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Whether you are writing a research paper, a master’s thesis, or organizing information-data, a fast laptop will greatly increase your output efficiency. A slow operating system will not only waste your time but also reduce your motivation to continue your projects. To that end, we have compiled a productivity guide that will significantly boost your Windows 11 Laptop’s performance.
Microsoft’s Windows 11 got mixed reception on its release; the operating system has improved a lot since then, but its stability still remains a concern for many users. With that said, Windows 11 has an array of new features in contrast to its predecessor OS and a whole new, eye-catching UI. To get the most out of your system and have a seamless working experience, you’ll have to ensure it’s always managing memory effectively and device resources are allocated to main-priority applications.
Focusing on battery performance is equally important when you’re speeding up your Windows 11, as more battery life means you can get a larger amount of work done even on the go. Academic work in particular will benefit a lot from eliminating unnecessary in-built features of the operating system that cater to activities such as gaming. However, that does not mean you can’t use your Windows device for entertainment and leisure; you will be able to do all of that while still making it more focused on work usage. Now, without further ado, here is the step-by-step guide.
Disable programs from running on startup
The first and foremost step in boosting your Windows 11 speed is reducing the startup load on your laptop. When you start your Windows device, it automatically runs several applications in the background, which slows down your computer. Disabling some of these unnecessary programs will reduce the time it takes for Windows to start.
To disable startup applications
- Select Windows icon on your taskbar, then select Settings, go to Apps, click on Startup on the left side of the screen.
- In the Startup section, you’ll see all the programs that automatically run when you boot your device, choose the programs you want to disable and set them to Off.
Many applications are designed to run when the computer starts up; this is to make sure they start quickly when you want to use them. These apps can include cloud services from Adobe, Microsoft’s OneDrive, or apps like Skype and Spotify. If you don’t use any of these programs frequently, it’s best to just disable them. In the Startup section, you’ll also be able to see how much each app impacts your computer when it starts up. The “Startup Impact” indicates how much that application will slow down your Windows 11.
Clean out your hard disk
It’s always a good idea to get rid of unnecessary files from your device as a clogged hard disk will slow down your PC and make it harder for you to manage crucial files. There are also temporary files that you need to periodically clear to eliminate every little thing that’s plays a role in slowing down your PC. Clear out old files in your Recycle bin, and files from your Download folders that you haven’t used in a while.
To delete temporary files and clean your hard disk
- Type disk cleanup in the Windows Search bar, and open Disk Cleanup from the results.
- Choose the drive you want to clean out and select OK.
- Now, choose the types of files you want to get rid and select OK.
Word processing apps tend to create a lot of temporary files to track your progress. In case, your application crashes or the power goes out, these temp files are used to restore your lost data. Temp files also serve as a medium to hold data while the main file is in creation; often, these files are left out in your system and become Junk files.
Using Internet also creates temporary files, especially if you are frequenting the same sites. Whether you are playing casino live online or offline games, the creation of temporary files in your system is inevitable. However, with the former, this may pose greater threats. As you delve into casino games, the last thing you would want is slowing down your PC performance, due to junk files. For this reason, eliminating temporary files before chasing wins is essential.
Fortunately, Windows 11 has a built-in tool called Storage Sense that solves this problem. As you delve into various games, be it poker, blackjack, or baccarat, Storage Sense will constantly monitor your device for unnecessary files and clean them out for you.
To enable Storage Sense
- Select Windows icon on your taskbar, then select Settings and click on Storage.
- Scroll down and select Storage Sense and move the toggle from Off to On.
Change visual effects of Windows
Windows 11 offers incredible user interface with fancy animations and colors, while all that appears incredibly appealing to the eye, turning the visual effects off can free up of your RAM. This is especially more effective on devices with small memory. Additionally, changing the appearance this way also helps in extending your laptop’s battery life.
To disable animations in Windows
- Head over to Search bar in the start menu, type performance then click on Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows from the results.
- Now, on the Visual Effects tab, select Adjust for best performance and Apply. In this tab you can also choose Custom option, where you can select and deselect specific effects.
- Restart your device to see the changes
Enable Efficiency Mode
Windows 11 introduced a redesigned task manager with a couple of interesting features, one of this is efficiency mode. The purpose of this feature is to reduce overall stress on your CPU, improve performance and extend battery life. Formerly known as Eco Mode, enabling this feature will allocate your computer resources to foreground tasks over background processes. Meaning the clock speed of top priority tasks will be significantly reduced.
To enable Efficiency Mode
- Type task manager in the Windows Search bar and open the application from the result list.
- Now, click on the CPU tab, this will rearrange the running apps by CPU usage in ascending order.
- Next, select the tasks that are using most of your CPU and click on the Efficiency mode option in the top-right corner
Note: In the task manager you’ll see that some processes are greyed out for Efficiency mode, this means these are key Windows tasks that can’t use this feature. Apps like Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome use Efficiency mode by default, this is indicated by the green leaf icon in the status column.
Final Words
Apart from everything mentioned above, a fast Windows device will always depend on how you use it. If you are a multitasker and still want the fastest speed possible, consider upgrading your RAM and getting SSD. Always make sure your device drivers and operating system are updated to their latest versions. Also, regularly run scans for adware and malware.