Why Is Windows 11 So Slow?
For starters, know that a slow PC is a really common symptom. But it’s also very broad, and could mean anything from malfunctioning hardware to a software bug or even something totally unrelated like a poor internet connection. There’s not a single cause behind every slow computer. There are, however, several different reasons that 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 runningOne or more apps are hogging all the memoryYou’re running too low on free storage spaceThe OS or a device driver contains an unresolved bug.There’s an issue with your connection to the internetYour 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 shouldNothing works for several minutes after logging in to WindowsDelayed mouse or keyboard actionsChoppy audio or video streamingDownloads stall or web pages don’t fully finish loading
How to Fix Windows 11 Running Slow
Since there are so many potential reasons Windows 11 is slow, there are several angles from which to address it. Work through these tips in the order they’re listed so you can try out the simpler solutions first. 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. 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 be taking up so much storage that your hard drive is running too low on free space. Or, depending on where the files are, they might be clogging up one or more apps’ abilities to work normally and thus presenting as a slow computer. This is often the case with a web browser’s cache. If you have lots of programs trying to launch at once, you’ll feel the sluggishness each time your computer starts. Plus, if you don’t shut them down later, they’ll continue to hog up essential resources like memory and CPU. Windows 11 shows animations when opening and closing windows, but they can be turned off if they’re impacting 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 effects to disable from that screen). You can find that option by executing this command from Run (WIN+R) or Windows Search: 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 are slowing down Windows because they’re still running in the background. For example, there could be a worm or virus on your computer transmitting information over the internet or replicating itself through your file system. Similarly, your distance from the router could be the reason behind a weak Wi-Fi connection or other poor internet-related performance. Slow or stuttered video or audio streaming, for instance, could have less to do with Windows 11 and more to do with your internet connection. Not all computers can run Windows 11—see Can I Run Windows 11 on My Computer?—so you might not really have the necessary hardware. You’ll know this is the case if Windows is slow no matter which version is installed, and if performance doesn’t improve even right after a new installation and fresh drivers.
