Windows Sluggish
By Richard Rost
5 hours ago
Windows Super Slow After Update? Check This First.
In this video, we discuss what to do when your computer feels sluggish after a Windows update. I explain how a simple power mode change can dramatically affect system performance and show you how to check and adjust your power settings using the Windows Control Panel. We will also touch on other troubleshooting steps like checking Task Manager, updating graphics drivers, and running system repair tools such as SFC and DISM. The focus is on identifying the cause of Windows sluggish behavior after updates, particularly for users with laptops or systems that may have manufacturer performance modes.
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Keywords
TechHelp Windows, Windows update slow PC, sluggish after Windows update, Windows power mode, Lenovo Legion performance mode, Control Panel power options, Nvidia drivers, SFC scannow, DISM, processor power management, minimum processor state, manufacturer power software, disable automatic Windows updates
Intro In this video, we discuss what to do when your computer feels sluggish after a Windows update. I explain how a simple power mode change can dramatically affect system performance and show you how to check and adjust your power settings using the Windows Control Panel. We will also touch on other troubleshooting steps like checking Task Manager, updating graphics drivers, and running system repair tools such as SFC and DISM. The focus is on identifying the cause of Windows sluggish behavior after updates, particularly for users with laptops or systems that may have manufacturer performance modes.Transcript If your computer suddenly feels sluggish after a Windows update, do not panic just yet. It might not be your hardware, your drivers, or even Windows itself. For me, it turned out to be one tiny setting that got changed during the update, and it drove me absolutely nuts for almost an entire day.
Welcome to another TechHelp video brought to you by WindowsLearningZone.com. I am your instructor, Richard Rost.
This past weekend I installed a routine Windows update on my Lenovo Legion laptop, Windows 11, and almost immediately everything started feeling off. Not broken, not crashing, just sluggish. Honestly, that is worse because it is harder to diagnose. If something completely breaks, at least you know where to start, but when your system just feels weird, that is worse.
It is like stepping off the Enterprise Transporter pad and everything seems normal at first. Until you notice, Spock has a beard.
What I was experiencing was that PowerPoint was lagging whenever I moved things around on the screen. Microsoft Access forms felt slow opening and resizing. Excel had weird delays. When you hit Control-C to copy something and you get those little marching ants around the border, they did not appear for like a full second. Simple stuff just felt sticky.
You know your computer. You know when something does not feel right. I knew immediately something changed after the update.
So naturally, I started troubleshooting. The first thing I did was open Task Manager. CPU usage looked fine. Memory usage looked fine. Disk usage looked fine. Nothing obvious.
Then I thought maybe Windows messed with the graphics driver because, let us be honest, Windows updates and graphics drivers have had a complicated relationship since the Clinton administration. If there is one thing Windows updates love to do, it is randomly deciding your graphics driver needs improvement, whether you asked for help or not. Whenever Windows updates something and your system suddenly feels weird, graphics drivers are usually somewhere near the crime scene.
So I updated my Nvidia drivers, which is always a fun adventure. You click update, then it downloads, then it installs, then it says reboot, then it says optimizing, then it asks if you want GeForce Experience to control your entire life. Honestly, that helped a little bit. The system felt maybe 10 or 15 percent faster. But it still was not right.
Then I ran SFC /scannow and DISM to repair Windows system files. DISM stands for Deployment Image Servicing and Management. Basically, it is a Windows command line tool used to repair and service Windows system images. They are both good tools to run after a major update if Windows starts acting weird. If you would like to see some videos on SFC and DISM and all that fun command line repair stuff, post a comment down below and let me know. I will make some more videos on it.
But none of that fixed the actual problem.
The real problem was my power mode. Apparently, the Windows update switched my Lenovo Legion system into quiet mode. Quiet mode for laptops reduces CPU performance and GPU performance to keep the system cooler and quieter, which sounds great if you are trying to save battery life or you are working in a library. But I have always used laptops as my main workhorse machine. I am recording videos, editing videos, running databases, rendering graphics, multitasking all day long. This thing is not sitting quietly in a coffee shop checking email. This machine needs full power and it is always plugged in. I need warp drive, not a shuttlecraft.
As soon as I switched it back into performance mode, boom! Everything instantly felt normal again. Access was snappy, Excel responded instantly. PowerPoint was smooth. It was literally night and day.
Now the easiest way to get to the real power options, in my opinion, is not to use the new Windows settings screen. Microsoft has been trying to bury the old Control Panel for years for whatever reason, but a lot of the really useful advanced settings are still in Control Panel. The new Settings app is fine for basic stuff, but if you want the good old detailed power settings, Control Panel is still the better place to go.
So here is the easy way to get there. Click on your Start button and type in Control Panel. C-O-N-T-R-O-L, there it is. Click on Control Panel. Go to Hardware and Sound and then Power Options. This is what we are looking for.
Your screen might look a little different than mine depending on your manufacturer, your PC, whether you have a gaming system or a laptop or whatever, or what software might have come pre-installed on your machine. For example, Lenovo adds Legion power modes: you have performance mode, balance mode, quiet mode. Dell, ASUS, MSI, Alienware, all those manufacturers have their own versions too. What you are generally looking for though is some kind of performance mode, high performance mode, ultimate performance, turbo mode, or anything that basically says yes, I would like my computer to actually run fast today at warp speed.
What you do not want is quiet mode, eco mode, battery saver, whisper mode, save the penguins mode. Well, we do want to save the penguins, that is very important. But whatever they decide to call their low performance mode, that is what you do not want in this particular case.
In my case, when I came in here, my system had been set to Legion quiet mode and I am like, why would you do this to me? That was basically the problem.
You can also go a little further if you want, and I can do a deep dive on this in a future video. If you want to see more about this, post a comment down below.
If you click on Change plan settings, it takes you into this. You have "On battery" for laptops and "Plugged in." So turn off the display after 10 minutes. I am never on battery. I never take this laptop anywhere. It is always on my desk, so I do not worry about that. If you do, you can change this if you want to.
Plugged in, if I leave my desk, I want the display to turn off after an hour, but the computer to sleep never. It always stays active because sometimes I remote into it, like if I am traveling, and I do not want the machine to shut off.
Now, click on Advanced power settings and that will bring up this little guy. There are a lot of additional settings in here and you could go through all these. Again, I can do a deep dive on these in a future video. The one you are really looking for is Processor power management and you want to find the minimum processor state.
In other words, can the laptop or can your PC slow down your processor? Minimum processor state plugged in should be 100 percent so that the power management cannot intentionally slow your machine down on you. That is the big one.
There are a whole bunch of other fun little switches that can completely change how your computer behaves. I am not saying you should come in here and randomly start changing stuff unless you know what it does. You could start flipping switches like you are trying to launch a photon torpedo. If your computer suddenly feels slow after an update, this is definitely one of the places worth checking.
Different manufacturers have different software: Lenovo Legion, Dell Power Manager, ASUS Armory Crate, MSI Center, Alienware Command Center, and so on. A lot of gaming or performance PCs have manufacturer-specific power controls sitting on top of normal Windows power settings. Obviously, I cannot cover all of those unless you want to send me some free PCs, and then I will be happy to cover those for you.
This whole thing just reinforces what I have always said for years. I have been saying this in my videos: Update your computer regularly. You should install updates. Security patches are important. But I say that you should not let Windows or Microsoft Office or any software for that matter automatically install updates whenever it feels like it.
I like doing updates when I am ready, on my schedule. The worst thing in the world is sitting down on a Monday morning with a million things to do and all of a sudden your system is acting weird because Windows decided to update over the weekend, or whatever. No thanks.
I usually schedule updates when I know I have got downtime available - weekend mornings, late evenings, times when I can troubleshoot stuff if something goes sideways. I even like to spread things out sometimes. I will do my Windows update on one day, then an Office update the following week, graphics drivers another day. That way, if something breaks, I know exactly what caused it.
Just recently I did a Microsoft Office update and it broke one of my databases. I had to roll it back and it was just a pain. That is why I do stuff like that when I have time to do stuff like that. If I had done that on a day when I really needed to get some work done, it would not have been cool.
Unfortunately, Windows has a habit of installing an automatic update whether you want to or not. Microsoft is very big about pushing those automatic updates. If you would like to see me put together a video on how to disable automatic Windows updates, so you can run them manually on your schedule, post a comment down below and let me know. There are some tricks. It is not just as easy as flipping a switch. Sometimes Windows turns that back on for you. I hate that, but I will show you how to turn it off permanently.
So if your PC suddenly feels slow after a Windows update, first check Task Manager. Make sure some background process is not hogging CPU, memory, disk activity, or GPU resources. Sometimes Windows search indexing or updates are still running in the background after a reboot, so give it a little bit. After that, the next thing you should do is check your power settings and any manufacturer performance software.
Honestly, that is probably the last thing people think to look at. I did not think to look at it first. It took me a minute to go, wait a minute, let me check the power settings. I would have saved myself a few hours of troubleshooting if I had thought of this first.
After that, check your graphics drivers, update your Nvidia drivers if you have those. If things still seem weird, run SFC and DISM. Again, if you want to see a video on that, post a comment down below.
In my case, power mode was the entire problem.
Bottom line, your computer probably is not dying. Windows probably did not destroy your machine and you probably do not need to reinstall everything from your last backup just yet. Sometimes it is just one stupid little setting that messes everything up.
So what did we learn today? If Windows suddenly feels sluggish after an update, check your power mode before reinstalling drivers or tearing your hair out.
That is going to do it for your TechHelp video for today. I hope you learned something. Live long and prosper, my friends. I will see you next time.
Thanks for watching. You can watch my entire Microsoft Windows Beginner Level One course absolutely free on my website and on my YouTube channel. It is over an hour long and covers all the basics.
If you like Level One and want to learn more about Windows, visit my website at the link shown and you can get Level Two, which is another complete hour-long course for just one dollar. Level Two goes into a lot more depth and teaches you how to get the most out of Windows.
Visit my website today for more information.Quiz Q1. What was the main cause of the sluggishness on Richard's Lenovo Legion laptop after a Windows update?
A. The power mode was switched to quiet mode
B. The hard drive had failed
C. Windows corrupted the Office installation
D. A virus was installed during the update
Q2. What is the primary effect of "quiet mode" on a laptop?
A. Reduces CPU and GPU performance to save power and keep the system quiet
B. Increases performance for gaming applications
C. Maximizes internet speed
D. Disables all device sounds
Q3. When troubleshooting a slow computer after a Windows update, what is the FIRST thing Richard suggests you check?
A. Task Manager for high resource usage
B. Reinstall Windows
C. Check for viruses
D. Remove Microsoft Office
Q4. Why did updating the Nvidia graphics drivers only partially solve Richard's problem?
A. The real issue was with the power mode setting, not just the driver
B. The update introduced a different bug
C. The update disabled Wi-Fi drivers
D. Nvidia drivers have no effect on system performance
Q5. Which tool is recommended to fix potential system file problems after a Windows update?
A. SFC and DISM
B. WinRAR
C. Task Scheduler
D. Device Manager
Q6. According to Richard, where can you find the most detailed power settings in Windows?
A. Control Panel under Hardware and Sound, then Power Options
B. The Start Menu's Power button
C. Task Manager's Startup tab
D. Device Manager
Q7. What setting should the "minimum processor state" be on for optimal plugged-in performance?
A. 100 percent
B. 0 percent
C. 25 percent
D. 50 percent
Q8. What is one common reason manufacturers install their own power/performance software on new computers?
A. To provide advanced power and performance controls beyond Windows default options
B. To sell more advertising space
C. To automatically overclock the CPU by 200 percent
D. To restrict user access to Windows settings
Q9. What does Richard suggest about the timing of Windows and Office updates?
A. Schedule them when you have downtime, not automatically
B. Let Windows update whenever it wants
C. Never install updates at all
D. Only update before important work
Q10. If your PC feels slow after a Windows update and Task Manager shows normal usage, what should you check next?
A. Power settings and manufacturer performance software
B. Delete your system files
C. Remove programs from Startup
D. Disconnect from the internet
Q11. According to the video, why is it preferable for the user to schedule updates rather than letting Windows install them automatically?
A. It allows troubleshooting when problems occur
B. It speeds up every update
C. It prevents all updates from installing
D. It makes Windows run in safe mode
Q12. What does Richard imply is often overlooked but can cause significant performance issues on laptops, especially after updates?
A. Power mode settings
B. Disk defragmentation
C. Mouse pointer schemes
D. Screen resolution settings
Answers: 1-A; 2-A; 3-A; 4-A; 5-A; 6-A; 7-A; 8-A; 9-A; 10-A; 11-A; 12-A
DISCLAIMER: Quiz questions are AI generated. If you find any that are wrong, don't make sense, or aren't related to the video topic at hand, then please post a comment and let me know. Thanks.Summary Today's video from Windows Learning Zone is all about what to do when your computer starts feeling sluggish after a Windows update. If you have ever experienced your system running just a bit slower or acting strangely after updating, don't panic. In a lot of cases, the cause can be something as simple as a hidden setting that Windows changed during the update.
Recently, I installed a routine Windows update on my Lenovo Legion laptop, running Windows 11. Immediately, I noticed that things just felt off. The programs were not crashing or freezing, but they were slow and laggy. Anyone who uses their computer heavily will understand that this can be even more frustrating than a total failure because the cause is not obvious.
For example, I was seeing lag when moving things around in PowerPoint. Access forms opened and resized sluggishly. Excel had odd delays with things like the marching ants when copying data. The whole system just felt sticky. I could tell the instant something had changed.
I started troubleshooting by going to Task Manager. CPU, memory, and disk usage all looked normal. There weren't any obvious culprits. My next thought was that Windows had tampered with the graphics drivers. Historically, Windows updates and graphics drivers have not always gotten along, so I updated my Nvidia drivers. The install required a reboot and steps through the usual dialogues, and while it gave me a slight improvement, it did not solve the main problem.
Next, I ran SFC and DISM to check and repair Windows system files. These are handy command line tools to try after a major update if your system is acting strange. If you are interested, let me know and I can make some videos showing you exactly how to use SFC and DISM to keep Windows running smoothly.
Still, after all of this, the underlying problem remained.
The real issue turned out to be the Windows power mode. The update had set my Lenovo laptop to quiet mode. Quiet mode reduces CPU and GPU performance to keep systems cooler and quieter. That is great if you are trying to conserve battery or work in silence, but for a workhorse laptop that is always plugged in and used for demanding tasks, it is not what you want. I need my laptop at full performance, not crawling along to save battery life I never use.
Once I changed the setting back to performance mode, everything immediately returned to normal. Access, Excel, PowerPoint - all of them were fast and responsive again.
To adjust power options, I recommend using the classic Control Panel instead of the newer Settings app. Microsoft seems determined to bury the old Control Panel, but the advanced power settings you need are still there. In Control Panel, go to Hardware and Sound, then Power Options. Depending on your manufacturer and the pre-installed software, you may see different options like performance mode, balanced, quiet mode, or others. For Lenovo systems, there may be options like Legion performance, balance, or quiet, while Dell, ASUS, MSI, and Alienware have their own variations. What you are looking for is a mode called performance, high performance, or ultimate performance.
Avoid any settings labeled quiet mode, eco mode, battery saver, or whisper mode. Those are all designed to slow your machine down intentionally.
Beyond this, you can fine-tune your power plan by changing plan settings. For laptops, you will see options for "On battery" and "Plugged in." In my case, my laptop is always plugged in and rarely moved, so I set a generous display timeout and set the computer to never sleep. This is useful if you tend to remote into your machine and do not want it to go to sleep.
For more advanced settings, you can open the advanced power settings. There are many tweaks there, but the key one is under Processor power management. Look for the minimum processor state, and set plugged in to 100 percent so your system does not slow down your processor unnecessarily. Be cautious with other advanced options unless you know what they do.
Also keep in mind that many manufacturers include their own power control software, like Lenovo Legion, Dell Power Manager, ASUS Armory Crate, MSI Center, or Alienware Command Center. These can override or work alongside Windows power management, and can sometimes cause unexpected behavior after updates.
This entire experience reminded me why I always recommend doing updates on your schedule, not automatically. I install Windows and Office updates when I have time to troubleshoot, usually during downtime on weekends or evenings. That way, if something goes wrong, it does not interrupt my work. I also prefer to space out updates so it is easier to trace the source if a problem appears.
Automatic updates are still pushed strongly by Microsoft, but if you would like to learn how to disable them so you can update manually when you are ready, let me know. There are ways to turn them off, even though Windows does not always make it easy and sometimes tries to turn them back on for you.
In summary, if your PC suddenly feels slow after a Windows update, first check Task Manager for any resource hogs. Sometimes updates or indexing jobs are running in the background and just need time to finish. Then, check your power settings and any manufacturer-specific performance software installed with your system. This is an often-overlooked fix that usually solves the issue. Only after this should you look into updating graphics drivers or running repair tools like SFC and DISM.
For me, power mode was the sole culprit. You usually do not need to reinstall everything from a backup. Most often, it is just one small setting causing the headache.
Remember: if Windows suddenly feels sluggish after an update, check your power mode before going through the hassle of updating drivers or extensive troubleshooting.
You can find a complete video tutorial with step-by-step instructions on everything discussed here on my website at the link below. Live long and prosper, my friends.Topic List Diagnosing computer sluggishness after Windows updates
Troubleshooting using Task Manager
Updating graphics drivers after Windows updates
Using SFC and DISM to repair Windows system files
Identifying and correcting power mode changes
Accessing advanced power options via Control Panel
Choosing the correct power mode for performance
Configuring minimum processor state for maximum speed
Using manufacturer-specific power management tools
Scheduling updates to avoid productivity loss
Checking background processes after updates
Resetting performance mode for Lenovo Legion laptopsArticle If your computer suddenly feels sluggish after a Windows update, do not panic. It may not be your hardware, your drivers, or even Windows itself. In my case, after a routine Windows 11 update on my Lenovo Legion laptop, performance dropped noticeably. Programs like PowerPoint lagged when moving objects, Microsoft Access forms felt slow to open or resize, and actions like copying cells in Excel showed a clear delay. Everything just seemed sticky and slow, a frustrating experience because nothing was technically broken or crashing.
When you sense something is wrong with your computer after an update, the first logical step is to check the basics. Start with Task Manager by pressing Control-Shift-Escape or right-clicking the taskbar. Look at CPU usage, memory, disk, and GPU. If everything seems normal and nothing is hogging resources, the next possibility is a graphics driver issue. Windows updates and graphics drivers do not always play nicely together, and sometimes an update will change or roll back your graphics driver. If you have a dedicated graphics card, like Nvidia, it is a good idea to check for updates on the manufacturer's website. Download and install the latest drivers, then reboot if prompted. This might help, but even after updating my drivers, my system still did not feel right.
Another troubleshooting step is to repair Windows system files using tools built into Windows. Run SFC /scannow and DISM from a command prompt. SFC stands for System File Checker, while DISM is Deployment Image Servicing and Management. These tools try to fix corrupted or missing Windows files, which may resolve weirdness after an update. However, in my situation, these did not solve my problem either.
The actual fix turned out to be a power setting. Some Windows updates automatically change default power modes, especially on laptops or systems with special performance profiles. Many laptops and gaming computers from Lenovo, Dell, ASUS, MSI, and others offer different power or performance modes. For example, Lenovo has Legion power modes that include performance, balance, and quiet. Quiet mode reduces CPU and GPU speed to save power and keep the machine cool and silent. That sounds good for sitting in a coffee shop or working quietly in a library, but it is not ideal if you are always plugged in and need maximum performance.
After the update, my computer was set to quiet mode, which explained the sluggish performance. As soon as I switched it back to performance mode, everything returned to normal. Programs were snappy, windows opened and resized instantly, and Excel reacted without delay.
To check and adjust your power mode, open the classic Control Panel, which still contains more advanced options than the newer Settings app. Click the Start button, type "Control Panel," and open it. Go to Hardware and Sound, then Power Options. Depending on your manufacturer and model, you may see different options. Look for modes labeled High performance, Performance, Ultimate performance, Turbo, or anything similar. Avoid modes like Quiet, Eco, Battery saver, Whisper, or other names that indicate power saving or low performance. Sometimes manufacturers add custom options, so look for anything that signals maximum performance.
When in Power Options, you can choose your preferred plan. Click "Change plan settings" to adjust details like how long before the display turns off or the computer sleeps. If your device is always plugged in, set the "Plugged in" options for best convenience. Under "Change advanced power settings," you can dive deeper. Look for Processor power management, then Minimum processor state. If you want full performance when plugged in, set this to 100 percent, preventing Windows from throttling your CPU. Be cautious about changing other advanced options unless you understand them, as some can significantly change your PC's behavior.
Manufacturers often include their own utilities on top of Windows, like Lenovo Vantage or Legion, Dell Power Manager, ASUS Armory Crate, MSI Center, or Alienware Command Center. These may override or add to Windows power settings. Be sure to check both Windows Control Panel and any custom software from your manufacturer.
Keeping Windows and your drivers updated is important for security and stability. However, let updates run when you are ready and have time to deal with any unexpected issues. It is a good habit to schedule updates during downtime or when you can troubleshoot, rather than letting updates happen right before an important deadline. If you want to control or disable automatic updates, there are methods for that too, but be aware that Windows sometimes resets your settings back.
If your PC becomes sluggish after an update, start with Task Manager to rule out background programs or indexing. If everything looks normal, check power settings both in Windows and in your manufacturer's tools. This is often overlooked, but resolving your power profile can make an immediate difference. If needed, update drivers, especially graphics drivers, and try repairing Windows files with SFC and DISM.
Usually, sluggishness after a Windows update is not a sign of hardware failure or a serious problem. More often, it is due to a simple setting, commonly the power mode, being changed. Always check your power settings before assuming something more complicated is wrong. With a quick adjustment, you can often restore your PC's performance and get back to work.
If you want to learn more about using Windows or optimizing your system, there are free and paid resources available online. Keep exploring, and remember that knowing where to look can save you hours of frustration. |
