Windows 11: Pay attention to the Windows Photos App - it may be slowing down your PC

Many Home windows customers use the Microsoft Images app to view photographs and movies. The principle motive for that’s easy: it’s the default app for media on Home windows. Once you click on on a picture or a video, it could open within the Images app by default.

Microsoft has made modifications to the Images app on Home windows 11 lately. For one, it migrated the Images app from UWP to Home windows App SDK. Microsoft moreover started so as to add AI options to the app, equally to the way it added AI to different elements of the working system.

Some customers are additionally reporting that the Images app is autostarting with Home windows 11. I couldn’t confirm this on Home windows 11 model 24H2 units, however perhaps that’s one thing that Microsoft remains to be testing or rolling out steadily to check reactions.

Good to know: the change occurred in June for Insiders. Microsoft has began to replace the app on steady variations of Home windows 11. It additionally introduced that the up to date model will come to Home windows 10 units as nicely.

The change landed in model 2024.11050.3002.0 of the Images app. You possibly can verify the model by opening the Microsoft Images app in your gadget and choosing Settings. The model is displayed beneath “about” on the backside of the web page that opens.

The 2 major points that (some) customers of the brand new images app skilled are:

The app is about to autostart with the working system. This slows down the beginning of the PC.
The app takes longer to launch.

Launching the Images app on begin of the system could also be helpful to customers, who use it commonly. It’s problematic for customers who don’t use it in any respect. The principle motive for that’s that it slows down the beginning of the Home windows system with out having any use when the system is operating.

Learn how to cease the Images app from launching with Home windows

No Photos app under Startup — No Images app listed beneath Startup, however it could be totally different in your gadget.

It’s possible you’ll use built-in admin instruments to verify the startup state of the Images app. Right here is how that’s accomplished:

Choose Begin.
Open the Settings app.
Go to Apps > Startup.
Search for Images.
Toggle Images to Off.

This prevents the autostart of the app with Home windows 11. This doesn’t have an effect on any performance for customers who don’t use the app. Those that do might discover a slower startup once they first launch the app on the system.

You might also use one of the best startup supervisor Autoruns to take care of Images and another app that will have sneaked its method into the autostart settings.

Additionally good to know: you possibly can nonetheless set up the Microsoft Images Legacy app on Home windows. It’s has been changed by the brand new app, however remains to be out there.

There are alternate options

Tip: If you happen to’re on the lookout for alternate options, contemplate light-weight picture viewers like IrfanView or FastStone Picture Viewer. They may not have all of the bells and whistles, however they’re going to do the job with out bogging down your system

Keep in mind, maintaining a tally of your startup apps is a great option to keep your pc’s efficiency. It is typically the quiet, background processes that may have the largest influence in your system’s pace.

Once you improve your system to Home windows 11 model 24H2, it’s possible you’ll wish to verify the autostart entries simply to ensure no app that you don’t want to start out with the system added itself to the listing.

Have you ever seen another sneaky resource-heavy apps in your system? Share your experiences and suggestions within the feedback beneath!

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