Windows 11: A Smoother Ride

For years, tech enthusiasts and IT professionals have touted the benefits of a “clean install” when an operating system upgrade rolls around or a PC starts to feel sluggish. It’s the digital equivalent of a spring cleaning, sweeping away accumulated clutter and giving your system a fresh start. However, Microsoft has been shedding more light on why, specifically with Windows 11, the practice might offer an even more significant, perhaps unexpected, boost to your PC’s performance and security from a pristine state: Smart App Control.

While the traditional advantages of a clean install-eliminating bloatware, resolving lingering software conflicts, and clearing out unnecessary files are well established contributors to a snappier system, the deeper performance implications in Windows 11 are more nuanced. It’s not just about what you remove, but also about what a fresh start enables.

How Smart App Control Works:

SAS utilizes Microsoft’s cloud-based intelligence and artificial intelligence to predict the safety of an application before it runs. It operates on a principal that could be loosely described as “guilty proven innocent” for unknown or untrusted applications:

Make Sure You Have the Latest Updates for Windows and Device Drivers

One of the best ways to get the most out of your PC is to make sure you have the latest version of Windows 11 installed. When you check for updates, your PC will also search for the latest device drivers, which can also help improve your PC’s performance.

To check for updates

Select the Start button, then select Settings> Windows Update > Check For Updates

Do one of the following:

If the status says “You’re up to date”, continue and check for optional updates.
If the status says “ Updates are available”, once they are downloaded, select Install now.

Select the updates you want to install, then select Install.
Restart your PC and see if it seems to run better.

Sometimes an optional update, like a non-critical driver, will be available that may help.

To check for Optional Updates

Select the Start button, then select Settings> Windows Update> Advanced options > Optional Updates.
If additional updates are available, then select them and then select Download & Install.
Restart your PC and see if it seems to run better.

2. Restart Your PC and Open Only the Apps You Need

Having many apps, programs, web browsers, and so on open at once can slow down your PC. Having a lot of browsers, and so on open at once can slow down quite a bit. If this is happening, close any apps, browser tabs, etc, that you don’t need and see if that helps speed up your PC. If it doesn't seem to help, restart your PC and then open just the apps, programs and browser windows you need.

To Restart your PC

Select the Start button, then select Power > Restart .
After your PC restarts, open just the apps you need, then close them when you’re done.

Sometimes apps that were made for an earlier version of Windows 11, but they may slow down your PC. If this happens after you open a certain program, check the software company’s website for an updated version, or run the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter.

To Run the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter

Select Search , type troubleshooting in the search box, then select Troubleshoot settings > other troubleshooters .
Under other, select the Run button next to Program Compatibility Troubleshooter.
Select the Program that you’re having problems with then select Next and continue through the troubleshooter.

3. Use ReadyBoost to Help Improve Performance

ReadyBoost lets you use a removable drive, like a USB flash drive, to improve your PC’s performance without opening your PC and adding more memory (RAM). To use ReadyBoost, you’ll need a USB flash drive or a memory card that has at least 500 MB free and a high data transfer rate.

To use ReadyBoost

Insert the USB flash drive into a USB port on your PC.
Select File Explorer from the taskbar.
Press and hold (or right-click) the USB flash drive (or SD card if you used one instead), then select Properties.
Select the ReadyBoost tab, then select Use this device.
Windows determines if the device can use ReadyBoost. If it can’t, it'll let you know.
After Windows determines how much free space to use to optimize memory, select OK to reserve this space so ReadyBoost can use it.

When you look at the contents of the USB flash drive in File Explorer, you’ll see a file named ReadyBoost.sfcache on the flash drive. This file shows how much space is reserved for ReadyBoost.

4.Make Sure the System is Managing the Page File Size

The paging file is an area on your hard disk that Windows uses like memory. There’s a setting in Windows 11 that manages the page file size automatically , which can help improve your PC’s performance.

To make sure automatic page file management is turned on

Select Search on the taskbar, type advanced system in the search box, and then select View advanced system settings, which has Control panel listed underneath it.
In System Properties, select the Advanced tab, then select Settings in the Performance area.
In Performance Options, select the Advanced tab, then select Change in the Virtual memory area.
Make sure the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives checkbox is selected. If it is, continue to the next tip. If it's not, select it and then restart your PC by selecting Start > Power > Restart .

5. Check For Low Disk Space and Free Up Space

You may improve performance if you free some disk space on your PC.

To Check for Low Disk Space

Select the Start button, then select Settings > System > Storage .

Your drives will be listed in the Storage area. Note the amount of free space and total size for each drive.

You can use Storage Sense to delete unnecessary or temporary files from your device, which can also free up space.

If you turn on Storage Sense, Windows will automatically free up space by getting rid of unnecessary files—including files in your recycle bin—when you're low on disk space or at intervals you specify. The instructions below show you how to delete temporary files and how to turn on and configure Storage Sense.

If you can't find Storage Sense on your device using the following steps, see the "Free up space with Disk cleanup" section below instead.

To Delete Temporary Files with Storage Sense

Open Settings , then select System > Storage.

Select Temporary files in the storage breakdown.
Windows will take a few moments to determine what files and apps are taking up the most space on your PC.
Select the items you want to delete, and then select Remove files.

To see what's in your Recycle Bin before you empty it, open it from your desktop. If you don't see the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop, in the search bar on the taskbar, type recycle bin, then select Recycle Bin from the list of results.

To turn on and configure Storage Sense

Open Settings, then select System > Storage Sense.

In the Storage Management area, turn on Storage Sense.
Select the > for Storage Sense to configure it.
Under Cleanup of temporary files, ensure Keep Windows running smoothly by automatically cleaning up temporary system and app files is checked.
Under Configure cleanup schedules, choose how often you want Storage Sense to run.
For the files you want Storage Sense to delete (your choices are files in your Recycle Bin and in your Downloads folder), select the preferred time intervals, or select Never if you want Storage Sense to leave those types of files alone.
Scroll down and select Run Storage Sense now.
Windows will take a few moments to clean up your files, and then you'll see a message indicating how much disk space has been freed up.

If your system doesn't have Storage Sense, you can use the Disk Cleanup tool to delete temporary files and system files from your device.

To run Disk Cleanup

Select Search , type disk cleanup, then select Disk Cleanup from the list of results.
Select the checkbox next to the type of files you want to delete. (To view a description of each type of file, select the name.) By default, Downloaded Program Files, Temporary Internet Files, and Thumbnails are selected. Be sure to clear those check boxes if you don't want to delete those files.
To free up even more space, select Clean up system files. Disk Cleanup will take a few moments to calculate the amount of space that a can be freed up.
Select the types of files you want to delete, select OK, then select Delete files in the confirmation window to start the cleanup.

If your PC still runs slowly, try uninstalling apps you don’t use anymore.

To Uninstall Apps You Don’t Use Anymore

Select the Start button, then select Settings > Apps > Installed apps .
Search for a specific app or sort them to see which ones are using the most space.
When you find an app to remove, select the More icon next to it and, if possible, select Uninstall.
Restart your PC and see if performance has improved.

If your PC still runs slowly, try moving files to another drive.

If you have photos, music, or other files that you want to keep but don't use often, consider saving them to removable media, like a USB drive. You'll still be able to use them when the drive is connected, but they won't take up space on your PC.

To move files to another drive

Connect the removable media to your PC.
Select File Explorer from the taskbar and find the files you want to move.
Select the files, then on the taskbar, select Cut .
Select your removable media from the location list, then select Paste .
When the move is complete, restart your PC and see if performance has improved.

6. Adjust the Appearance and Performance of Windows

Windows 11 includes many visual effects, such as animations and shadow effects. These look great, but they can also use additional system resources and can slow down your PC. This is especially true if you have a PC with a smaller amount of memory (RAM).

To adjust the visual effects in Windows

Select Search , type performance, then select Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows in the list of results.
On the Visual Effects tab, select Adjust for best performance > Apply.
Restart your PC and see if that speeds up your PC.

7. Pause OneDrive Syncing

Your PC settings let you choose where files will be saved by default. You can save files on your PC or to OneDrive by default and sync files between the two locations. This lets you get to your files from any device that can connect to the internet, and it helps make sure your files are backed up in case your PC is ever damaged or lost. However, files must sync between your PC and OneDrive, and syncing can slow down your PC. You can pause OneDrive syncing temporarily and see if it helps improve your PC performance.

To pause syncing to OneDrive

On the taskbar, look for OneDrive near the notification area.
Select OneDrive > Help & Settings > Pause syncing, and then choose how long you want to pause syncing your files.
Restart your PC and see if your performance issues have improved with syncing paused.
To resume syncing your files, select OneDrive > Help & Settings > Resume syncing.

8. Disable Unnecessary Startup Programs

When you turn on your PC, some programs start automatically and run in the background. You can disable these programs so they don’t run when your PC starts.

Many programs are designed to start automatically when Windows does. You don’t realize they're running, but they'll open quickly when you go to use them. This is helpful for programs you use a lot, but not for programs you don’t use often because it increases the time it takes Windows to start.

Find the programs that start automatically

Sometimes you can determine which programs start automatically by looking at the program icons in the notification area on the far right of the taskbar. Check there first to see if there are any programs running that you don’t want to start automatically. To try to find out the name of the program, point to the icon with your mouse pointer. Make sure you select Show hidden icons , so you don’t miss any programs.

Even after you check the notification area, you might still miss some programs that run automatically at startup. Here’s how you can find all the programs that start automatically, and stop the ones that you don’t want to start automatically when Windows starts.

To stop a program from starting automatically

Select the Start button, then select Settings > Apps > Startup .
In the Startup Apps area, find the program you want to stop from starting automatically and set it to Off.

9. Check for And Remove Viruses and Malware

A virus, malware, or malicious software could cause your PC to run slowly. Other symptoms include unexpected pop-up messages, programs that unexpectedly start automatically, or the sound of your hard disk constantly working.

The best way to handle viruses and malicious software is to try to prevent them by running antimalware and antivirus software and keeping it up to date. However, even if you take precautions, your PC can still become infected.

You can scan your PC for viruses or other malicious software by using Windows Security (formerly Windows Defender Security Center), which is included in Windows 11. For more info, see How to protect your Windows PC

To scan for viruses using Windows Security

Select Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security , and then select Open Windows Security.
Select Virus & threat protection, then select Protection updates under Virus & threat protection updates.
On the Protection updates screen, select Check for updates to make sure you have the most recent updates.
Select Virus & threat protection, then select Quick scan.

Wait for Windows Security to finish scanning for viruses and malware.
Do one of the following, depending on the results of the scan:

Run the recommended advanced scan. This scan takes longer but searches more extensively for threats on your PC.
If Windows Security finds a virus or malware and can’t remove or quarantine it, contact Microsoft Support for help.
If no viruses are found, restart your PC and try to reproduce the performance problem you were having with your PC.

To scan for malware and viruses with Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan)

Save any documents or anything else you might have open on your PC.
Select Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security , and then select Open Windows Security.
Select Virus & threat protection, and then under Current threats, select Scan options > Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) > Scan now.

Your PC will restart, and Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) will run and scan for viruses and malware. The scan might take 15 minutes or so, and your PC will restart again after that.
Try to reproduce the performance issue.

10. Restore Your PC from a System Restore Point

Restoring your PC undoes recent changes that might be causing problems. If you think a recently installed app, driver, or update for Windows could be causing problems, you might get things running normally again by restoring your PC to an earlier point, called a restore point.

To restore your PC from a restore point

Select Search on the taskbar, type advanced system, then select View advanced system settings from the list of results.
On the System Protection tab, select System Restore.
Select Recommended restore to go with the most recent restore point Windows has made automatically, or Choose a different restore point to select one yourself, then select Next.
If you chose to select a different restore point, select one, then select Next. Either way, select Finish to begin restoring.
Once the restore is completed, restart your PC and see if performance has improved.

If you don’t see any restore points, it might be because system protection isn’t turned on.

To turn on system protection

In the search box on the taskbar, type create a restore point, then select Create a restore point from the list of results.
On the System Protection tab, select Configure.
Select Turn on system protection > OK.

Microsoft Unveils an Unexpected Path to Peak PC Performance: The Windows 11 Clean Install

For years, tech enthusiasts and IT professionals have touted the benefits of a "clean install" when an operating system upgrade rolls around or a PC starts to feel sluggish. It's the digital equivalent of a spring cleaning, sweeping away accumulated clutter and giving your system a fresh start. However, Microsoft has been shedding more light on why, specifically with Windows 11, this practice might offer an even more significant, perhaps unexpected, boost to your PC's performance and security posture, primarily hinging on a feature best enabled from a pristine state: Smart App Control.

While the traditional advantages of a clean install – eliminating bloatware, resolving lingering software conflicts, and clearing out unnecessary files – are well-established contributors to a snappier system, the deeper performance implications in Windows 11 are more nuanced. It's not just about what you remove, but also about what a fresh start enables.

The "Unexpected" Boost: Enter Smart App Control

At the heart of this renewed emphasis on clean installations for performance is Smart App Control (SAC), a security feature introduced in Windows 11 version 22H2. Unlike traditional antivirus software that often relies heavily on known signature databases and can sometimes be resource-intensive, Smart App Control offers a more proactive and potentially lighter approach to security.

How Smart App Control Works:

SAC utilizes Microsoft's cloud-based intelligence and artificial intelligence to predict the safety of an application before it runs. It operates on a principle that could be loosely described as "guilty until proven innocent" for unknown or untrusted applications:

Cloud-Powered Prediction: When you attempt to run an application, SAC first checks with Microsoft's intelligent security service. If the service confidently deems the app safe, it's allowed to run.
Malicious or Potentially Unwanted: If the app is identified as malicious or a "Potentially Unwanted App" (PUA) – software that might cause slowdowns, display unexpected ads, or offer extra unwanted software – SAC blocks it.
Signature Check for the Unknown: If the cloud service cannot make a confident prediction (perhaps it's a new or niche application), SAC then checks if the app has a valid digital signature from a reputable publisher. Signed apps are generally allowed.
Blocking the Untrusted: If an app lacks a confident safety prediction and is unsigned or has an invalid signature, SAC considers it untrusted and blocks it by default.

The Performance Angle of Smart App Control:

The "unexpected" performance benefit comes from a couple of aspects related to SAC:

Lighter Footprint (Potentially): Microsoft suggests that SAC, by being deeply integrated and leveraging cloud intelligence, can have a lighter impact on system resources compared to some traditional third-party antivirus solutions that might be running numerous background processes or performing heavy local scans. By proactively blocking untrusted apps, it can prevent resource-hogging malware or PUAs from ever taking root and slowing down your PC.
Preventing Performance Degradation: Malware and PUAs are notorious for consuming CPU cycles, memory, and disk I/O, leading to a sluggish user experience. By being more stringent about what gets to run, SAC aims to keep the system cleaner and performing optimally for longer.

Why a Clean Install is Key for Smart App Control

Crucially, Microsoft has designed Smart App Control to be most effective and reliably enabled on a clean installation of Windows 11 (version 22H2 or later). There's a specific reason for this:

Starting from a Known Good State: To ensure its integrity and effectiveness, SAC needs to start its work on a system that is presumed to be free of pre-existing malware or untrusted applications. An upgraded system might already have such software lurking, which could interfere with SAC's evaluation mode or its ability to provide maximum protection.
Evaluation Mode: On a fresh install, SAC typically starts in an "evaluation mode." During this period, it observes the types of applications you use to determine if you're a "good candidate" for SAC without being overly intrusive. If it determines that SAC would frequently block legitimate (though perhaps unsigned or niche) software crucial to your workflow (e.g., for some developers or power users), it might automatically turn itself off. Once SAC is turned off (either automatically or manually), it cannot be re-enabled without a PC reset or another clean Windows 11 installation.

This clean install dependency is what makes the performance and security benefits of SAC an "unexpected" outcome of an old best practice for many users who might not be aware of this specific feature.

The Enduring Wisdom of the Clean Slate

Beyond Smart App Control, a clean Windows 11 installation continues to offer the classic performance advantages:

No Upgrade Baggage: Upgrading an OS can sometimes bring along old drivers, registry entries, and remnants of uninstalled applications from the previous system, potentially leading to instability or slowdowns. A clean install ensures none of this digital detritus is carried over.
Bloatware Begone: Many new PCs come with pre-installed third-party software (bloatware) that can consume resources and clutter the system. A clean install using a standard Windows 11 image from Microsoft ensures you start with only the essential components.
Resetting System Health: Over time, systems can develop minor issues, corrupted files, or misconfigurations that collectively degrade performance. A clean install acts as a hard reset, often resolving these underlying problems.
Optimized Default Settings: A fresh installation ensures that Windows 11 is set up with its default, optimized settings for the detected hardware, which can sometimes be more efficient than settings carried over from an older OS.

Is a Clean Install Right for You? The Balanced View

While the prospect of a faster, more secure PC is alluring, a clean install isn't a trivial undertaking. It involves:

Backing Up Data: All your personal files, documents, photos, and other data on the system drive will be erased. A thorough backup to an external drive or cloud storage is essential.
Reinstalling Applications: You'll need to reinstall all your applications, from productivity suites to games and specialized software. This can be time-consuming, and you'll need your license keys and installation media.
Reconfiguring Settings: Personalization settings, application preferences, and system configurations will need to be redone.

Consider a clean install if:

Your PC feels significantly slower than it used to, even after regular maintenance.
You're experiencing inexplicable crashes, errors, or buggy behavior.
You want to take full advantage of features like Smart App Control for enhanced security and potentially smoother performance.
You're upgrading to a major new version of Windows 11 or moving to a new SSD.
You've recently removed a significant malware infection and want to ensure the system is truly clean.

However, if your system is running smoothly and you're comfortable with your current setup, the benefits might not outweigh the effort.

Microsoft's subtle highlighting of features like Smart App Control, which flourish best under a clean install, adds another compelling reason to consider this thorough approach. It’s no longer just about reclaiming lost speed by jettisoning digital junk; it's also about enabling a more modern, potentially more efficient, security architecture that can contribute to sustained performance.

If you're looking to maximize your Windows 11 experience, especially from a performance and security standpoint, a clean install, while requiring effort, might be the most unexpectedly effective path to a truly revitalized PC.

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