.

• Press the Windows key and select Settings,
• Select System from the sidebar, then click on storage,
• Turn on Storage Sense (optional but recommended).
• And now, click on Temporary files, and you’ll be shown a list of temporary files in different folders on your PC.
• Go through the list, select the items that seem unnecessary, and click on Remove files.

Uninstall apps that you won’t use for a long time:-

1. Press Windows key + I > Apps > Installed apps (or Apps & features on some builds).
2. Scroll through the list of installed programs.
3. For apps you no longer need:
   • Click the three dots (…) next to the app.
   • Select Uninstall.

Removing heavy apps and games from the system drive can make a noticeable difference.

Disable unnecessary startup programs

You may not figure it out, but some programs silently run in the background, these programs start automatically whenever you boot your PC and are called startup programs. You can disable these features to speed up Windows 11 start and shutdown times.

Too many startup programs = slow boot and sluggish performance.

To disable startup apps via Task Manager:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
• Click Startup apps (or Startup tab on older layouts).
• Check the Startup impact column.
• Right‑click apps you don’t need at startup (Spotify, Teams, Zoom, etc.) and select Disable.

You can still open these apps manually when you need them—your PC just won’t be forced to load them at boot.

Adjust Windows 11 for the best performance

The latest Windows 11 offers a brand new graphical interface that is clearer and more modern. But did you know that changing some visual effects and animations or adjusting Windows 11 for the best performance can make Windows 11 Faster?

• Press Windows key + R, type systempropertiesperformance and click ok to open performance options.
• Here you will find many options for customizing the interface, including visual effects.
• Click the “Adjust for best performance” option, or use custom settings to enable some effects but not others.

Custom and uncheck effects like:

• Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing
• Animations in the taskbar
• Transparency

 Click Apply > OK.

Turn off transparency effects

1. Press Windows key + I.
2. Go to Personalization > Colors.
3. Turn Transparency effects Off.

These changes are especially useful on older CPUs, integrated graphics, or low RAM setups.

Change Power Mode to Best Performance

To speed up Windows 11, you can also change the default power plan. Generally, Windows 11 offers you three power modes: Balanced, Best power efficiency, and Best performance. The first mode is a balance between performance and autonomy, while the second allows you to have all the possible resources and the third one offers the most performance.

To enable “High Performance” mode in Windows 11,

• Press Windows key + I to open the settings app,
• Go to the system, then Power & Battery,
• In the “Power mode” setting, select the mode to use on Windows 11, including:

• Best power efficiency – saves energy by reducing the device performance when possible.
• Balanced – automatically balances performance with energy consumption on capable hardware.
• Best performance – offers the most performance, but it uses more energy.

Select the best performance option to make Windows 11 faster.

Update device drivers (especially graphics and chipset)

Device drivers are essential and responsible for the proper functioning of your Windows 11 PC or laptop. Over time, device and component manufacturers update their drivers to address bugs and security vulnerabilities. If you have older or outdated drivers (especially graphics drivers) installed, you may experience performance issues with Windows 11. You need to install the latest driver to improve Windows 11 performance.

Updating drivers should always be your go-to option when your computer or system doesn’t work as smoothly as you expected.

Update via Device Manager

• Press Windows key + X and select Device Manager.
• Expand categories such as Display adapters, Network adapters, Sound, video and game controllers.
• Right‑click a device > Update driver.
• Choose Search automatically for drivers.

Devices with problems may show a yellow warning triangle. Update or reinstall those first.

For best performance, especially in gaming and creative work, install drivers from the manufacturer’s website:

• NVIDIA: GeForce Experience / NVIDIA website
• AMD: Radeon Software / AMD website
• Intel: Intel Driver & Support Assistant
• Laptop OEM (Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, Acer, etc.): support page for your exact model

Check background apps and 100% disk / CPU usage

If Windows 11 feels very slow, check if something is overloading your CPU, memory, or disk.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. On the Processes tab, sort by CPU, Memory, and Disk usage.
3. If a particular app or process is using unusually high resources:
   • Save your work.
   • Right‑click the process.
   • Choose End task (only if you know it’s safe to close).

Common culprits:

• Browsers with many tabs
• Cloud sync apps (OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox)
• Game launchers and store clients
• Updaters and background services

If you regularly see 100% disk usage, consider:

• Disabling unnecessary startup apps
• Turning off Windows Search indexing on HDDs
• Checking for malware
• Upgrading to an SSD

Repair corrupted Windows 11 system files

Your Windows 11 PC might be running slow because it has corrupted or damaged files. This can affect your computer’s stability and performance. To verify there are no issues, you can run System File Checker and the DISM RestoreHealth command.

Use DISM to repair the system image

• Type cmd in the Start menu search.
• Right‑click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
• In the Command Prompt window, type: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press Enter.
• Wait for the process to complete (this can take some time).

Run System File Checker (SFC)

In the same Command Prompt window, type: sfc /scannow and press Enter. Wait for the scan to complete.

The above command scans your system for potential changes to critical Windows 11 files. If the result is positive, the tool restores damaged, corrupted, or missing data.

Remove bloatware and pre‑installed apps

Many new Windows 11 PCs come with pre‑installed apps (bloatware) you never use. These can:

• Take up disk space
• Run background processes
• Show notifications and ads

Uninstall bloatware via Settings

1. Press Windows key + I.
2. Go to Apps > Installed apps.
3. Remove trial antivirus suites, OEM utilities you don’t use, and other unnecessary apps.

Use specialized tools for deeper cleanup

Advanced users can use utilities like O&O AppBuster or similar tools to remove hidden or system apps. Be careful and create a restore point before mass‑removal.

Upgrade hardware: add RAM and switch to SSD

If you’ve tried all software optimizations and your Windows 11 PC is still slow? It’s time to look at the hardware part, and you need to upgrade the hardware, add more RAM, and switch to an SSD, which makes your system as fast as a brand new PC.

If you’re currently running 4GB RAM on your PC, then you should consider upgrading to at least 8GB RAM to make Windows 11 faster.

• 4 GB RAM is often not enough for modern Windows 11 usage.
• 8 GB RAM is the practical minimum for smooth everyday performance.
• 16 GB RAM or more is recommended for heavy multitasking, gaming, or content creation.

If your system allows it, add more RAM modules or replace existing ones with higher capacity sticks.

Similarly, SSDs are much faster than traditional HDDs. An SSD will ensure a faster bootup and smoother overall system performance.

If your Windows 11 is installed on an HDD, consider cloning the drive to an SSD or doing a fresh install on an SSD. Even older laptops feel almost like new after this upgrade.

When to consider a clean install of Windows 11

If your PC remains slow even after:

• Cleaning up storage
• Disabling startup apps
• Updating drivers and Windows
• Running malware scans and system file repairs

…then your Windows installation might be too cluttered or damaged.

In that case, consider:

• Reset this PC (keeping or removing your files)
  1. Go to Settings > System > Recovery.
  2. Under Reset this PC, click Reset PC.
• Or perform a clean install of Windows 11 from a USB drive (after backing up all important data).

Here’s a quick checklist to keep your PC or laptop running fast:

• Keep Windows 11 updated.
• Run regular malware scans.
• Ensure at least 15–20% free space on C: drive.
• Limit startup apps and background programs.
• Use Best performance power mode when plugged in.
• Update graphics and chipset drivers.
• Consider RAM and SSD upgrades on older hardware.

FAQs About Slow Windows 11 PCs

1. Why is my Windows 11 computer so slow?
Most Windows 11 PCs slow down due to low storage on the C: drive, too many startup apps, outdated drivers, background programs using high CPU or disk, malware, or old hard drives (HDDs) instead of SSDs.

2. How can I speed up Windows 11 quickly?
For a fast improvement, restart your PC, uninstall unused apps, disable non‑essential startup programs in Task Manager, free up temporary files from Storage settings, and switch the power mode to Best performance.

3. Is 4 GB RAM enough for Windows 11?
Windows 11 can run on 4 GB RAM but it usually feels slow, especially with multiple browser tabs or apps open. Upgrading to 8 GB or more gives a much smoother experience.

4. Will an SSD make my Windows 11 laptop faster?
Yes. Moving from an HDD to an SSD is one of the biggest upgrades you can make. It dramatically improves boot time, app loading speed, and overall system responsiveness.

5. When should I reset or reinstall Windows 11?
If your computer is still very slow after cleaning storage, disabling startup apps, updating drivers, scanning for malware, and repairing system files, it may be time to Reset this PC or do a clean install of Windows 11 (after backing up your data).