How to Speed Up Windows 11 Startup: 10 Easy Tips

Finally, a new version of Windows is out now. Windows 11 came out with new features like editing the Taskbar, customizing the Start menu, refreshing the new UI, etc. the performance part has some improvements because Microsoft improved disk usage, memory management, application prioritization, and other agent related to battery performance and CPU. But, if you use Windows 11 with an old PC, it will not work well, and you may face some issues. Therefore, you may need to optimize your Windows 11 to work better.

In this article, we talk about different methods of how to speed up Windows 11 startup. So, if you are one of those people who are facing some issues with Windows 11 on their PC, you will find this article so helpful.

Why Does Windows 11 Slow Down?

There can be many different reasons that cause Windows or PC to slow down. Whether the problem is with an old PC or with the hard disk, there are many ways to improve your Windows 11 performance. Stay with us to find out about these beneficial methods.

How to Speed Up Windows 11 for Gaming?

If you have a speed issue with your PC while gaming, you should disable VBS on your PC.

17 Ways to Speed Up Windows 11

1. Disable Startup Applications/Programs

To speed up the boot time on Windows 11, you can try to disable the startup programs. To do so, follow the below steps.

• Open Task Manager from the Start menu, or open it by holding Ctrl + Shift + Esc.

• After the Task Manager window pops up, click on the More details button.

• Now, go to the Startup tab. Here you can find different programs that can be disabled.

• To disable them, right-click on any program that you desire to disable. Then, choose Disable.

Also, there are other startup apps like OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, and Skype that can save resources while startup. Here is how to disable them:

• Open Settings. You can do that from the Start menu or by pressing the Windows key and the I key.

• From the popup window, choose the Apps option and go to the Startup section.

• Now, you need to turn off the apps and programs that you do not want to run during the startup.

Since we may install the different apps by the time, you need to check this list from time to time to make sure there is no unwanted app that is running during the startup.

2. Update and Restart

This is the easiest method that you can do to speed up Windows 11 startup. Try to keep your Windows up to date. To do so, follow these steps:

• Go to the Settings.
• Then, choose Windows Update. Here you can check for any new updates.
• If there was any new update, get it, and then restart your PC.

If your Windows is up to date, it does not hurt to restart your PC. Because this action clears up any surplus use of RAM that otherwise cannot be cleared. It also kills the processes that you have started but no longer need them and are slowing down your PC.

3. Change Power Mode

If you want the best performance on Windows 11, you can change the power plans. This action optimizes Windows for getting the best performance. You can do that as below:

• Open Settings. You can do that from the Start menu or by pressing the Windows key and the I key. Then, choose System, and click on Power (on the laptop there is a Power and Battery option).

• Then, click on Power mode.

• From the drop-down menu, choose between Balanced, Best power efficiency, and best performance.

Any changes will be saved automatically. Depending on what mode you choose, Windows 11 will present you with better performance for battery consumption. The default Balanced option, will be the middle ground between battery life and performance.

Also, there is a way to optimize the time that your Windows 11 PC will stay inactive before turning off the screen or going to sleep. To do so, follow as below:

• Open Settings. You can do that from the Start menu or by pressing the Windows key and the I key. Then, choose System, and click on Power (on the laptop there is a Power and Battery option).
• Then, go to System, and click on Power & battery.
• Click on the arrow in front of the Screen and Sleep option.
• Now, you can choose your preferred duration by expanding each drop-down menu.

4. Defragment Your Hard Disk

Another thing that can slow down your system performance is the files on the hard disk because they can become scattered. To fix this issue, you can use defragment tools to defragment your hard disk.

Keep in mind, that if you are using an SSD, then we do not recommend defragmentation because it will lower the SSD’s life.

To defragment the hard disk, work as below:

• Type Defragment and Optimize Drives in the Windows search box.

• On the opened window, you can choose what drive to defrag. Then, click on the Optimise option.

5. Disable Restartable Apps

When you sign in to your PC, Windows 11 restarts some background apps to make your experience smoother and faster. This feature works awesome on powerful PCs, but on older PCs, it may slow down Windows speed.

To disable restartable apps, work as below:

• Go to the Settings.

• Click on the Accounts section, and choose Sign in options.

• Now, turn off the Automatically save my restartable apps and restart them when I sign back in option.

6. Add More Memory to Your Windows 11

To make your PC works faster and smoother, you can increase the RAM of your PC. If you use a hard drive, you can also consider switching to an SSD. A SATA SSD presents a read or write speed of 500 MBps, but a typical 5400 RPM hard drive presents a read or write speed of 100 MBps. This is a great 5 times jump, and you will experience a real change during the boot time, opening the apps, and interacting with OS elements.

You should not use Windows on an HHD, so you have to upgrade to an SSD if you use an old laptop or PC.

7. Uninstall Unwanted Bloatware and Software

If you want a faster Windows 11, removing and uninstalling unwanted bloatware and files can really help you. To do so, follow the steps below:

• Open Settings from the Start menu.

• Go to Apps, and then click on Apps and Features. Also, you get the Apps and Features option by right-clicking on the Windows icon.

Here you can see the list of applications. You can remove them by clicking on the three dots in front of each app, and choosing the Uninstall option.

8. Free up Disk Space

There must be some temporary files from Windows 10 on the Windows11 system if you have upgraded to Windows 11. These files do not have any efficiency and occupy a crucial space on your system, so Windows 11 will work slowly.

Note: Windows keeps old Windows 10 files for ten days for the time when you have changed your mind and decided to return to Windows 10 from Windows 11.

So if you made up your mind, and decided to stay on Windows 11, you need to delete these junk files and free up space on Windows 11. You can only delete temporary files if you want to keep Windows 10 files.

To clean up junk files, follow these steps below:

• Open the Settings by pressing Win + I keyboard shortcut.
• Go to System and select the Storage section.

• Select Temporary files.

• Now, you can see all the files that you can uninstall them to free up disk space. (Windows 11 will take some time to process all the files)

In this part, we suggest removing the checkmark of the Downloads option because you might have some valuable files there.

• Checkmark these two options: Previous Windows Installation and Windows Update Clean up.

• Now, hit the Remove files button. With this action, all the temporary files from Windows 10 will be deleted instantly.

Now, you have a huge free space on your Windows 11.

Note: you should consider that these files are safe to delete, but after removing them you will be unable to return to Windows 10 from Windows 11.

9. Delete Temporary Files

Deleting temporary files is another way to increase Windows speed. These files store on your PC while applications perform tasks to have a smooth function. These files are not necessary, and they only occupy a large space on your PC. To remove temporary files, follow the steps below:

• First of all, hold the Win + X keyboard shortcut. Then choose Run. To get the option directly, you can press the Win + R keyboard shortcut.

• On the opened window, type %temp%, and then hit the OK button.

• That action will head you to the temporary files folder. Then, select all and delete them.

If you want to clean temporary files off your hard disk easily, you can also use the inbuilt Disk Cleanup application.

10. Use Storage Sense to Make Windows 11 Faster

To have a faster Windows 11, you can enable Storage Sense. This feature cleans up Windows 11 from time to time automatically. To enable Storage Sense, follow these steps:

• Go to Settings.

• Click on System.

• Go to the Storage section, and turn on the Storage Sense option.

11. Disable Tips and Notifications

Windows offers some tips and tricks to help improve your usage. To do that, Windows need to scan your PC, which might affect its performance. So, if you want to speed up your Windows 11, you need to disable these tips and notifications. To do so, follow the steps below:

• Open Settings through the Start menu or hold the Win key with the I key.

• Click on Notifications.

• Here, you need to disable these two options: Offer suggestions on how I can set up my device and Get tips and suggestions when I use Windows.

12. Disable Visual Effects and Animations

Windows has a lot of amazing features like an acrylic blur, smooth animations, transparent UI elements, etcetera. These new changes to UI made a great makeover on Windows 11. But, these awesome features come at a price. If performance is more important than the look of Windows 11, follow the steps below:

• Go to Settings.

• Go to the Personalization section.

• Choose the Colors option.

• On the opened page, turn off the Transparency effects.

• Then, select Accessibility from the left side menu.

• Go to the Visual effects section.

• Disable these two options: Transparency effects and Animation effects.

• When you have done the steps above, type View advanced system settings in the Windows search box.

• Hit the Settings button under the Performance section. Then, select Adjust for best performance and hit Ok.

13. Disable Background Apps

You may have a lot of applications that run in the background to remain updated. Some apps like Mailing and Calendar do not make any problems, but some unnecessary background applications can slow down your PC performance. To solve this issue, work as follow:

• First of all, right-click on the Windows icon. You can also press the Window + X keys.

• Then, click on Apps and Features.

• Now, you should see a list of apps that you can choose to disable. To do so, click on the three-dotted menu and choose Advanced options.

• On the opened page, choose Never from the drop-down menu under the Background apps permissions.

     If you want to disable the applications that are already running in the background, do as follows:

• Right-click on the Windows icon. You can also press the Window + X keys.
• Click on the Task Manager option.

Also, you can do that by holding Ctrl + Shift + Esc.

• Now, choose the apps that you do not want to run in the background.
• Then, click on the End Task option at the bottom of the window.

14. Disable Game Mode

If you are not a gamer, it is better to disable the Game Mode feature. This can help you to speed up your Windows 11.

To disable Game Mode, follow the steps below:

• Open Settings.

• Navigate to the Gaming section.

• Click on Game Mode, and turn it off.

• Now, go to the Xbox Game Bar and Captures. Then, switch all the toggles off.

15. Disable VBS (Virtualization-based security)

VBS is a new feature on Windows 11. This feature defends the Operating System (OS) from malware and unsafe code. But, if you are a gamer, it is better to turn this feature off. Because the security features lower the game’s performance by about 5% to 25%. Also, Microsoft offers that gaming laptops may choose to ship with HVCI disabled. So, if you want the best performance while gaming, you need to disable VBS. To do so, follow the steps below:

• Type Core Isolation in the Windows search box.

• On the opened window, disable the toggle under the Memory integrity.

16. Do not Install a Third Party Antivirus

There is a wrong conception about installing a third-party antivirus on Windows11 and Windows 10. It is right that before, you needed an antivirus for blocking viruses and malware. Microsoft has upgraded the game on security, and its built-in Windows Security called Window Defender is enough for protecting the Windows 11 PC.

The problem that third-party antiviruses have is that they slow down your PC significantly. Antivirus software does integrity checks, checks file hashes, etc. these activities slow down your PC’s performance.

Note: keep in mind that antiviruses are helpful in some specific uses. If you use shady websites, we prefer you to use great antivirus software to protect your PC/laptop.

Also, be careful to regularly check for viruses. Because these viruses can disrupt your PC performance and create security risks. Windows 11 has built-in virus protection to protect your PC from viruses.

To do so, follow these steps:

• Open Settings from the Start menu.

• Go to the Privacy & Security section.

• Click on the Windows Security option.

• On the opened Window, navigate to the Virus & threat protection section.

• Here, you need to check for updates and do a quick scan.

• This action, improve your PC performance and also keep you protected.

17. Debloat Windows 11

Debloating Windows 11 can improve your PC performance. To do so, work as follow:

• Type PowerShell in the Windows search box.

• Then, from the right side menu, click on Run as Administrator.

• Now, copy and paste this command (iwr -useb https://git.io/debloat|iex) into the PowerShell windows and press Enter.
• This action will download and lunch the Windows 11 debloater script from the Internet.

• Now, Windows 10 Debloater will pop up.

• First of all, disable Cortana if you do not use Microsoft’s voice assistant.

• Now, click on Uninstall OneDrive if you do not use it. Then, OneDrive will no longer pop up on startup.

• Then, choose Disable Telemetry / Tasks. This action will stop all background tracking services run by Microsoft.

• Now, click on Customize Blocklist.

• Now, checkmark the packages and applications that you want to remove.
• Choose Remove bloatware with Custom Blocklist. When it is finished, restart your computer.

• Now, your computer is debloated.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we talked about different methods to speed up Windows 11. Have you ever tried any of these methods? Do you know more methods to increase Windows 11 performance?