How to limit background processes without breaking Windows

¿How to limit background processes without breaking Windows? If your Windows computer is slower than a nap, the problem is likely not just the hardware. Often, the culprit is the sheer number of... background processes and applications These processes are running without your knowledge, hogging CPU, memory, and battery. The good news is that you can limit much of that resource consumption with a few well-adjusted settings.

Throughout this guide you will learn to Minimize background apps without overloading WindowsWe'll differentiate between modern system applications (like Calculator, Weather, or Maps) and classic desktop programs. We'll look at the specific steps in Windows 10 and Windows 11, how to control what runs at startup, what you should leave enabled to avoid breaking anything important, and some tricks for monitoring resource consumption from within the system itself.

What are background applications and processes in Windows?

In Windows, many applications continue to work even when their window is not open, which we call background executionThese apps can update data, send or receive notifications, synchronize information in the cloud, or prepare content so that when you open them, they react faster.

This behavior is typical of modern Windows applications (those you install from the Microsoft Store, such as Mail, Weather, Maps, Calculator or social networking apps), but it also happens with many classic desktop programs that add services, updaters or helpers that load with the system and remain active all day.

The problem arises when You have dozens of applications running in the background that you don't need at that moment: they consume RAM, occupy CPU, make access to the disk and even the network, and all that translates into a lazier system, a slower boot time and clearly worse battery life in laptops.

This impact is especially noticeable in older equipment or equipment with modest specificationswhere any excessive resource consumption results in crashes, lag when opening programs, or interminable waits when logging in. On a powerful PC, you might barely notice, but on a basic laptop, the difference between properly configuring background apps and leaving them to their own devices is enormous.

Difference between modern apps and classic programs

Before we delve into the settings menus, it's important to understand that Windows largely separates modern apps from classic programsThey are not managed in exactly the same way, and that influences how to limit their background processes without causing problems.

The modern Windows applications (UWP and similar apps), such as Calculator, Photos, Weather, Maps, Mail, or social networking apps downloaded from the Microsoft Store, have their own background permission controls accessible through the system settings panel. Windows allows you to decide, one by one, whether they can continue running when they are not in the foreground.

The classic desktop programs (Traditional executables that you install with a wizard) usually rely on other mechanisms: services that load with the system, small utilities in the system tray, or processes that are added to Windows startup. Here, control is primarily exercised through the Task Manager, the Startup tab, and, in many cases, by unchecking options during the software installation itself.

Therefore, for Limit background processes without breaking Windows You'll have to tackle the problem from two angles: configuring modern apps and managing the startup and services of classic programs. If you only address one of them, you'll always miss things.

How to limit background apps in Windows 10

Windows 10 includes a specific setting to decide which modern apps can continue running in the background. It's a somewhat hidden setting, and oddly enough, it's located in a section where almost no one would initially look.

The first thing is to open the Windows 10 Settings appYou can do this from the Start button (gear icon), by pressing the Windows + I key combination, or by searching for "Settings" in the Start menu.

Within Settings, the setting we're interested in isn't in the typical "Applications" section as you might think, but in PrivacyMicrosoft put everything related to app permissions and behavior there, including background execution, so you'll have to go into that section.

In the left-hand column of the Privacy window, you'll see a fairly long list of categories. Among them, you'll find a section called "Background apps"Click there to access the central control of this behavior in Windows 10.

Once inside "Background apps" you will find a master switch at the top that allows to activate or deactivate at once the background execution of all modern applicationsIf you turn off this switch, none of them will be able to run in the background.

While it might sound tempting to turn everything off at once, it's not always the best idea. If you block all apps from running in the background, You will stop receiving automatic notifications and updates of apps that you might want to keep up to date, such as email, messaging, or certain security apps. Ideally, you should make a careful selection.

Below the main switch you will see a list of all modern apps installed on your systemEach one has its own switch. This is where it's a good idea to take a few minutes to review what you really need running in the background and what you don't.

As a general rule, you can Don't be afraid to disable apps you never use or only open occasionally.For example, social media apps you don't use on your PC, pre-installed games you've never opened, system utilities that don't add anything to your daily life, or promotional applications.

There are, however, some applications that are advisable to keep active. System configuration, he Windows Security Center (Windows Security/Defender), Microsoft Store Tools related to protecting the equipment should be left with permission to run in the background, as they handle updates, security notifications, and other important processes.

One app that's often a good candidate for disabling is the system's suggestions and tips app, on many devices called "Tips" or "Suggestions"It often displays notifications recommending you install apps or try new features, which in practice are quite similar to advertisements. Stopping them from running in the background reduces noise and saves some resources.

The key in Windows 10 is to take some time to review the entire list calmly and Turn off anything you don't expect to receive useful notifications from.What you disable will still be available: it simply won't work in the background and won't use resources until you manually open the app.

How to limit background apps in Windows 11

In Windows 11, the approach has changed slightly, and the same global "Background Apps" panel found in Windows 10 no longer exists. Instead, the system forces you to manage background behavior app by app from its advanced options.

To begin, open the Settings app in Windows 11You can do this from the Start menu, with the shortcut Windows + I, or by searching for "Settings" in the search bar.

In the left sidebar menu, enter the section "Applications"This section groups everything related to the software installed on the system. Within this section, the option you need is... "Installed applications", which usually appears at the top of the list.

In "Installed Applications" you will see a list of all the apps present in the systemThis includes both modern apps and many apps installed from outside the Store (although some classic apps won't have specific advanced controls). The list can be quite long, so it's best to use the search box or filter by name to find what you're looking for.

When you want to limit the behavior of a specific application, locate it in the list and click on the three-dot icon which appears to the right of your name. A context menu with several options will appear. Choose the one called "Advanced options" to access the detailed settings of that app.

Within the advanced options screen you will find, among other settings, a section called something similar to "Allow this application to run in the background" or "Background app permissions." Depending on the app, you'll see a drop-down menu or a selector with different options.

There are usually three typical possibilities: always allow background execution, restrict it so that it only runs in the background under certain conditions or set it to "Never", which prevents that application from performing actions when it is not in the foreground.

If you want the app to completely stop working in the background, open the menu and select the option "Never" or its equivalent. From then on, the application will stop updating itself, will not send notifications when you don't have it open, and will not consume resources except when you are actively using it.

The drawback of this approach in Windows 11 is that There is no magic button to disable all background apps at once.You'll have to go through their advanced options one by one and change the permission, which can be quite tedious if you have many installed.

However, it is worth focusing on the applications that are most likely generating noise: email clients, social networks, messaging apps, news apps, games with online services, and utilities that synchronize dataThese are usually the ones that generate the most resources or network traffic when working in the background.

Just like in Windows 10, keep in mind that Completely stopping background processes means losing notifications and immediate updates.If you expect notifications for new emails, messages, or calendar reminders, carefully review which apps should retain permission to work even when they are not open.

Disable programs that start with Windows

Besides modern apps, a very important part of background processes comes from programs that start automatically with Windows When you turn on your computer. Many installers are configured so that their software always starts with the system, even if you're not going to use it in that session.

This behavior causes the PC startup is much slower And that, from the very first minute, you already have a good number of processes consuming memory and CPU unnecessarily. Luckily, in Windows it's very easy to see what's starting automatically and disable what you don't need.

To do this, open the Windows Task ManagerYou can do this with the key combination Ctrl + Shift + Esc, with Ctrl + Alt + Delete and selecting Task Manager, or by searching for it from the Start menu.

In the Task Manager window, if you only see a very simple view, click on "More details" To see all the tabs. Once expanded, go to the tab called "Start", which is where the list of programs configured to run when the system starts appears.

In that list you will see every application that can be started with Windowsalong with useful information such as its publisher and, above all, its impact on startup (low, medium, high). To optimize performance, the most sensible approach is to first target those with a high impact that you don't really need from the very beginning.

To disable a startup program, simply right-click on its name and choose the option "Disable"You're not uninstalling the software; you're simply preventing it from running automatically when you turn on your computer. You can open it manually whenever you want from the Start menu or its shortcut.

It is advisable to keep enabled The elements related to important drivers, security, antivirus, and critical system utilitiesBut you can safely disable game launchers, app updaters, sync tools you don't always use, or assistants that only check for new versions.

These small changes help a lot to reduce the number of unnecessary background processes And, incidentally, they make the desktop appear sooner and the computer respond more quickly shortly after logging in.

Configure the applications correctly during installation

A very common mistake that ends up filling the system with background processes is accept everything that appears in the installation wizards Without reading anything. Many programs include, almost surreptitiously, options to start with Windows or remain resident in the background to check for updates or display notifications.

In many installers you will find boxes checked by default that say things like "Run when Windows starts", "Keep the program running in the background" or similar. If you leave them enabled, the software will be added to startup, and you'll have yet another process consuming resources every day, even if you barely use the application.

It is recommended to take a few seconds during each installation to carefully review the assistant's screens and uncheck any options that add unnecessary background behavior. If you don't need the program to be constantly running, there's no reason for it to start automatically.

This habit prevents your Windows from ending up in the medium term. full of little resident demons that contribute almost nothing, but together slow down the system and make everything run more slowly, especially on computers with limited resources.

Monitor CPU, RAM, disk, and network usage with Task Manager

To find out if you're actually gaining anything by limiting background processes, it's great to use a tool that's already built into the system: the Task ManagerIt not only closes frozen applications, but also lets you see what's consuming resources in real time.

Open Task Manager and, once in full view, you can use the tab "Processes" to view all running applications and processes, with columns showing CPU, memory, disk, network, and even GPU usage in modern versions of Windows.

If you sort the columns by clicking on the header (for example, on "CPU" or "Memory"), You'll be able to quickly identify which processes are using the most of each resourceIf you see an unknown application hogging CPU or RAM, it might be worth checking if it's necessary or if you can disable it from starting up or limit it in the background.

Additionally, the tab "Performance" It offers real-time graphs of CPU, memory, disk, network, and GPU usage. This is very useful for checking if, after disabling background apps and startup programs, the system runs more smoothly and resource usage spikes are reduced when you're not doing anything unusual.

With these native tools you can gradually adjust what you allow to work and what you don't, achieving a reasonable balance between performance and comfort without needing to install additional software or make radical changes that could break the system.

Risks of excessive deactivation and what should be kept active

Although this is all about limiting background processes, it's not about turn absolutely everything off like crazyIf you disable too many features, you may lose useful functionalities or even affect the normal behavior of some applications.

For example, if you completely block apps from email, instant messaging, or social media To prevent them from running in the background, you'll stop receiving notifications for new messages until you manually open each app. This might be what you want, but it's best to be aware of this to avoid surprises.

The same applies to system utilities such as Microsoft Store, the Security Center, or the Settings app itselfIf you restrict its background permissions, you could delay updates, miss important security alerts, or notice unusual behavior in certain system functions.

The idea is to focus on deactivating Those apps and programs that clearly don't offer anything if you're not using them: games you only open occasionally, promotional tools, pre-installed applications you're not interested in, aggressive update assistants, or software that has sneaked onto the startup screen without your permission.

If you have doubts about a specific application, a prudent strategy is Disable it and use the PC normally for a few days.If you find something is missing (notifications, automatic functions, etc.), you can always re-enable it without any problem. This way, you can gradually adjust the system to your actual needs without breaking anything important.

What to do when there are too many apps running in the background on Windows 11

In Windows 11, many people encounter a frustrating scenario: There are dozens or hundreds of applications in the "Applications" section. And the idea of ​​going one by one changing the background permission is completely daunting.

Unfortunately, the system does not currently include an official option for Apply the "Never" setting to all apps en masse modern apps, nor a simple list of only those actually running in the background. Part of this limitation seems almost intentional, so that many apps still have some leeway by default.

The most practical thing to do is prioritize: start by locating the apps that are most likely generating background activity (email, chats, social networks, cloud storage, online games, news apps) and review your advanced options to limit their behavior.

If you're interested in going further, you can use the Task Manager to See which processes are actually active when you're not doing anything. And from there, identify which application they belong to. This way, at least you go straight for the apps you know are consuming resources, instead of blindly checking all installations.

With everything we've seen, it's clear that Windows gives you plenty of leeway to Cut down background processes without breaking the system...provided you know where to tap and use your head: limit modern apps from Settings (in Privacy in Windows 10 (and from "Installed applications" in Windows 11), clean up the startup with the Task Manager, uncheck automatic startup options when installing new programs and occasionally monitor resource consumption; with these settings finely tuned, even a veteran PC can gain fluidity, boot faster and extend battery life considerably without having to give up the features you really need.