Windows 11 Running Slow? Here's How to Improve SSD Performance

Though solid-state drives (SSDs) are meant to be fast, even they have things that can slow them down. Here is a list of the best ways to optimize the speed of SSDs running on Windows 11.

Windows 11 is bundled with a plethora of exciting new updates, including and especially related to that of low-level security, that truly revolutionizes the operating system (OS). Unfortunately, the upgrade process from prior versions is still a headache as of early 2022, and many users have expressed concern that their SSDs have performed poorly since getting 11.

In response to the early-adopter community, Microsoft has since released a patch to remedy the slow performance. If these issues have plagued your system in a similar way, it will serve to benefit to implement several of the below performance-boosting fixes.

Windows Update

Ever since Windows 11 was released, there has been a slew of complaints from users regarding the performance of Non-Volatile Memory Host Controller Interface Specification (NVMe) SSDs. The introduction of the KB5007262 update to Windows 11 was created to solve this problem.

As this update was made available for download for all Windows machines near the end of 2021, you may or may not have this installed already. Before moving on to the next recommended step, try checking your Windows Update history.

If you find that you do NOT have it installed, here is the best way to download the patch:

1. Open the Windows Start menu, type in and search for Settings.

   
   

2. From the sidebar, select Windows Update.

   
   

3. In the new window, select the option Check for Updates. After the program fetches any new changes, confirm that the update KB5007262 is successfully installed. If not, Windows 11 will automatically install it.

   
   

4. Ensure you restart your system (Restart now) for the necessary changes to take effect.

   
   

Sometimes updates such as KB5007262 are not received automatically. If this is the case, you will need to download it manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Ensure that you download the x64 version.

Disable Unnecessary Startup Programs

Windows has always loved to overload user systems with a bunch of applications that, while often incredibly useful, have no need to be a part of the OS’s startup process. Startup programs open in addition to all the essentials necessary for a system to function upon turning on a computer. Too many of them slow down your SSD and significantly affect performance.

If you already have the aforementioned patch installed, several other elements may need to be tweaked to get the SSD(s) performing well again.

To disable additional startup programs, right-click on the Windows Start Menu and select Task Manager. Then, select the tab entitled Startup, and quickly disable everything that is not absolutely necessary. Several examples that come bundled with the OS include Teams and OneNote.

Use Fast Startup

Fast Startup is an extremely convenient and nifty little feature made available in the system’s Power Options. This allows your PC to start much faster upon shutting down.

To boost the performance of SSD(s) and enable Fast Startup for Windows 11:

1. Open the Windows Start Menu, and search for and open Control Panel.

   
   

2. Within Control Panel, select Hardware and Sound, click on Power Options, then Choose what the power button does.

   
   

3. Select the option that says Change settings that are currently unavailable.

   
   

4. Ensure the checkbox for Turn on fast startup is enabled under the Shutdown settings.

   
   

5. Lastly, click on Save Changes to ensure the changes take effect.

Also published on: https://arbiterwriting.medium.com/how-to-improve-windows-11-ssd-performance-78bab81cc35

Lead image by Andrii Atanov | Source: iStock