10 Steps to optimise Windows 11 for speed and privacy.

Windows 11: The shiny surface and what lies beneath

Windows 11 initially captivates with its polished, contemporary look. Its streamlined interface, centered Start menu, soft-rounded edges, and fluid animations mark a clear aesthetic leap from earlier Microsoft operating systems. However, once you dive deeper, it feels less like a straightforward tool and more like moving into a stylish new apartment, only to find the landlord has plastered promotional flyers on every wall, installed a surveillance camera, and locked the thermostat to their preferred settings. The message is unmistakable: this robust system has preset configurations that affect performance, privacy, and usability unless you deliberately adjust them.

If you are installing Windows 11 for work or personal use and you want your PC to be faster, quieter, more private and free of unwanted bloat, then you should perform a series of immediate adjustments. By disabling ten features that many users tolerate unknowingly, you gain responsiveness, fewer interruptions, less background resource drain and a cleaner overall experience. The remainder of this article walks you through those first ten things you should disable, explaining why each one matters and how to take action.

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1. Disable startup apps

One of the most effective changes you can make is to disable unwanted startup apps. Every time your PC boots and you log in, a collection of programmes is loaded, some of which you probably do not need. Apps such as chat tools, gaming services, drive-syncing utilities and other vendor-installed software may be set to start automatically.

That means they consume RAM, CPU cycles and increase boot time. Technical guidance from Microsoft and other sources confirm: pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager, navigating to the Startup tab and disabling unwanted entries will improve boot time and free resources.

Do a careful audit of what launches at startup: if you’re using a work laptop and see an Xbox service set to run at 7 a.m., you can disable that. The fewer unnecessary services running in the background, the better your system will perform and the more predictable your PC will behave.

2. Turn off notifications and tips

Windows 11 is built to favour engagement and suggestion. For many users this means frequent pop-ups saying “Did you know Windows can…” or “Try this feature…” These interruptions can degrade the sense of a clean workspace and distract you from the task at hand.

Fortunately, you can turn them off. In Settings → System → Notifications, you can review which apps are allowed to send notifications and you can also disable notifications altogether at the top of the menu. Microsoft’s support community and independent tutorials show how to suppress the “Get tips and suggestions when using Windows” setting.

By switching off the unsolicited tips and suggestions you restore the system to a mode where you decide when you want to engage with new features, rather than the operating system deciding for you.

3. Stop apps running in the background

Another drain on resources and potential privacy intrusion comes from apps that continue to run in the background even when you are not using them. Some pre-installed utilities or workload management tools remain active, consuming CPU time, memory and battery power, without you realising. To address this, go to Settings → Apps → Installed Apps (or Apps & features), click the three-dots beside each app and choose Advanced options. Under “Background apps permissions” select “Never” for those you do not want to run when idle.

In addition, if you use a Chromium-based browser (such as Google Chrome), you can further reduce lingering memory usage by opening Chrome’s menu, selecting Settings → System, and turning off “Continue running background apps when Chrome is closed”. This ensures the browser really closes and stops consuming memory opportunistically.

4. Stop online search suggestions in the Start menu

Windows 11’s search bar is configured by default to send your local search queries through Microsoft’s cloud service (Bing). While this might help Microsoft accumulate usage data and deliver targeted suggestions, it undermines local search privacy and may slow down your experience if you just want to find a file or app on your machine.

You can disable this by editing the registry: run Win + R, type regedit, then navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer. If the key “Explorer” doesn’t exist you must create it, then create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named DisableSearchBoxSuggestions and set it to 1. Reboot for the change to take effect.

This tweak ensures that your search stays local and does not feed into cloud suggestions or advertising. It is worth doing if you value a leaner and more private PC.

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5. Turn off Widgets, news and interest features

The Widgets panel in Windows 11 is Microsoft’s vehicle for delivering news, ads and personalised content into your left-side panel and taskbar. If you prefer a distraction-free environment and do not need a constant feed of headlines or promoted content, you can disable it. Head into Settings → Personalisation → Taskbar, then locate the Widgets toggle and turn it off. This removes the “news and interests” style layout and keeps your taskbar clean.

By doing so you eliminate one more gateway for advertising and reduce the risk of unsolicited content pulling your attention away from productive work.

6. Review and disable unneeded services

Beneath the settings menus, Windows runs many background services. Some are essential, others not so much. While you should not indiscriminately disable system services (as that may compromise stability), reviewing which services start automatically and whether they are necessary for your workflow can help.

Use the Services application (type “services.msc” in the Start menu) and examine the “Startup Type” values. Services related to gaming platforms, redundant update agents, or vendor-specific telemetry may be set to automatic when you would prefer manual or disabled. Exercise caution: research each service before disabling.

By auditing your services you further refine your PC’s behaviour, ensure fewer unseen processes, and reduce memory/CPU overhead.

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7. Remove adverts and promotions baked into the system

Here we reach a key point: Windows 11 incorporates integrated adverts, promotional content and suggestions throughout the system, from the lock screen and Start menu to File Explorer and the Settings app itself.

These components are designed to drive engagement with Microsoft’s ecosystem and partner services. According to independent reviews, you can disable many of these elements by turning off suggestions in the settings, blocking the advertising ID, and removing promotional messages in File Explorer.

For example, in Settings → Personalisation → Lock screen, you may set the background to “Picture” rather than “Windows spotlight” to avoid suggestion-based content. In the Settings app itself, turn off “Show suggestions for what you can do” and similar options. By doing so you reclaim your PC from being a marketing channel.

8. Clean up or uninstall unnecessary built-in apps

Windows 11 ships with several apps you may never use: games, social platforms, vendor stores and more. If these are sitting idle, they consume storage space, may run background tasks and clutter your system.

You can remove or disable them via Settings → Apps → Apps & features, then select the unwanted app and choose uninstall or disable. For apps that cannot be uninstalled via the UI, you may use PowerShell commands (e.g., Get-AppxPackage *appname* | Remove-AppxPackage) but make sure you understand the consequences.

A cleaner application footprint means faster system updates, fewer background tasks and less overhead when you use your computer for work, creativity or leisure.