For the broadest change, search Start for Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows, open the result, select the Visual Effects tab, then choose Adjust for best performance. Microsoft says visual effects can use system resources and that changing them can improve responsiveness on Windows 11 and Windows 10. If you would rather keep some effects, turn off individual options in Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects.
Turn off all visual effects with the performance preset
- Open Start and search for Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows.
- Open the matching result and select the Visual Effects tab.
- Select Adjust for best performance, then apply the change.
This preset prioritizes responsiveness over visual polish. Microsoft recommends it as a visual-effects adjustment for improving PC performance; the guidance covers Windows 10 and Windows 11. See Microsoft’s performance tips for Windows.
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Choose individual effects instead
To retain other appearance settings, open Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects and change only the options you do not want. These controls are useful for reducing visual distractions and adjusting how parts of the interface look or behave.
Animation effects
Turn off Animation effects to stop Windows from displaying animations. This changes the interface’s motion; Microsoft’s guidance does not quantify a speed improvement from this toggle by itself.
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Transparency effects
Turn off Transparency effects to make window backgrounds more opaque. When enabled, transparency makes some backgrounds and surfaces slightly see-through, with an acrylic blur. See Microsoft’s explanation of transparency effects.
Always show scrollbars
Turn off Always show scrollbars if you want Windows to hide scrollbars automatically rather than keep them visible. This is a visibility and interface-behavior preference, not a documented performance optimization.
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Which option should you choose?
- Choose Adjust for best performance if responsiveness matters more than visual effects and you are comfortable with a less polished interface.
- Turn off animations selectively if you want a less animated desktop while keeping other effects.
- Turn off transparency selectively if you prefer more opaque window backgrounds.
- Change scrollbar visibility only if you prefer scrollbars to appear automatically; do not expect this setting to make the PC faster.
Microsoft’s cited guidance does not provide benchmark comparisons or numeric gains for individual effects, so there is no supported estimate of saved CPU, memory, frame rate, or startup time.
If the PC is still slow
Visual effects are only one possible factor in PC responsiveness. Microsoft lists other potential causes of poor performance and notes that older PCs may not improve significantly from the recommended steps. If these settings do not help, investigate other causes rather than assuming that visual effects are the main problem. Microsoft’s performance guidance provides broader troubleshooting context.
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Power mode is a separate setting, not a visual effect. Microsoft says Best performance maximizes performance, but it can use a laptop’s battery more quickly and make the device warmer. See Microsoft’s instructions for changing Windows power mode.
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