Several background processes are normal on Windows 11, with 60–90 typically running alongside system files. While some are essential, others can be managed to improve performance, especially on systems with limited RAM or older hardware.
Restart your PC to clear temporary memory and identify resource-heavy processes.
Close unused apps from the system tray (click the upward arrow on the taskbar) to stop background activity from apps like Discord, Chrome, or game launchers.
Disable startup apps via Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc → Startup tab) to prevent non-essential programs (e.g., Spotify, OneDrive, Origin) from launching automatically.
Turn off background app permissions for individual apps:
Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps
Select an app → Advanced options → Set Background apps permissions to Never
This prevents apps like Microsoft Store apps from running in the background when not in use.
Uninstall unused software via Control Panel or Settings to remove unnecessary background services and free up system resources.
Use Task Manager to end tasks (right-click → End task) only for non-system apps that are consuming excessive CPU, memory, or disk. Avoid ending critical Windows processes.
For advanced users, MSConfig (Win + R →msconfig) or Services.msc can disable non-Microsoft services, but proceed with caution to avoid system instability.
Prioritize prevention over reactive fixes—disabling startup apps and managing background permissions are the most effective, safe ways to reduce background load.
I just upgraded from Windows 10 to 11 and I've got 260 programs in the background, and it's really eating away my RAM and CPU. I want to know how I can turn them off.
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Is there a way to make Windows 11 run less background processes and make it lighter?
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Hi, good day! I'm Jerico T., I understand that you're having some issues right now, I'll do my best to help you with your concern.
The Clean Boot is the best way to close or disable applications/programs that are less needed for your computer to startup. Rest assured that it's safe and you don't have to reset your device, you just have to restart it.
Closing or disabling programs one by one might be risky because you might disable important background processes. You may refer to the link below for the complete definition of Clean Boot and for the step-by-step instructions on how to perform Clean Boot.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-t...
Please do let me know if you need any further assistance.
Hope this help. Have a good day.
Thank you,
Jerico T.
Thank you for your quick response. Clean boot is a troubleshooting method that will disable any third-party applications that are less needed for your computer. You can also select the applications that you only want to disable, same thing if you want to enable them again. If you don't want to perform clean boot, that's fine. We can try to check your startup programs by performing the steps below.
- Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC to open task manager.
- Click the Startup apps tab.
- Disable any apps that you don't want to start when you boot your computer.
- Restart your device.
Regards,
Jerico T.