Windows 11 packs plenty of visual effects and background services that make the OS feel modern, but they also come with a cost. If your system feels slower, apps take longer to open, or your laptop’s fan keeps ramping up, some of these features might be the reason.
The good news is that Windows includes several optional features you can safely disable to boost performance without breaking core functionality. Whether you’re on a low-end laptop or just want your system to feel faster, turning off a few unnecessary extras can make a noticeable difference.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the top Windows features you should disable for better performance and smoother everyday use.
Top Windows Features to Disable for Better Performance
You don’t need any external apps—everything here uses built-in Windows settings. Just make sure you have administrator access because a few of these changes affect system-level features.
Below are the features that can safely be turned off to free up CPU power, RAM, and battery life.
1. Disable Startup Apps You Don’t Need
Startup apps slow down boot time and keep running in the background.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Go to the Startup apps tab.
- Disable apps you don’t want loading at startup.
- Restart your PC.
Apps like Discord, Teams, Steam, or cloud storage clients often auto-start unnecessarily.
2. Turn Off Visual Effects
Windows 11’s animations and transparency effects look great but consume extra resources.
- Open Settings.
- Go to Accessibility > Visual effects.
- Turn off:
- Transparency effects
- Animation effects
For an even bigger performance boost:
- Press Start, type sysdm.cpl, and open it.
- Go to Advanced > Performance > Settings.
- Select Adjust for best performance or manually disable specific animations.
This makes Windows feel faster and more responsive.
3. Disable Background Apps
Many apps keep running silently in the background.
- Open Settings.
- Go to Apps > Installed apps.
- Click the three-dot menu next to unnecessary apps.
- Choose Advanced options.
- Set Background apps permissions to Never.
This reduces CPU and RAM usage dramatically on low-end hardware.
4. Turn Off Notifications You Don’t Use
Notifications may seem harmless, but they constantly wake system processes.
- Open Settings.
- Go to System > Notifications.
- Disable notifications from apps that don’t need your attention.
This keeps your system calmer in the background.
5. Disable Windows Tips and Suggestions
Windows occasionally pushes suggestions and tips, which consume background resources.
- Open Settings.
- Go to System > Notifications.
- Scroll down and uncheck:
- Get tips and suggestions
- Suggest ways to get the most out of Windows
This reduces extra processes Microsoft runs in the background.
6. Turn Off Background Services Using Power Settings
Some background tasks run aggressively unless you adjust power settings.
- Open Settings.
- Go to System > Power & battery.
- Expand Power mode and choose Best performance.
This reduces power-saving checks and background balancing tasks.
7. Disable Optional Windows Features You Don’t Need
Certain Windows features run services even if you never use them.
- Press Start, type Windows Features, and open Turn Windows features on or off.
- Disable:
- Internet Explorer Mode (if unused)
- Windows Media Player (if you use other apps)
- Microsoft XPS Document Writer
- Work Folders Client
- Remote Differential Compression
Turn them off only if you know you don’t rely on these legacy features.
8. Disable Game Bar and Background Gaming Services
If you don’t game on your PC, these features just waste resources.
- Open Settings.
- Go to Gaming > Xbox Game Bar.
- Turn off Open Xbox Game Bar.
- Then go to Gaming > Captures.
- Turn off Record in the background.
Game DVR especially consumes CPU cycles even when you aren’t playing.
9. Turn Off VBS (Virtualization-Based Security) on Supported Systems
VBS enhances security but can reduce performance, especially in games.
- Open Windows Security.
- Go to Device security.
- Click Core isolation.
- Turn off Memory integrity.
- Restart your PC.
Microsoft enables this by default on newer systems, but disabling it can boost performance.
10. Disable Unnecessary Animation and Gestures on Touch Devices
If you’re on a touchscreen PC or 2-in-1:
- Open Settings.
- Go to Bluetooth & devices > Touch.
- Turn off gesture features you don’t use.
This reduces animation workload and touch-related background processes.
11. Disable Indexing on Low-End PCs
Windows Search indexing helps speed up search but can slow down weaker systems.
- Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
- Scroll down to Windows Search.
- Double-click it and set Startup type to Manual or Disabled.
If you rarely use search, disabling indexing frees up CPU cycles.
Wrapping Up
Windows 11 comes packed with modern visual effects and background services, but many of them aren’t essential for everyday use. By disabling a handful of these features, you can noticeably speed up your PC, reduce background CPU usage, improve battery life, and make Windows feel snappier overall.
If your system continues to feel slow, combining these tweaks with regular disk cleanup, update maintenance, and startup management will keep Windows performing at its best.
