You have started to notice that Windows 11 is slow and you are not sure where the problem could be. If you have been experiencing this slowness since the very moment you installed the operating system, it is most likely that it is a hardware issuei.e. your computer may meet the minimum requirements, but this is not enough to guarantee good performance. For that it is necessary to comfortably exceed those requirements.
In case you have been using Windows 11 for some time and you have started to notice that it is getting slower and slower, there are several factors to take into account. The first one is that this progressive and gradual slowness may be normalIt is not something that happens as often as it did a few years ago, but it is not a problem that we have managed to overcome completely. It is not something that happens as frequently as it did a few years ago, but it is not a problem that we have managed to overcome completely.
On the other hand, periodic updates that Microsoft releases to keep Windows 11 up to date, especially the annual ones, can also negatively affect its performance, and cause an installation that had been working perfectly to give various problems, including not only that slowness but also errors or bugs of lesser or greater severity that, in the end, could even compromise the stability of the operating system.
If you have not installed any updates, and you have not made a particularly intensive or questionable use of your computer, do not worry, also. there are other reasons that can explain why your Windows 11 is running slow, and in most cases they are quite easy to solve. In this article we are going to go over the most important ones, and we are going to tell you everything you need to know.
Why is Windows 11 running slow on my computer?
There is one very important thing to keep in mind before we start digging into the different causes and solutions, and that is. the hardware issue. In order to install Windows 11 we must meet a series of requirements that, although they do not seem too high at first glance, these are not sufficient to ensure acceptable performance, which means that to get a good user experience we will need to exceed them comfortably.
Generally speaking, Windows 11 has doubled the requirements of Windows 10, and this has a very important consequence, a computer that could run Windows 10 acceptably could have performance issues with Windows 11. Therefore, it is very important that before upgrading to such operating system you have clear if your computer really could with it, and if the user experience you are going to get will be good or not.
I understand that this can be complicated, and therefore I want to share with you. three base configurations that will serve you as a reference to give you an idea of the performance you can expect from Windows 11 if you have a similar, inferior or superior computer.
- PC with Intel Celeron N4000 dual-core dual-threaded low-power processor, 4 GB of RAM and eMMC storage: this configuration meets the Windows 11 requirements, but the experience will not be good at all and Windows 11 will run quite slowly. Note that, in general, Windows 11 does not work well with 4 GB of RAM.
- PC with AMD Ryzen 3 3100 processor with 4 cores and 8 threads, 8 GB of RAM and SSD storage: with this configuration the performance will be good, and it is a level that we can consider as the minimum recommended to enjoy a good experience.
- PC with Intel Core i5-10400F processor with 6 cores and 12 threads, 16 GB of RAM and SSD storage: if we have this configuration the performance will be totally optimal. If we see that Windows 11 is slow on a computer of this level, it will be absolutely clear that the problem is not due to a lack of power.
If your PC does not meet the minimum requirements of Windows 11, or if it does meet them but remains at the level of the equipment we have listed in the first point, you must accept that. it will be perfectly normal for Windows 11 to run slowly.and there is little you can do to improve performance. In such cases something as simple as upgrading the RAM to 8 GB will be enough to make a significant leap and improve the user experience.
How can I improve the performance if Windows 11 is slow?
In case the hardware configuration your PC has matches the one in the first point, or if it is just a little above or a little below, the ideal would be to upgrade the RAM to 8 GB, mount an SSD and change, if possible, the processor to one that has at least four cores.
You can also put into practice the tips we are going to give you below, but keep in mind that. none of them will work miracles if the root of the problem is in the lack of power of your equipment, and even less if it affects those three components that, in the end, are key to determine the performance of any PC.
In case you notice that Windows 11 is running slow on a PC configured with the hardware of the second or third point, it is clear that you are suffering from a problem that has nothing to do with the power of your computerHowever, it is possible that there is a temperature problem, or that some component is defective, so we should take this into account as well.
1.-Update Windows 11
I know it may sound strange, especially because some updates can have negative effects on system performance and stability, but in this case it has an explanation, and it is that since its release Windows 11 has given some performance problems that could become considerably serious, affecting mostly configurations based on AMD Ryzen processors.
Some Windows 11 updates also gave performance issues with Intel processors and NVIDIA graphics cards, so updating that operating system to the most recent stable version available may be an excellent way to improve performance.
All in all, I recommend that before proceeding with the installation of an update you make sure that it is properly polished and that it does not have serious errors, otherwise the remedy will end up being worse than the disease.
Normally Microsoft lists known and persistent bugs for each update, so it is not complicated to identify them. As an additional recommendation to avoid problems, I confirm that it is better not to be one of the first to install the new updates that Microsoft releases, and that in the case of annual updates, which introduce new features, it is better to wait at least one or two months to make sure that they have not missed any serious bugs.
2.-Install the latest drivers.
This may be one of the reasons why your Windows 11 is running slow, and that is because being a “last generation” operating system, it needs updated drivers to work properly. Without going any further, NVIDIA recently confirmed that the said operating system was giving performance problems and even blue screens of death, and that the solution was to install new drivers.
Never underestimate the “power” of updating the latest drivers, both for your graphics card and for the other components of your computer that need it. The new drivers usually come with numerous improvements that not only translate into a increased performancebut also improve stability and reliability of the equipment. They are free of chargeso they represent a safe value.
However, keep in mind three important things. The first is that you should only download and install the drivers that you have obtained from the official website of each manufacturer. For example, if you have a Radeon graphics card you must download them from the official AMD website. Secondly, you must make sure that you choose the right drivers.by both model and operating system, and lastly it is important that you only install drivers that have been certified as stable, avoid beta versions. and that you complete the installation process correctly, performing a reboot if necessary.
If you notice that after installing the new drivers the performance issues have not been resolved and on top of that you are having stability issues. go back to the previous drivers, and make sure that the ones you had installed were the correct ones.. It would not be the first time that someone thinks they have installed the right drivers but made a mistake in some minor detail that, in the end, ends up being important.
3.-Check the temperature and do a maintenance of the equipment.
A temperature problem can also cause Windows 11, and your entire PC, to run extremely slowly. Identifying it is not complicatedThere are numerous tools that allow us to monitor the temperature of the CPU and other key components of the computer, and they are completely free of charge.
My favorite for all the information it provides is HWiNFO64, which also shows valuable information on such important things as the operating frequencies and power consumption of each component. To determine if we have temperature problems, and conclude that these may be to blame for Windows 11 running slow, it is necessary to visualize the temperatures when we are making those components work.
There are extreme cases in which the temperature problem can be seen even with the components at rest.but it is not normal. If the processor and graphics card values of your PC at idle (Windows desktop, doing nothing) reach 60 degrees you almost certainly have a temperature problem, and if they reach or exceed 70 degrees you can be totally convinced of it.
Use applications such as Cinebench R23 to push the processor to its limits, and FurMark to do the same for the graphics card.and measure the temperatures of both while running these tests. If you find that the temperatures are too high you have several options to try to solve this problem:
- If you overclocked, undo the overclock and return the components to their factory speeds.
- Do a thermal paste change on both the processor and graphics card. If you don’t know how to do it yourself, go to a professional.
- Perform a maintenance and deep cleaning of the equipment.
- Check that all fans are working properly and that the airflow is adequate. If any fan is not working, replace it.
- Make sure that the cooling system you are using for the processor is sufficient for its thermal design. If it is not, you will have to replace it.
- If none of this works, you may have problems at the hardware level.
4.-Optimize the storage unit.
First of all be clear that optimizing is not the same as defragmenting. Some time ago Microsoft limited its offer of tools for disk drives to the latter, and defragmenting an SSD is not only unnecessary, but it can also add write cycles and affect its lifetime, which made such tool was not recommended at all if we had an SSD.
Fortunately Microsoft took action and shaped the tool. “unit optimization”It is very easy to use, the process will complete in just a few seconds and can help us improve performance with little effort. If you notice that your Windows 11 is running slow, give it a try.
To use this tool we have to do. right-click on the storage drive we want to optimizeselect the “Properties” option, go to the “Tools” tab and then click on “Optimize”. Select the storage unit whose performance we want to improve and click on optimize. We let the process complete automatically and that’s it.
We can optimize both HDD and SSD drives without any fear, and we even have the possibility to set an automatic drive optimization schedule for specific periods of time. To do this we only have to enter “Change Configuration” and set the values we want. We will be able to change them at any time.
5.-Free RAM memory and disable startup applications.
This is especially useful on those PCs that have low RAMThis component can greatly affect performance and cause Windows 11 to run slowly. Before getting into the subject, it is necessary to explain what we can consider as a PC with low RAM, and in this context it would be configurations that move between 4 GB and 6 GB of RAM.
Windows 11 comes with several preinstalled applications that load on startup and consume RAM. Disable them so that they do not load at startup, or force close of these if we have no other option can help us to free up a considerable amount of RAM which, in the end, could make a difference and significantly improve the performance of the computer.
We should not expect miracles, i.e., if you have a PC with 4 GB of RAM and your Windows 11 is running slow freeing up some RAM will not make the computer “come back” magically, but it can give you a little more fluidity. and allow you to work with it in a more comfortable way. It is something very simple and fast, so you don’t lose anything by trying it. These are the steps you have to follow:
- To disable applications that load at startup, press the Windows key, type “Task Manager” and enter the first result. Click on the “Startup” tab and then “right click > disable” on the applications you want to stop loading when you turn on the computer.
- To close applications go back into the “Task Manager” and in the. “Processes” tab. right-click on the applications you want to close. There are some applications that can consume quite a lot of RAM, even if they don’t look like it at first. For example, the Good Old Games help client already consumes 125 MB of RAM, the EPIC Games launcher consumes more than 100 MB of RAM, and the Steam launcher consumes about 50 MB of RAM.
6.-Use the high-performance power plan.
The power plan greatly affects the performance and usage experience, and may be responsible for Windows 11 running slow. In general, this operating system allows us to choose between a low power plan, a balanced power plan and a high performance power plan.. The first one is mainly intended to maximize autonomy in notebook computers, as it drastically reduces consumption but makes a big sacrifice in performance.
Using the balanced power plan achieves just that, looking for an average value that allows the equipment to offer good performance without triggering consumption, and with the high-performance plan consumption increases to its maximum values but in exchange we enjoy the highest possible performance.
On a desktop PC the best option is, except in very specific cases, to use the high performance power plan, and. on a laptop the ideal would be the balanced plan.except in extreme cases where the battery life should be maximized.
If you are using the “Economizer” (low consumption) plan, something as simple as switching to the high performance plan. will significantly improve the performance of your equipmentWe may not be able to completely eliminate the slowness, especially if we have a very modest PC, but we will notice the difference between one mode and the other, you can be sure of that. To change the power plan we only have to follow these steps:
- Press the Windows key and type “Edit Power Plan”.
- Enter the first result and go to the option. “Change Advanced Power Settings”.
- There you will be able to choose one of the default plans that we have indicated.
- You will also be able to create a customized plan choosing between different options, something interesting for more advanced users.
7.-Uninstall applications you don’t need.
This is a way to improve the performance of Windows 11 for two reasons. The first is that it is possible that, when forcing the closing of applications that consume resources in the foreground or background, they will start up again automaticallyeither to install an update that you didn’t know was scheduled or because they are designed to work that way. One of the best examples of this is antivirus software.
Remove those annoying applications, or that we no longer need, will allow us to free up the portion of resources that were consuming definitively. This has a double advantage as we have already pointed out above, and that is that on the one hand we free RAM, CPU and network (in some cases), which means that our equipment will have more resources available, and we also free storage capacity.
By freeing storage capacity we can get to significantly improve the performance of the equipment. if we had a full or nearly full drive. It is important to be clear that when a storage drive is almost full the overall system performance will be negatively affected, and that it is always advisable to have at least 10% of the total capacity of the drive free, whether it is an SSD or a hard disk.
So, for example, if you have a 1TB SSD. you should leave at least 100-120 GB free.. Also keep in mind that even if you think you are not doing anything that takes up space, games, applications and the operating system itself may periodically perform updates and these will eventually take up space.
On the other hand, the storage unit can work as a cache, occupying and freeing up space. depending on what we are doing at each moment. If it is full, it will not be able to work properly. You can delete applications directly with the classic “right click > delete”, or by following these steps:
- Press the Windows key and type “Add and Remove Programs”.
- Enter the first result.
- In the search box enter the name of what you want to delete.
- Click on the result you searched for and choose the “Delete” option.
- The removal process will be completed in a few seconds.
8.-Do a scan and get rid of the malware.
If none of the above has solved your problem and you notice that Windows 11 is slow, it is likely that the culprit is a malware infection. I know you are one of those who surf carefully and never enter where you should not or download dangerous things, but no matter how careful you are, you should be careful. there is always a risk of a security threat sneaking in, even a minor one.
The types of mild malwaresuch as classic adware and crawlers, do not represent an infection capable of compromising the integrity of your computer or the security of your data, but can consume resources and end up slowing down your computer.. The same is true, albeit on a different level, for viruses designed to use a portion of your computer’s power to mine cryptocurrencies. Yes, these types of threats have been put on the back burner, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
Never underestimate the weight of a malware infection on your computer’s performance, nor how stealthy they are. I remember the case of a friend who had adware sneak in so discreetly and so annoyingly that he came to think he had a temperature problem, and then thought it might be a hardware issue. It didn’t occur to him to do a security scan before all that because “he surfs carefully and knows where he’s going and what he’s doing”.
Windows 11 includes a fairly competent antivirus, Microsoft Defender, so you can use it to perform a security scan. looking for possible threats. Remember that if you use non-genuine software and if you frequently resort to cracks it is very likely that you will eventually run into an infection, even if it is of a minor nature. To run a scan press the Windows key, type “Windows Security”, enter the first result and you’re done.
You will also be able to schedule periodic scans, something that frankly I always recommend. If you are an average user that does not usually expose itself much it will be enough to make one analysis per week. On the other hand, if you are frequently exposed and surf, or download, risky things, the ideal is to do a scan every time you have been exposed.
9.-Windows 11 without frills: it deactivates effects and graphical improvements.
If you are trying to run Windows 11 with the minimum configuration we have already seen (dual-core CPU and 4 GB of RAM), it is clear that the slowness will be due to the lack of power and resources of your computer. Upgrading the RAM to 8 GB and mounting a more powerful CPU will allow you to notice a significant performance improvement, but if you can’t afford it don’t worry, there is another way to make it run a little faster, reduce the weight of the graphical interface.
As Windows 11 is a next-generation operating system, it comes with an improved graphical interface over Windows 10 and uses transparency effects and animations which, in the end, consume resources and can have a considerable impact on the performance of less powerful computers. If we disable all these graphical enhancements and leave a cleaner and simpler Windows 11 we will be giving up its “prettier” face, but in exchange we will enjoy better performance.
There are many things we can change at the interface level in Windows 11 to improve performance, so you can take your time and evaluate what you want to keep and what you are willing to give up. However, I I would recommend you to go directly for the best performance option if your PC fits the profile type we gave you at the beginning of this article, just in the first point.
Here’s how you can disable graphical effects and enhancements in Windows 11. to make it lighter and improve performance:
- Right click on the desktop and enter the “Display Settings” option.
- Now click on the bottom left, where it says “Accessibility”.
- Go to “Visual Effects”. There you can disable transparency effects and animations.
If this is not enough and you still notice that Windows 11 is slow try disabling all effects and animations. It is very easy just follow these steps:
- Press the Windows key and type “View Advanced System Settings”.
- Enter the first result and go to “Advanced Options > Performance > Settings”.
- Look under “Visual Effects” and choose the option. “Best Performance”.
You can reverse this process at any time so don’t worry, if you upgrade or upgrade the power of your computer you can make Windows 11 look its best again by selecting the “Tweak for Best Appearance” option.
10.-Disable “virtualization-based security” (VBS)
It is confirmed that the “virtualization-based security” (VBS) technology, present in Windows 11, can have a considerable impact on the operation of that operating system, and which particularly affects games.
This technology is part of the “Hypervisor-Enforced Code Integrity” (HVCI) layer, and represents. an important value in terms of security as it helps to protect the computer against malware. However, the cost it can have at a performance level is very large.and therefore disabling it can make a significant difference.
In doing so we are freeing up resources consumed by that technologyand we will have nothing to worry about, because Windows 11 will remain secure. This technology only makes sense in very specific cases, and it is especially indicated for professional users. This is how you can disable it:
- Press the Windows key and type “Core Isolation”.
- Enter the first result and disable the option that will appear.
- If nothing appears or you don’t have access, don’t worry, indicates that it is already disabled.
- Restart the computer for it to take effect and you are done.
11.-Uninstall antivirus and security programs.
Having installed several antivirus and various programs dedicated to reinforcing the security of your computer may seem like a good idea. Some users think that this is like having many security barriers and multiple layers of protection against malware and security threats, but in reality all you will have is a bunch of applications that may give rise to conflicts and bugs, and that they will be consuming resources for nothing.
Uninstall those antivirus and security programs. will free up valuable resources, and in addition can end sources of conflict which could also have an impact on system performance and stability. With this in mind it is clear that it is not a good idea to have several such solutions.
I give you an example, on more than one occasion, when running performance tests that come with pre-installed antivirus that require activation, I have experienced. occasional drops in performance when these spontaneously launch warnings to perform such activation by displaying a pop-up window.
On the other hand, some antivirus software may consume between 200 and 500 MB of RAM when they are active in the background. If you have several active ones you can imagine the huge and unnecessary RAM consumption they can accumulate, and the problem this represents on low resource computers.
To remove this type of security solutions and antivirus programs it is best to. go to the “Add and Remove Programs” section. Once inside we only have to look for the antivirus and the applications that we want to eliminate and that’s it. It is probable that once the uninstallation is completed you will be asked to restart the computer, do not worry, it is something totally normal.
Make a clean reinstallation of Windows 11.
If all of the above fails don’t worry, you still have an ace up your sleeve, reinstall Windows 11. In more than one case this may be the only viable solution, especially when we have suffered a malware infection that, despite having been solved, has left the computer touched, or when we have installed drivers that have left conflicts that have not been resolved. It is also common in cases in which we have made an inadequate use of the equipment and in the end Windows 11 has been affected.
Doing a reinstallation of Windows 11 is very simple, so much so that you can do the process from your PC and without having to use any USB drive. Of course, as the ideal is to opt for a clean reinstallation. you will first have to do a backup copy of all the data, files and contents that you do not want to lose. Once you have made that backup, follow these steps:
- Press the Windows key and type “Restore this PC”.
- Enter the first result and click start.
- Choose the option to delete all data and settings to do a clean reinstall.
- Start the local reinstallation process and let the computer do all the work automatically.
- Your PC will reboot, it’s totally normal, don’t panic.
- Once the process finishes you will have to reconfigure the Windows 11 startup options, and you will have to enter your Microsoft account or create a new one.
- Do not worry about the Windows 11 activation license, since you have performed a local reinstallation the system will keep the one you used in the previous installation.
