Microsoft wants to fix ‘slow or sluggish’ performance in Windows 11

Ever since Windows 11 first debuted in October 2021, there have been complaints about its performance on certain types of hardware. Whether it was gaming on new hybrid performance CPUs showing no improvement on Windows 11, or claims that Windows 11 simply feels lethargic compared to Windows 10, Microsoft has tried to fix the problems with updates to the OS. Now, it wants direct feedback about “any slow or sluggish performance” in Windows 11.

A new test build of Windows 11 debuted on Friday with a method to automatically collect performance logs submitted to Microsoft. “Windows Insiders are encouraged to provide feedback when experiencing PC issues related to slow or sluggish performance, allowing Feedback Hub to automatically collect these logs, which will help us root cause issues faster,” says Microsoft.

This new logging system is part of Microsoft’s “commitment to improving Windows performance,” and will likely mean we see even more improvements to the performance and reliability side of the 25H2 update due later this year.

Microsoft already made some performance improvements to Windows 11 in 2023 to speed up the Taskbar, notifications area, and quick settings panel. The performance impact of startup apps was also reduced in 2023, and the 24H2 update last year also seemed to greatly improve performance on older hardware.

Microsoft is also looking to improve Windows drivers through new requirements that developers will need to follow for the 25H2 update later this year. It’s now requiring static analysis for driver certification, which should help “identify potential issues in driver code before deployment.”