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4 built-in Windows features that make your PC feel faster (without optimizers)
I’ve written plenty about squeezing the best performance out of a Windows computer, tuning startup apps, killing background junk, and making sure hardware isn’t getting in its own way. That kind of optimization matters, but it’s not the whole story. Lately, I’ve been thinking less about raw performance and more about how a computer feels to use. Not faster clocks or higher benchmark scores, but fewer interruptions, fewer repeated actions, and less time spent fighting the Windows UI.
That shift has pushed me toward tools and tweaks that reduce friction in my day-to-day workflow. Small third-party apps that handle things Windows technically can do, but not always in the fastest or most intuitive way. Clipboard managers, quick launchers, text expanders, and batch tools don’t make your CPU any faster, but they remove tiny bits of drag that add up over the course of a day. And while a lot of this comes from external apps, Windows 11 already has a few built-in features that can move the needle too, if you know where to look. This list focuses on the kind of changes that make your computer feel quicker because it’s optimized around how you want to work.
The clipboard upgrade most Windows users never turn on
For most people, the clipboard is still a single-use tool. You copy one thing, paste it, and the moment you copy something else, the previous item is gone. That’s fine until you’re juggling multiple snippets at once. A link, a paragraph of text, a filename, maybe an image. Suddenly you’re bouncing back and forth between apps just to re-copy something you already had a second ago. A clipboard manager changes that by turning copy and paste into a short-term memory instead of a one-shot action.
Windows 10 and 11 have this built in, and it’s one of the easiest workflow upgrades you can make. Once it’s enabled, everything you copy is saved to a history you can pull up at any time with Win + V. Instead of re-copying the same text over and over, you just grab what you need from the list and keep moving. It’s especially useful for writing, research, and repetitive tasks where you’re constantly reusing the same bits of text. To turn it on, head to Settings > System > Clipboard and enable Clipboard history. From that point on, copying becomes something you do once, not something you keep repeating. It won’t make your computer faster on paper, but it will absolutely make your work feel faster in practice.
A faster way to organize your windows with Snap layouts
A lot of people still arrange windows manually. Click, drag, resize, repeat. It’s one of those habits that feels harmless until you notice how often you’re doing it, especially when you’re switching between tasks or juggling more than one app at a time. Snap layouts in Windows 11 turn window management into something you do almost without thinking. Instead of fussing with placement, you choose a layout and move on.
In Windows 11, you can trigger Snap layouts by hovering over the maximize button or pressing Win + Z. From there, you pick a layout and drop apps into place with a single keystroke or click. Over time, this changes how you work. Setting up a side-by-side view for writing and research, email and calendar, or files and a browser takes seconds instead of minutes. There’s nothing to install and nothing to configure for basic use, but if you want to go further, you can check Settings > System > Multitasking to fine-tune how Snap layouts work. It removes just enough friction that switching contexts feels instant instead of tedious. That’s enough for most people, but it’s not where my own setup eventually landed.
I was already working across multiple monitors before Snap layouts existed, using tools like DisplayFusion. Snap layouts solved a lot of the basics when it arrived, but for my setup, I eventually needed more control, which pushed me toward GlazeWM.
Virtual Desktops make it easier to separate tasks instead of juggling windows
Most people treat the desktop as one big workspace and just keep piling windows into it. When things get busy, that usually means more time spent hunting for the right window. Virtual Desktops change that by letting you separate work by task instead of forcing everything into a single, crowded view.
In Windows 11, press Win + Tab to open Task View and create additional desktops. From there, you can keep writing and research on one desktop, communication on another, and anything noisy or distracting somewhere else. Switching between them is instant, and once it clicks, it’s often faster than managing a packed taskbar. There’s nothing to install and almost nothing to set up. You can rename desktops or give them different wallpapers if you want, but the real benefit is simple: fewer windows per space, less visual noise, and faster context switching.
Remove tedious busy work with batch renaming
Renaming files one at a time is the kind of busywork that feels small until you’re staring at a folder full of photos, downloads, or documents that all need to make sense. Windows has a built-in way to handle this that most people either forget about or never realize exists. Batch rename lets you rename multiple files at once, which turns a slow, repetitive task into something you finish in seconds.
In File Explorer, you can select a group of files, right-click, choose Rename, and apply a single name that Windows automatically numbers for you. It’s simple and surprisingly effective for everyday cleanup. The caveat is that this is a basic tool. You don’t get rules, patterns, or previews, and you can’t build complex naming schemes. For that, you still need a third-party bulk renaming tool like ReNamer. But for quick organization and common tasks, the built-in batch rename feature removes a lot of unnecessary friction, and like everything else on this list, it’s available instantly with no setup and no extra software.
Optimize your workflow, not your hardware
None of the tools on this list make your computer faster in any technical sense, and that’s the point. They remove friction. Fewer clicks, less window shuffling, less time spent repeating the same actions over and over. When your workflow is optimized, everything feels faster, even on the same hardware. Whether you stick to what Windows already includes or layer in a few lightweight third-party tools, this kind of optimization is about making your computer work the way you do, not chasing benchmarks or so-called miracle optimizers.
