Most laptops don't feel slow because the hardware is weak. They feel slow because of what Windows is doing in the background: apps launching at boot, a power plan tuned for battery, a nearly full drive, and animations you never asked for. The good news is that you can fix most of this from the Settings app in about fifteen minutes, without third-party "optimizer" tools.

Below are eight tweaks I apply to every Windows 11 laptop. The paths are for current Windows 11 builds (23H2/24H2). Some names vary slightly between versions.

1. Cut down startup apps

Every app that launches at sign-in adds time before your desktop is usable.

  1. Open Settings > Apps > Startup.
  2. Sort by Startup impact.
  3. Turn off anything you don't need the moment you log in, such as chat apps, game launchers, updaters and cloud tools you rarely use.

Leave security software and touchpad/audio utilities from your laptop maker enabled. For more detail, open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) > Startup apps, which shows the same list along with each app's publisher.

2. Pick the right power mode

Windows 11 often defaults to a balanced profile that throttles the CPU to save battery.

  1. Go to Settings > System > Power & battery (just Power on desktops).
  2. Under Power mode, choose Best performance when plugged in.

On recent builds you can set separate modes for Plugged in and On battery. A good everyday combo is "Best performance" plugged in and "Balanced" on battery. Many laptops also have a performance switch in the maker's own app (Lenovo Vantage, MyASUS, HP Omen/Command Center, etc.) that overrides this, so check there too.

3. Turn on Storage Sense

An SSD that is almost full gets noticeably slower, and Windows needs free space for updates and the page file.

  1. Open Settings > System > Storage.
  2. Turn on Storage Sense.
  3. Click Storage Sense to configure it: run it automatically and clean the Recycle Bin and Downloads on a schedule you are comfortable with.
  4. Back on the Storage page, open Cleanup recommendations to remove large old files, unused apps and leftover temporary files in one pass.

Aim to keep at least 15–20% of your system drive free.

4. Reduce visual effects

Animations and transparency look nice but cost a little responsiveness on lower-end laptops with integrated graphics.

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects.
  2. Turn off Transparency effects and Animation effects.

For finer control, press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl, then open Advanced > Performance > Settings. Choose Adjust for best performance, then re-enable Show thumbnails instead of icons and Smooth edges of screen fonts so things still look right.

5. Stop apps from running in the background

Some Store apps keep running after you close them.

  1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
  2. Click the ⋯ next to an app > Advanced options.
  3. Under Background apps permissions, choose Never, or Power optimized to let Windows decide.

This option only appears for Microsoft Store apps. For classic desktop apps, check the app's own settings for "run in background" or "close to tray" and turn it off.

6. Keep drivers and Windows updated

Outdated graphics, chipset and storage drivers are a common cause of stutter, poor battery life and sleep problems.

  1. Go to Settings > Windows Update and click Check for updates.
  2. Open Advanced options > Optional updates. Driver updates from your manufacturer often show up here.
  3. For graphics, get drivers from Intel, AMD or NVIDIA directly, or use your laptop maker's support app.

Skip generic "driver updater" utilities. They often install the wrong drivers and bundle adware.

7. Check what's actually using resources

Before you blame the hardware, look at what is running.

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. On the Processes tab, sort by CPU, Memory and Disk.
  3. End anything misbehaving, and uninstall software you don't recognise or need via Settings > Apps > Installed apps.

Bloatware preinstalled by the manufacturer, such as trial antivirus and promo apps, is a frequent culprit on new laptops.

8. Restart properly once in a while

Windows 11 uses Fast startup, so "Shut down" doesn't fully reset the system. If your laptop has been running for days and feels sluggish, use Start > Power > Restart instead. Restart clears memory leaks and finishes pending updates. Many users never really reboot, and this one habit fixes a surprising number of slowdowns.

Bonus: when software tweaks aren't enough

If your laptop still has a hard disk drive (HDD) or only 8 GB of RAM, the biggest upgrade is hardware. Moving to an SSD or adding RAM (if your model allows it) makes a far bigger difference than any setting. To check, go to Task Manager > Performance: it shows your disk type and installed memory.

Wrapping up

None of these tweaks are risky, and all of them can be undone from the same Settings pages. Start with startup apps, power mode and free storage. Those three alone make most everyday laptops feel noticeably snappier.

More step-by-step laptop and Windows 11 guides are on TechUSTime.