Microsoft has revealed plans to boost Windows 11’s performance and reliability by improving its memory efficiency. This includes lowering the baseline amount of RAM that Windows itself uses, freeing up additional capacity for other applications.
Recently, Microsoft has been increasingly criticized for its focus on artificial intelligence, particularly for Copilot, which has been largely seen as intrusive. “We are focusing on making Windows 11 more responsive and consistent, so performance feels smooth and reliable,” Pavan Davuluri, president for Microsoft’s Windows + Devices business, wrote in a blog post.
Microsoft said it will be “more intentional about how and where Copilot integrates across Windows, focusing on experiences that are genuinely useful and well‑crafted.” As part of this, the company plans to reduce unnecessary Copilot entry points, starting with apps like Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets and Notepad.
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Microsoft’s updates will also include a faster and more responsive Windows experience, particularly when it comes to launching applications and key components of Windows itself, such as File Explorer. That performance will extend more so under load, which means the system is less likely to lock up once Windows is busy with a particular task.
Alongside memory-efficiency improvements, Microsoft also promised to reduce latency in application interactions by moving core Windows apps to the WinUI3 framework. This is Microsoft’s modern native UI framework for its Windows applications, but many of Windows’ existing apps were built on legacy frameworks and web-based layers. This makes Windows flexible and improves backwards compatibility, but it also affects performance.
Moving legacy apps to the new framework would help reduce that impact, according to PC Mag. This could result in smoother animations while opening and switching between apps, particularly in File Explorer.
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Microsoft also said it will work on its search function. As of now, Windows search returns web results alongside installed apps, files, and folders, making the user experience frustrating. Microsoft plans to make this easier by improving search latency and accuracy. It will also replicate that search experience across the taskbar, File Explorer, and Settings to make it more consistent throughout Windows.
Microsoft also mentioned there will be more taskbar customization, including vertical and top positions. It will also reduce disruptions with Windows updates. The PC Mag report also says the company is expected to improve its drivers, Bluetooth stability, and USB reliability, and to make Windows more reliable when it wakes, especially when connected to laptop docks. These changes can go a long way in making the Windows experience better for users. But these changes will need to filter through the insider pipeline before it can reach the masses, and that could take some time.