How to Fix Slow Windows 11

Why is Windows 11 so slow on my PC?

For starters, know that a slow PC is a ubiquitous symptom. But it’s comprehensive and could mean anything from malfunctioning hardware to a software bug or something unrelated like a poor internet connection.

There’s not a single cause behind every slow computer. However, several different reasons could individually show up as a performance issue in Windows 11.

Any of the following could be to blame:

• There are too many programs actively running
• One or more apps are hogging all the memory
• You’re running too low on free storage space
• The OS or a device driver contains an unresolved bug.
• There’s an issue with your connection to the internet
• Your hardware can’t keep up

Those things could produce the following symptoms (this is not an exhaustive list):

• Programs take a long time to open (or never open at all)
• Menus or windows don’t feel as snappy as they should
• Nothing works for several minutes after logging in to Windows
• Delayed mouse or keyboard actions
• Choppy audio or video streaming
• Downloads stall or web pages don’t fully finish loading

How to Fix Slow Windows 11

Since there are so many potential reasons why Windows 11 is slow, several angles exist to address it. Work through these tips in the order they’re listed so you can try out the simple solutions first.

• Reboot your computer to terminate background programs that could use valuable resources.
  
  The fastest way to do this in Windows 11 is from the Start menu: open it and use the power button to find the Restart option.

• Install Windows updates, if any are available. Bugs can cause performance issues; the only way to fix OS-level bugs is through Windows Update.

• Delete junk files. Depending on how you use your computer and how often you clear out these kinds of files, you could erase a lot.
  
  Junk files are easy to overlook as something that takes up too much space on your PC. If you have a lot, they could collectively take up so much storage that your hard drive is running too low on free space.
  
  Depending on where the files are, they clog up one or more apps’ abilities to work, thus presenting as a slow computer. This is often the case with a web browser’s cache.

• Disable unnecessary startup apps. These are programs that start automatically with Windows. You don’t need this to happen for most programs because you can just open them manually when you need to use them.
  
  If you have many programs trying to launch at once, you’ll feel sluggish each time your computer starts. If you don’t shut them down later, they’ll continue to hog up essential resources like memory and CPU.

• Disable unnecessary visual effects that could be impacting performance.
  
  Windows 11 shows animations when opening and closing windows, but they can be turned off if they impact performance. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects, and disable Animation effects.
  
  We also recommend changing the Performance Options visual effects setting to Adjust for best performance (alternatively, pick and choose which results to disable from that screen). You can find that option by executing this command from Run (WIN+R) or Windows Search:

SystemPropertiesPerformance

• Shut down services or apps you don’t need to use right now. The best way to do this is with Task Manager. See our article on how to force-quit programs in Windows 11 for all the details.
  
  This might sound like a no-brainer—you’ve probably already shut down the apps you aren’t using. But just clicking X doesn’t always do it. Some things slow down Windows because they’re still running in the background.

• Use a driver updater tool to fix outdated or corrupt drivers. One of the drivers on your computer might be using too much CPU or RAM because of a bug.

• Check your computer for malware. This is similar to an earlier step about shutting down unused programs, but instead of a legitimate app using system resources, it’s a malicious program you really don’t want!
  
  For example, there could be a worm or virus on your computer transmitting information over the internet or replicating itself through your file system.

• Restart your router. This isn’t a fix for Windows 11, but if the router is to blame for a slow internet connection, it might feel like Windows is slow. For example, loading web pages or sending emails takes longer than you know it should.
  
  Similarly, your distance from the router could be the reason behind a weak Wi-Fi connection or other poor internet-related performance. For instance, slow or stuttered video or audio streaming could have less to do with Windows 11 and more to do with your internet connection.

• Refresh or reinstall Windows 11. This will reinstall Windows 11 so it looks and feels like it did the first time it was installed. This will no doubt address if Windows is slow because of an operating system or other software problem.

• Downgrade Windows 11 to Windows 10. If Windows 11 isn’t compatible with your computer, uninstall it to address the slowness. Not all computers can run Windows 11

• Upgrade your hardware. If Windows 11 is still slow even after addressing all the software fixes (especially the two previous steps), hardware is all that’s to blame.

You’ll know this is the case if Windows is slow no matter which version is installed and if performance doesn’t improve even after a new installation and fresh drivers.