When I first installed Windows 11 (24H2), my system didn’t feel right.
Not broken… just slow.
- Boot time was longer than expected
- UI felt slightly laggy
- Disk usage randomly spiking
- Background activity even during gaming
At one point I seriously thought:
👉 “Should I just reinstall Windows?”
Instead, I tried something different.
I went step by step and cleaned everything properly.
After about an hour of real optimization:
👉 Boot time dropped from ~45 seconds to ~12 seconds
👉 Games loaded noticeably faster (around 20–30%)
👉 System felt smooth again
This is the exact process I still follow after every major Windows update.
🧹 Step 1: Disable Background Apps (Hidden Performance Drain)
Windows runs a lot of apps in the background that you never open.
To fix this:
- Go to Settings → Apps → Installed Apps
- Click the three dots → Advanced options
- Set Background app permissions → Never
Apps I disabled safely:
- Xbox apps
- Feedback Hub
- Maps
- News
👉 These apps still work when opened manually, but stop draining resources in the background.
🚀 Step 2: Remove Bloatware (Fastest Cleanup Method)
On a fresh install, I found apps like:
- Spotify
- TikTok
- Candy Crush
Not useful for performance.
Option 1 — Using Winget (Manual Method)
winget uninstall "Spotify"
winget uninstall "Cortana"
winget uninstall "Your Phone"
Option 2 — GUI Tool (Easier)
Use ThisIsWin11 (open-source tool)
- Removes unwanted apps
- Disables telemetry safely
⚠️ Don’t remove essential apps like:
- Microsoft Store
- Calculator
⚙️ Step 3: Reduce Visual Effects (Instant Snappiness)
Animations look nice, but they cost performance.
Go to:
System → About → Advanced system settings → Performance → Settings
Select:
👉 Adjust for best performance
Then re-enable only:
- Show thumbnails
- Smooth fonts
👉 This made UI feel instantly faster on my system.
🧠 Step 4: Disable Startup Programs (Huge Boot Improvement)
To fix:
- Open Task Manager → Startup Apps
-
Disable apps like:
- Discord
- Steam
- Teams
I personally keep:
- Windows Security
- Audio drivers
- OneDrive
👉 This alone reduced my boot time significantly.
🔋 Step 5: Optimize Power Plan (Very Important)
By default, Windows uses Balanced mode.
For better performance:
- Press Win + R → powercfg.cpl
-
Select:
- High Performance
- or Ultimate Performance
👉 On laptops:
- Use Balanced on battery
- High Performance when plugged in
🧰 Step 6: Manage Background Services (Advanced but Effective)
Some services run even when you don’t need them.
Open:
Win + R → services.msc
Set these to Manual/Disabled (if unused):
- Fax
- Print Spooler (if no printer)
- Remote Registry
- Xbox Services
⚠️ Do NOT disable:
- Windows Update
- Security Center
- Audio Services
👉 This reduces unnecessary CPU usage over time.
🧩 Step 7: Enable Storage Sense (Automatic Cleanup)
Instead of manually cleaning files:
- Go to Settings → System → Storage
- Turn ON Storage Sense
Set it to clean:
- Temporary files
- Recycle bin
👉 This keeps your system clean without effort.
🎮 Step 8: Optimize for Gaming (Important for FPS Stability)
Two quick settings:
- Game Mode → ON
- Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling (HAGS) → ON
These help:
- Reduce background interruptions
- Improve frame consistency
👉 Especially useful for mid-range GPUs.
🧼 Step 9: Update Drivers and BIOS (Stability Fix)
Outdated drivers can cause:
- Stutters
- Poor performance
- Power issues
Update:
- GPU drivers (Nvidia/AMD)
- Chipset drivers
- BIOS (from manufacturer site)
⚠️ Always backup before BIOS updates.
⚡ Step 10: Check for Malware or Resource Hogs
If your system still feels slow:
- Run Windows Security → Full Scan
- Open Task Manager → sort by CPU/Memory
👉 I once found RGB software using ~12% CPU constantly.
Small things like this matter.
📊 My Real Results (Before vs After)
| Area | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Boot time | ~45 sec | ~12 sec |
| UI responsiveness | Laggy | Smooth |
| Disk usage spikes | Frequent | Minimal |
| Game load time | Slow | ~20–30% faster |
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
From experience:
❌ Installing random “optimization tools”
❌ Disabling critical Windows services
❌ Copy-pasting registry tweaks blindly
❌ Trying everything at once
👉 Simple, controlled changes work best.
✅ My Personal Optimization Checklist
After every major update, I do this:
- Remove bloat apps
- Disable startup apps
- Reduce visual effects
- Set correct power plan
- Enable Game Mode + HAGS
- Update drivers
Takes ~30–60 minutes. Worth it every time.
💡 Final Thoughts
Windows 11 isn’t slow by design.
It’s just:
👉 Overloaded with background activity by default
Once you clean it properly:
👉 It becomes fast, stable, and predictable again
No reinstall needed.
🚀 If You Don’t Want to Do This Manually
These steps work, but they take time to test and apply correctly.
If you want everything optimized properly without trial and error:
👉 consider working with a professional PC optimization expert
https://www.fiverr.com/s/5rpZeWE