Slow Performance

Most slow-performance tickets resolve when startup programs are reduced and basic system maintenance is run.

• Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), go to the Startup tab, and disable any programs that don't need to launch at boot — this is the most common cause of long boot times.
• Restart the laptop fully (not sleep/hibernate) after making startup changes to see the immediate effect.
• Run Windows Update (Settings → Windows Update) to ensure the OS and drivers are current, as pending updates can cause background CPU/disk spikes.
• Check disk usage in Task Manager under the Performance tab. If disk usage is consistently at 100%, open Services (search services.msc) and disable SysMain (Superfetch) as a test — this is a common offender on older or slower drives.
• Run a quick malware scan using Windows Security (search Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Quick scan) to rule out background malicious processes.
• Free up disk space by opening Disk Cleanup (search cleanmgr), selecting the system drive, and clearing temporary files and old Windows update files. Aim to keep at least 15% of the drive free.

If none of these solve it, file a ticket and include: the Windows 11 version and build number (Settings → System → About), a screenshot of the Task Manager Startup tab, the type of storage drive if known (SSD vs. HDD), and approximately how long the slowness has been occurring.