Improve PC performance
Applies to: Windows 11
Last updated: September 18, 2026
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager. Sort by CPU or Memory and close an app that is stuck at the top and that you do not need.
- Open the Startup apps page in Task Manager and disable items you do not want at sign-in. Leave security software enabled.
- Restart once a day if the PC has been asleep for a long time. It clears drivers that never fully reset.
- Free disk space if the drive is nearly full. Windows gets sluggish when storage is almost gone.
- Install pending updates, then check the PC maker’s site only if a specific device still misbehaves.
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