How to Speed Up Windows 11 in Under 10 Minutes

Is your Windows 11 PC feeling a little sluggish lately? Don’t worry—you’re not alone. Over time, even the fastest laptops and desktops can slow down due to background apps, bloated startup programs, and unnecessary system settings.

The good news? You don’t need to be a tech wizard or spend hours tweaking your system. In this guide, I’ll show you how to speed up Windows 11 in under 10 minutes, using safe and effective steps that anyone can follow.

🕒 1. Disable Startup Programs (⏱️ 2 minutes)

Every time you turn on your PC, a bunch of programs may start running in the background—even if you don’t need them.

How to disable them:

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
Go to the Startup apps tab
Right-click and disable the ones you don’t need (e.g., Spotify, Skype, Teams)

🧠 Pro Tip: Keep antivirus and essential drivers enabled.

✨ 2. Turn Off Visual Effects (⏱️ 2 minutes)

Windows 11 looks beautiful—but those animations and shadows can slow things down.

To adjust performance settings:

Press Windows + S and search for “Performance”
Click “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows”
Choose “Adjust for best performance” or customize manually

🧹 3. Run Storage Cleanup (⏱️ 1 minute)

Temporary files, system cache, and leftover data can pile up quickly.

Quick clean-up:

Open Settings > System > Storage
Click “Temporary files”
Select junk files (like Downloads, cache, etc.) and hit Remove

📦 4. Uninstall Unused Apps (⏱️ 2 minutes)

If you haven’t used an app in months, it's probably time to let it go.

Steps:

Open Settings > Apps > Installed Apps
Sort by size or last used
Click the 3 dots next to any app → Uninstall

🔄 5. Restart Your PC (⏱️ 1 minute)

Yes, seriously. Many people put their PC to sleep for days, which can cause memory bloat. A fresh reboot clears RAM and speeds things up instantly.

💡 Bonus Tips (Optional but Helpful)

✅ Keep Windows updated: Settings > Windows Update
✅ Use a lightweight antivirus (like Microsoft Defender)
✅ Defragment your HDD (skip this for SSD)
✅ Upgrade to SSD if you're still using an HDD

🎯 Final Thoughts

Speeding up Windows 11 doesn’t require a tech degree or expensive software. With just 10 minutes (or less), you can breathe new life into your system—and get back to work (or gaming!) without frustration.

If this guide helped you, share it with a friend who needs it.

And don’t forget to check out my next post:

👉 Top Free Tools to Keep Your PC Running Like New in 2025