Windows 11 Optimization Guide

After the standard installation of Windows 11, you'll be signed in to your Microsoft Account, giving you control over your experience within the operating system. To review the operating system version, follow these steps:

Search >> System Information

Within the top line, you will find the operating system and version you are running.

While this tutorial provides an overview of Windows 11 optimization steps, it's essential to note that it's focused on Windows 11 Professional Licensing. This falls within the Windows Licensing structure, which includes three broad tiers of services:

Home

Professional

Workstation

To simplify, we'll focus on features common to all three service levels.

Steps for Optimization
1. Name Your Computer
By default, Windows 11 names your computer as DESKTOP-#######, with a capitalized “DESKTOP” followed by a hyphen and a randomized combination of letters and numbers. To rename your computer manually:

Search >> View your PC name

2. Activation
Some may find working on a Windows desktop with an activation watermark uncomfortable. It's beneficial to activate your version of Windows 11 with a legal and non-pirated license. Activation unlocks the remaining functionality, such as changing the Windows desktop screensaver and customizing the appearance of the taskbar and color palettes. Follow these steps:

Search >> Activation settings

3. Defragment
Defragmentation is often overlooked but crucial. It helps optimize your hardware by consolidating scattered files, which improves load times for applications like web browsers. To defragment your drives:

Search >> Defragment and Optimize Drives

Navigate to the tool Optimize Drives and consolidate your files to increase performance.

4. Processor Core Selection
Improve your Windows machine’s performance by configuring the number of processors:

Search >> System Configuration

Click the Boot tab and then Advanced options. Select the Number of processors checkbox and configure the total number of processors you want to use.

5. Page Files
Optimize your virtual memory by letting it be “System managed”:

Search >> Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows

Navigate to the Advanced tab. Within the "Virtual memory" section, click Change. Ensure the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives checkbox is selected. Page files store frequently used files in convenient places for quick access.