It’s common for a laptop to feel slow for a while after a Windows update, and it’s usually temporary. Here’s how to tell whether it’ll sort itself out or whether the update caused a real problem, and how to fix it.
In this article
First, give it time (it may be normal)
After a big update, especially a feature update like Windows 11 25H2, Windows spends hours doing background work: rebuilding the search index, optimising apps, finishing installs, and running Defender scans. Leave the laptop plugged in and switched on for an hour or two, then restart. Many “slow after update” problems disappear on their own.
To check, open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc). Processes like Windows Search Indexer, Antimalware Service Executable, Windows Modules Installer Worker or .NET Runtime Optimization using lots of CPU or disk mean background work is still running.
If it’s still slow after a day
1. Finish all pending updates and restart
Settings → Windows Update. Install everything, including Optional updates → Driver updates, then restart. Updates often arrive in stages, and a half-installed state is slow.
2. Update your drivers from the manufacturer
Windows Update sometimes installs a generic graphics or chipset driver that performs worse. Get the latest drivers from your laptop maker’s support page or app (Lenovo Vantage, MyASUS, Dell SupportAssist, HP Support Assistant), or directly from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel for graphics.
3. Check the power mode
Updates occasionally reset it. Settings → System → Power & battery → Power mode → Balanced or Best performance.
4. Check startup apps
Updates can re-enable apps you previously disabled, especially Microsoft Edge, Teams and OneDrive. See which startup programs to disable.
5. Repair system files
Open Terminal as administrator and run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, then sfc /scannow. Restart when they finish.
6. Free up space
Big updates need room. If your drive is nearly full, use Settings → Storage → Temporary files and select Windows Update Cleanup.
Undo the update
Uninstall a monthly (quality) update
Settings → Windows Update → Update history → Uninstall updates. Choose the most recent one and restart. Then use Pause updates for a week or two while Microsoft fixes the problem.
Roll back a feature update (within 10 days)
Settings → System → Recovery → Go back. This option disappears after 10 days, or sooner if you ran Disk Cleanup’s “Previous Windows installation(s)”.
Check for known issues
Microsoft lists known problems for each release on the Windows release health page. Search for “Windows 11 known issues” plus the update number (e.g. KB5xxxxxx) to see if others have the same problem.
Still slow?
If none of this helps, the update may just have coincided with another problem. See how to speed up a slow laptop and check for overheating.
Specific problem after the update? Wi-Fi · keyboard · sound · camera · BitLocker/crash screen
