Windows 11- Optimize-Debloat-or Pick Blueberries

Is it necessary to debloat windows 11 or use some type of system optimizer? And why do folks always say that you’ll get the best performance, gain disk space or improve privacy by altering windows 11? Sure, I agree a few changes need to be made, like getting rid of one drive for one, high performance plan etc., etc. But what really benefits us to improve performance, reliability and so forth. In my experience, after a bit of time, it eventually messes something else up and then” here we go”. We ask for help, perform countless troubleshooting, collect logs, research this and that and then eventually we go the long road and “repair / clean install. When all we had to do was keep our fingers out of the pie so to speak. I am just as guilty having just completed another clean install of Windows 11 Pro wherein I’ve done this countless times over the years learning / experimenting trying to “tweak” the system for optimal and reliable performance.

So, I’d like your advice i.e., Does a clear-cut guideline exist following a clean install to achieve that optimal performance that is secure and reliable ? Is it really worth it to debloat windows 11 and if so, use what to accomplish that”. What needs to be removed, what other changes do you make to your system. Will you share your expertise? I know what I am asking is based on user preference but what I’m looking at is for that optimal performance, reliability and secure system that can be achieved (Sound like a parrot huh).

Looking forward to your insights.

Stupsi said:

Is it necessary to debloat windows 11 or use some type of system optimizer?

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No.

I use a few tweaks from this site that do improve performance. Just do not do anything that will break Windows 11 and do a backup and a Registry backup prior to doing anything.

I like Windows 11 and don't have any problems. I don't feel a need to do hacks or run apps that make Windows look or act like earlier versions. I like to do several clean installs a year. I have a terabyte of SSD and 32GB memory so I'm not concerned with needing to remove anything Microsoft includes in Windows. I subscribe to Microsoft 365 and use the Microsoft Office suite. I've used OneDrive for over 15 years and have a terabyte of OneDrive storage. I keep all my data and photos in OneDrive, giving me a real-time off-site mirror of everything that is important to me. I also do a nightly Macrium Reflect Image of my entire system stored on two separate 4TB Samsung T9 portable SSD drives.

Oh, and as to your blueberry reference, we have 3 different varieties of blueberry bushes on our acreage and we do pick blueberries.

Thanks, it's always helpful when others offer their expertise / opinions. After yesterday's long rainy day, and a few hours of work re-installing everything I believe I just need to enjoy the system without all the tinkering. Hope to hear from more users.. Anytime you want to ship a crate of blueberries, let me know-- "I love em"

I'm not an excessive tweaker either. Once a year or so, I'll wipe the machine and start fresh, but that is mainly because I install a lot of tools that are sometimes of alpha or beta quality. So periodically, I just think, "let's just backup data, wipe the slate clean, and start over with the current set of tools I'm using."

I do maintenance stuff, like cleaning out old temp files and running the DISM cmdlets every now and then, normal stuff like that. I also keep the number of startup apps to a minimum; seems like so many devs these days think their app is so important and must run all the time.

I think really the only tweak I do is turning back the context menu to the full Windows 10 style one. I can tolerate the Windows 11 context menu, but I prefer the old one.

I run some tweaks (Chris Titus Tech WinUtil, and WinAero Tweaker) and install safely apps that I don't use (either via Geek Uninstaller or Bulk Crap Uninstaller) and that's it.

@Stupsi now that you have a fresh clean install use a third party backup software and start creating a backup images.
If you "break" something just restore to your most recent backup.

EDIT: Looks like you have Macrium free. Use it regularly and you'll never need to clean install again.

Stupsi said:

Is it necessary to debloat windows 11 or use some type of system optimizer?

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That depends. I did not start to tweak, because I was bored, but to fix issues, like green loading bar in explorer, still present in 11. 11 by default is unusable for me, I get constant lagging and stutter. Just Defender alone makes icons to load one by one in explorer.

Stupsi said:

Does a clear-cut guideline exist following a clean install to achieve that optimal performance that is secure and reliable ?

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No! There is not one shoe that fits them all. You have to invest some time and effort into it. But it is worth it.

Stupsi said:

what I’m looking at is for that optimal performance, reliability and secure system that can be achieved

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I managed to find some balance. I use MSA, Store, Edge, onedrive, I just limited everything else.

Stupsi said:

What needs to be removed, what other changes do you make to your system.

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Stupsi said:

Will you share your expertise?

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11 runs 150 processes by default, I cut it down to 65. You do not need to be an expert to understand the difference (CPU/RAM).

65 processes / 600 threads / 23000 handles / 1,8GB RAM (1GB used by ramdisk)

TairikuOkami said:

11 runs 150 processes by default, I cut it down to 65. You do not need to be an expert to understand the difference (CPU/RAM).

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I did exactly the same. Also wrote a little app that start at windows boot up. That turns on/off services depending on what i use.
For example i click vmware. Then my app in the background turns on the services for it. And when i close vmware, it disables the services again. So no user interaction needed. Same goes for Vistual studio services, or hyper-v services.
It's most annoying to have them disable and enable by hand when you need them. Hyper-V i use only use once per 2or 3months.
So it is useless to keep them on for months if you don't use those services...
Turning services off that you don't use, is also good to be 'Green', as less services is less cpu use, and lower electricy use.

TairikuOkami said:

Just Defender alone makes icons to load one by one in explorer.

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I have had the same issue with exe files, such as a folder with game shortcuts or portable apps.
When everything is scanned with a few virusscanners, then exclude those exe from scanning in Defender. You can do that directly in Defender, from powershell, trough Group Policy's or trough registe(if elevated with the apropiate rights). However it sometimes looks that defender on some occasions ignores those exclusions and still scans them. But that is less then without exclusions.

@TairikuOkami, what is a "green loading bar in explorer"? I use File Explorer every day and I have no idea what this is.

@TairikuOkami, @Tester, If a service isn't being used and is just sitting in memory waiting for an interrupt, how much CPU/Memory can it be using? I do nothing to stop any services and my CPU use at less than 1% is barely measurable and I'm seldom using more than 30% of my total memory. What am I not understanding?

TraderGary said:

... what is a "green loading bar in explorer"?

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I get it in certain folders that have many large thumbnails...
Kind of a pain, sometimes.

It's like running an Aircopump and Dynamo on an engine. The load on the engine is more and will use more Fuel/energy.
If you buy the car, will you notice the load on the engine? No.
So all little apps, waiting for interrupts, and running there internal timers, to check events etc will all have a little load.
The older the device gets, the more updates and calculations those little apps have to make, and so causing a higher load, compaired to newer systems. If you have 16cores, i guess the perfomance you gain is very low, compaired doing these things on a 4 core pc.

Edwin said:

I get it in certain folders that have many large thumbnails...
Kind of a pain, sometimes.

View attachment 94668

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Aha! What I call a progress bar? It should continue to move to the right until it finishes processing and then it disappears?

Edwin said:

Kind of a pain, sometimes.

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What happens if you press 2 times on F11

TraderGary said:

It should continue to move to the right until it finishes processing and then it disappears?

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Correct, usually 2 or 3 seconds.

Tester said:

What happens if you press 2 times on F11

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It's not that slow! It would take me longer to find fn and F11 keys!!!

Stupsi said:

Anytime you want to ship a crate of blueberries, let me know-- "I love em"

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I don't grow blue berries but I live about a 30 to 40 minute drive from the blueberry capital of the world.

Bloofle

Winuser said:

I don't grow blue berries but I live about a 30 to 40 minute drive from the blueberry capital of the world.

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I found my thrills on blueberry hill.