Windows laptops ship with dozens of apps that keep running long after you close their windows. Weather widgets check the forecast every hour, chat clients poll for messages, update helpers phone home, and store apps refresh content you’ll never read. On their own each one is small, but together they create a constant background hum of CPU and memory use that slows boot times, shortens battery life, and leaves fans spinning when the machine should be idle.

The frustrating part is that closing an app’s window rarely stops it. Modern Windows apps are designed to linger in the background, and many desktop programs install helper processes that start with Windows whether you want them or not. Over months of normal use, this collection grows until your laptop feels sluggish for no obvious reason. If your machine is new enough that the hardware shouldn’t be the problem, background apps are the first place to look — they’re also one of the easiest performance problems to fix without spending any money.

The good news is that Windows gives you several layers of control, from the friendly per-app toggles in Settings to the more powerful Startup management in Task Manager and Group Policy for system-wide restrictions.

Why this happens

  • Store apps stay alive by design: Microsoft Store apps like Weather, News, Mail, and Xbox are allowed to run background tasks for live tiles, notifications, and content sync even when you never open them.
  • Desktop apps install helper processes: Programs like Spotify, Discord, and Adobe tools add background helpers and launchers that start with Windows and keep running so the app “opens faster” next time.
  • Update checkers poll constantly: Many apps install their own updater (Google Update, Adobe Update Service, vendor bloatware) that wakes up on a schedule to check for new versions.
  • Notifications keep apps warm: Apps with notification permissions stay resident so they can push alerts to you instantly, which means memory and CPU are reserved for them around the clock.
  • Startup entries accumulate over time: Every program you install may add itself to startup. A laptop that had five startup items when new can easily have twenty a year later.
  • Preinstalled vendor software: HP, Dell, Lenovo, and ASUS laptops ship with utility suites and trial software that run background services, many of which you’ll never open.
  • Windows features with background activity: Features like Widgets, Teams chat integration, and OneDrive sync run continuously by default and are easy to overlook.

How to fix it

Work through these in order — diagnose first, then act.

Fix 1: Check what’s actually running in the background

Before changing anything, get a picture of the problem. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc and click the Processes tab. Sort by CPU or Memory to see which background processes are consuming the most resources right now. Then switch to the Startup apps tab to see everything configured to launch with Windows, along with the “Startup impact” rating Windows assigns each one.

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. In the Processes tab, click the Background processes group to expand it.
  3. Sort by Memory and CPU to identify the heaviest background consumers.
  4. Switch to the Startup apps tab and note which apps are marked Enabled with High or Medium impact.

Write down the names of anything you don’t recognize or don’t need. If your laptop feels generally sluggish rather than background-app-heavy, our guide to speeding up a Windows 11 laptop covers the broader picture.

Fix 2: Disable background permissions for Store apps

This is the official, safest method for Microsoft Store apps. Windows 11 lets you control each app’s background activity individually without uninstalling anything.

  1. Open Settings and go to Apps > Installed apps.
  2. Click the three dots next to an app you don’t need running in the background, then choose Advanced options.
  3. Under Background apps permissions, change the dropdown from “Power optimized” or “Always” to Never.
  4. Repeat for other apps like News, Weather, Xbox, Spotify, and anything else you rarely open.

Some system apps don’t show this option — Windows protects apps that other features depend on. Focus on third-party and optional Microsoft apps, which are the ones actually wasting your resources.

Fix 3: Disable unnecessary startup programs

Startup apps are the biggest contributor to slow boot times and background bloat. Many programs add themselves to startup without asking, so this list is worth auditing every few months.

  1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and go to the Startup apps tab.
  2. Right-click any app you don’t need immediately at boot and choose Disable.
  3. Prioritize High-impact items first: updaters, chat clients, music players, and vendor utilities.
  4. Leave your antivirus, audio drivers, and anything related to your hardware enabled.
  5. Restart your laptop and notice the difference in boot time.

If you’re unsure what a startup entry does, right-click it and choose Search online before disabling it. For a deeper look at taming startup, see our guide on how to disable startup programs in Windows 11 .

Fix 4: Turn off background apps for all users via Group Policy

If you manage the laptop and want a system-wide rule rather than per-app toggles, Group Policy can block background apps for every user account. This is available on Windows 11 Pro and higher.

  1. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
  2. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > App Privacy.
  3. Double-click Let Windows apps run in the background.
  4. Select Enabled, then set the dropdown to Force Deny and click OK.
  5. Restart your laptop for the policy to take effect.

This blocks all Store apps from background tasks, stopping live tile updates and some notifications. It’s reversible: set the policy back to “Not Configured” to restore normal behavior.

Fix 5: Stop background services you don’t need

Beyond apps, Windows services can run constantly in the background. Some are tied to features you’ll never use, and setting them to manual or disabled stops them from consuming resources.

  1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
  2. Look for services tied to software you’ve removed or never use, such as Xbox services, Print Spooler (if you never print), or vendor update services.
  3. Double-click a service, change Startup type to Manual or Disabled, and click OK.
  4. Do not disable services you don’t recognize — research each one first.

Fix 6: Tame notifications and sync features

Notifications and cloud sync are easy to forget — OneDrive in particular can keep your CPU and disk busy syncing files all day.

  1. Go to Settings > System > Notifications and turn off notifications for apps that don’t need to alert you.
  2. In Settings > Personalization, turn off Widgets if you never use the widget board.
  3. Right-click the OneDrive icon in the taskbar, open Settings, and pause syncing or choose selective folder sync.
  4. For more control, see our guide on how to limit OneDrive sync on Windows 11 .

Fix 7: Remove preinstalled bloatware

Vendor bloatware deserves its own step because it’s the single largest source of unwanted background processes on a new laptop. Trial antivirus suites, game launchers, and “assistant” utilities all run background services.

  1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
  2. Sort by install date or look for names from your laptop’s manufacturer.
  3. Uninstall anything you don’t recognize or never plan to use.
  4. After uninstalling, check Task Manager’s Startup tab again to confirm the related entries are gone.

For a full cleanup walkthrough, read our guide on how to remove bloatware from a Windows 11 laptop . Microsoft’s official Windows support page also documents the background app settings if you want to verify the current options for your Windows version.

Closing

Disabling background apps is one of the highest-return maintenance tasks you can do on a Windows laptop: fifteen minutes of work for noticeably better boot times, battery life, and responsiveness. Revisit your startup list every few months, since new installs quietly add themselves back.

Frequently asked questions

Does disabling background apps improve laptop performance?
Yes. Background apps consume CPU cycles, RAM, and battery even when you are not using them. On a typical laptop, a dozen unnecessary background processes can add up to noticeable CPU and memory use. Disabling apps you never open reduces background activity, which usually means faster boot times, cooler operation, and longer battery life.
Will disabling background apps break Windows features?
Not if you are selective. Disabling individual Microsoft Store apps like News, Weather, or Xbox services only stops those apps from running in the background. Core Windows services are separate and stay untouched. If something you need stops working, you can simply re-enable that app’s background permission in Settings.
Is it better to uninstall an app or disable its background activity?
If you never use the app, uninstalling is cleaner because it frees disk space and removes its scheduled tasks too. If you use the app occasionally but don’t need it running all the time, disabling background activity is the better choice since the app stays available on demand.
Why do background apps keep turning themselves back on?
Some apps re-register background tasks after updates or restarts. This happens most often with apps updated through the Microsoft Store or with aggressive notification systems. If an app keeps coming back, try disabling it in both Settings and Task Manager’s Startup tab, and turn off its notifications as well.