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Windows 11 Running Slow After Update — How to Fix It

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A Windows 11 PC that becomes slow after an update is a common frustration — and it’s usually temporary. In most cases, Windows is still processing update-related tasks in the background and performance returns to normal within a few hours. If it doesn’t, these fixes will resolve it.

Wait and Restart First

Immediately after a Windows update, several background processes run — indexing, optimising drives, configuring new components. Performance can be noticeably slower for 30 minutes to a few hours. If the slowness appeared just after an update, restart your PC and give it another hour before troubleshooting further.

1. Check What’s Using Your Resources

Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and click the CPU and Disk columns to sort by usage. Common post-update culprits:

  • Windows Update (svchost.exe) — still downloading or installing additional components
  • Windows Search (SearchIndexer.exe) — rebuilding its index after the update
  • Antivirus — scanning new files introduced by the update

If any of these are high, wait for them to finish. They will complete on their own.

2. Roll Back the Update

If performance is severely degraded and doesn’t improve, rolling back the update restores the previous Windows version:

  1. Go to Settings → Windows Update → Update history
  2. Click Uninstall updates
  3. Find the most recent update and click Uninstall

For major feature updates (not monthly patches), you have a 10-day rollback window: go to Settings → System → Recovery → Go back. After 10 days, this option is removed.

3. Update Your Drivers

A Windows update can sometimes replace manufacturer drivers with older generic versions, which hurts performance — especially for graphics and storage. After a major update, check:

  • GPU driver — go to Nvidia/AMD/Intel’s website and install the latest
  • Chipset/storage driver — from your motherboard or laptop manufacturer’s website

4. Disable Startup Programs

Updates sometimes re-enable startup programs that were previously disabled. Check them again:

  1. Open Task Manager → Startup apps tab
  2. Disable anything with High or Medium startup impact that you don’t need

5. Run the Performance Troubleshooter

  1. Go to Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters
  2. Run Windows Store Apps and Search and Indexing troubleshooters if available

6. Reset the Windows Update Components

If updates are causing repeated slowness, corrupted update files may be the cause. Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
ren C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver

Restart after running these commands. Windows will recreate the update cache fresh.

7. Check for a Follow-Up Update

Microsoft often releases a follow-up patch within days of a problematic update. Go to Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates and install anything available. This frequently resolves performance issues introduced by the previous update.

Clean Up Temporary Files and Disc Space

Windows updates can leave behind old installation files, temporary downloads, and system restore points that take up considerable disc space. When your hard drive is running low on space — particularly below 10% free — Windows performance suffers noticeably because the system has nowhere to create temporary caches or virtual memory files. Cleaning up after an update often recovers gigabytes of space and noticeably improves responsiveness.

Start by checking how much free space you have:

  • Open File Explorer and right-click This PC
  • Select Properties to see your total free space
  • If below 20%, proceed with cleanup

Delete Windows Update Installation Files

After a successful update, Windows keeps a backup copy of the old installation for 10 days (the rollback period). Once you’re confident the update is stable, you can safely delete these old files:

  • Go to Settings → System → Storage
  • Click Temporary files
  • Tick Previous Windows installation(s) and Temporary files
  • Click Remove files

This single step alone often frees 10–20 GB after a major feature update.

Clean Temporary File Folders

Press Windows + R, type %temp%, and press Enter. Delete all files in this folder (Windows will automatically skip any files currently in use). This removes temporary application files and caches that accumulate over time and can cause slowdowns.

Run Disk Cleanup

For a more thorough clean, use Windows’ built-in Disk Cleanup utility:

  • Press Windows + R, type cleanmgr, and press Enter
  • Select your drive and tick all recommended options
  • Click Clean up system files for additional options including old Windows installations

Enable Storage Sense

To prevent this happening again, enable Storage Sense to automatically delete temporary files on a schedule:

  • Go to Settings → System → Storage
  • Toggle Storage Sense on
  • Choose how often to run (monthly is recommended)

After cleanup, restart your PC and monitor performance. Free disc space is one of the most overlooked performance factors — a simple cleanup often restores your system to normal speed.

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