Optimize your PC for play by turning things off in the background.

Adjust cursor speed based on movement velocity (mouse acceleration). Most competitive gamers disable this for consistent aiming in FPS games. Requires restart.

Delay startup applications by 10 seconds after boot to improve initial system responsiveness. Windows becomes usable faster, but your startup apps take longer to load.

Allow apps to receive notifications, update data, and perform tasks even when not actively in use.

Automatically free up disk space by removing temporary files, emptying the recycle bin, and managing downloads.

Search your entire file system instead of only indexed locations. This provides more complete results but is significantly slower than indexed search and increases disk activity.

Allow Windows to compress wallpapers to save disk space and improve performance. Only affects images in JPEG format. Requires Explorer restart.

Add a brief delay before displaying menus, or show them instantly for faster navigation.

Show only traditional open windows in Alt+Tab instead of including Microsoft Edge tabs and other Windows suggestions.

Configure how Windows allocates CPU time between foreground applications and background services.

Minimize background task interference by allocating more CPU time to your active game or multimedia application.

Give games higher CPU scheduling priority to dedicate more processor time to your game.

Assign high-priority scheduling category to ensure games receive preferential system resource allocation.

Give games higher GPU scheduling priority to improve graphics performance and frame rates.

Let your GPU manage its own memory and scheduling for reduced latency and improved performance. Requires restart.

Reduce latency and use advanced features in compatible games by using DirectX flip presentation model.

Enable VRR (G-Sync/FreeSync) optimizations for smoother gameplay on compatible monitors. Disable only if experiencing issues with VRR displays.

Enable legacy NVIDIA image sharpening filter for enhanced visual clarity. Only works on older NVIDIA drivers; newer drivers should use NVIDIA Control Panel sharpening instead.

Allow Windows to optimize games running in fullscreen mode. Disabling can fix performance issues or stuttering in some older games that don't work well with borderless fullscreen optimization.

Enable visual effects managed by the Desktop Window Manager. Disabling may provide minor performance gains on older hardware but will break Aero effects.

Disable network packet throttling to reduce latency and improve online gaming responsiveness.

Batch small network packets together before sending to improve efficiency. Disabling reduces latency for real-time online gaming but may slightly increase bandwidth usage.

Record gameplay clips and take screenshots using the Xbox Game Bar overlay. Disabling reduces CPU/GPU usage and can improve frame rates.

Allow your Xbox/compatible controller to open Game Bar by pressing the Xbox button. Disable to prevent accidental Game Bar activation during gaming.

Show tips and hints about Game Bar features when opening the overlay. Disabling reduces distractions during gameplay.

Reduce the startup timeout for Windows services from 60 to 30 seconds. This can speed up boot time slightly.

Preload frequently used applications into RAM for faster launch times. Automatic is recommended for HDDs, Manual or Disabled is preferred for SSDs. Requires restart.

Preload frequently used applications and boot files into memory to speed up launches. Generally recommended for HDDs not SSDs. Requires SysMain to be enabled.

Indexes files and folders for faster search results. Disabling reduces background CPU and disk activity but makes Windows Search slower. Requires restart.

Manages print jobs sent to printers. If you don't use a printer, set to Manual or Disabled to free up system resources.

Sends usage data and diagnostics to Microsoft. Setting to Manual or Disabled reduces background network and CPU usage.

Monitors programs for compatibility issues and applies fixes automatically. Can be disabled if you don't run older software.

Collects and sends crash data and error reports to Microsoft. Disabling improves privacy and reduces background activity.

Provides location services for apps that request geographic position. Disable for privacy if location features aren't needed.

Controls the retail demo experience for store display PCs. Can be safely disabled on personal computers.

Provides infrastructure support for the Windows Insider Program. Disable if not participating in the Insider program.

Manages the telephony state on the device. Disable if you don't use phone integration features like Your Phone app.

Hosts objects used by clients of the wallet. Used for payment and NFC scenarios. Disable if not using Microsoft Pay.

Manages access to smart cards read by the computer. Disable if you don't use smart card authentication.

Creates software device nodes for all smart card readers accessible to a given session.

Allows the system to be configured to lock the desktop upon smart card removal.

Service for application access to downloaded maps. Disable if you don't use offline maps.

Enables you to send and receive faxes. Disable if you don't use fax functionality.

Shares Windows Media Player libraries to other networked players and media devices using UPnP.

Provides support for Windows Mixed Reality headsets and VR/AR applications. Disable if not using VR.

Provides the ability to share a cellular data connection with another device.

Routes messages based on rules to appropriate clients. Disable if not using SMS features.

Enforces parental controls for child accounts. Disable if not using Family Safety features.

Manages payments and Near Field Communication (NFC) based secure element.

Verifies potential file system corruptions.

Manages dial-up and virtual private network (VPN) connections. Keep enabled if you use VPN.

Creates a connection to a remote network whenever a program references a remote DNS or NetBIOS name.

Allows users to connect interactively to a remote computer. Disable if you don't use Remote Desktop.

Responsible for all Remote Desktop related configuration and session maintenance activities.

Allows the redirection of printers/drives/ports for RDP connections.

Transfers files in the background using idle network bandwidth. Required for Windows Update. Keep enabled for updates.

Provides authentication and authorization services for interacting with Xbox Live. Required for Xbox gaming features.

Syncs save data for Xbox Live enabled games. Disable if you don't use Xbox cloud saves.

Supports the Windows.Networking.XboxLive application programming interface. Required for Xbox Live multiplayer.

Enables client applications to capture, compare, manipulate, and store biometric data. Required for Windows Hello fingerprint/facial login.

Enables Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel pen and ink functionality. Disable if not using touch/pen input.

Monitors various sensors to expose data and adapt to system and user state. Handles ambient light, orientation sensors.

Delivers data from a variety of sensors.

Collects program compatibility telemetry for Windows upgrades. Works alongside the Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Service. Disable to reduce telemetry and background system activity.

Collects program telemetry information if opted-in to the Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program.

If the user has consented to participate in CEIP, this task collects and uploads Software Quality Metrics data to Microsoft.

Collects Universal Serial Bus related statistics and information about your machine and sends it to Microsoft.

Collects disk data used for diagnostics.

Collects feedback data and sends it to Microsoft for diagnostic purposes.

Downloads feedback scenarios from Microsoft servers.

Processes queued Windows Error Reporting reports and sends them to Microsoft.

Uploads Software Quality Metrics (SQM) data to Microsoft.

Backs up Malicious Software Removal Tool scan results.

Scans startup entries when a user logs on.

Updates the Program Compatibility Assistant patch database.

Updates downloaded offline maps.

Collects and uploads autochk SQM data if opted-in to CEIP.

Monitors and enforces Family Safety settings for child accounts.

Analyzes the system for conditions that may cause high power consumption.

Choose how Windows displays visual effects. Requires restart.

Enable animation effects for UI controls like checkboxes, radio buttons, and other interactive elements.

Show smooth animation when windows are minimized or maximized instead of instant transitions.

Enable smooth animations for taskbar buttons and thumbnail previews.

Allow hovering over the taskbar preview to peek at the desktop or window.

Show smooth fade or slide animation when menus appear instead of instantly popping up.

Show smooth fade or slide animation when tooltips appear.

Show a fade effect on menu items after they are clicked.

Cache taskbar thumbnail previews for faster display when hovering over taskbar buttons.

Display a shadow beneath the mouse cursor for better visibility.

Display drop shadows beneath windows for a 3D depth effect.

Display thumbnail previews of images, videos, and documents in File Explorer instead of generic icons.

Display a semi-transparent blue rectangle when selecting items with the mouse.

Display the full window content while dragging instead of just an outline.

Animate dropdown combo boxes with a sliding effect when opened.

Use ClearType or anti-aliasing to smooth font edges for better readability.

Enable smooth scrolling animations in list boxes and dropdown menus.

Display shadows under desktop icon text for better visibility against wallpapers.

Enable the Win+Ctrl+Enter keyboard shortcut to quickly launch Windows Narrator screen reader.

Enable the keyboard shortcut to activate StickyKeys by pressing the Shift key five times.

Enable the keyboard shortcut to activate FilterKeys by holding the right Shift key for 8 seconds.

Enable the keyboard shortcut to activate ToggleKeys by holding Num Lock for 5 seconds, which plays sounds when Caps/Num/Scroll Lock are pressed.

Enable the keyboard shortcut to activate MouseKeys, which allows using the numeric keypad to control the mouse pointer.

Enable the keyboard shortcut to activate High Contrast mode by pressing Left Alt + Left Shift + Print Screen.