How To Fix Microsoft Edge Running Slow On Windows 11: 10 Solutions

Why Does Microsoft Edge Slow Down?

Before we fix the problem, let’s understand why Edge might be running slowly. Knowing the cause can help you stop it from happening again.

• Too many add-ons: Browser add-ons are small programs that add features. They run in the background and use your computer’s memory and power. Having too many can slow down your computer and Edge.
• Old temporary files and cookies: Edge saves temporary files (called cache) to make websites load faster. Over time, this cache can become very large or get corrupted. Bad cookies can also cause issues.
• Graphics settings: Your computer uses graphics power to show web pages. Sometimes, this feature can cause problems and actually slow things down instead of speeding them up.
• Too many open tabs: Every open tab uses memory. If you have many tabs open, your computer has to work much harder.
• Outdated browser version: Microsoft regularly releases updates for Edge. These updates fix problems, improve speed, and fix security issues. Using an old version means you miss out on these improvements.
• Tracking prevention settings: This feature helps protect your privacy by blocking websites from tracking you. However, if it’s set too strictly, it can slow down how quickly pages load.

Now that you know what might be causing the problem, let’s fix it.

Solution 1: Restart Microsoft Edge Completely

Closing Edge completely and then reopening it can fix many small issues. It clears out memory that might be causing problems. Pages will load faster, and videos should play more smoothly. This works because Edge sometimes holds onto information in its memory that a fresh start can clear out.

How to restart Edge:

1. Close all Edge windows. Make sure they are fully closed, not just minimized.
2. Wait for five seconds.
3. Click the Windows ⊞ Start button.
4. Type “Microsoft Edge” in 🔍 the search bar.
5. Click the Edge icon to open it again.

After restarting, try visiting a few websites to see if your browsing speed has improved.

Solution 2: Update Microsoft Edge to the Latest Version

When Microsoft releases a new version of Edge, they often include fixes for speed problems, better code for efficiency, and security improvements. Updating is quick and can make a noticeable difference.

How to update Edge:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three dots (Menu) in the top-right corner.
3. Select “Help and feedback.”
4. Click “About Microsoft Edge.”

Edge will automatically check for updates and install them. You might need to restart Edge after the update.

The version number will be shown on this page. After updating, check the version number again to make sure it has changed.

You can also update Edge through the Microsoft Store app if the manual method doesn’t work:

1. Click the Windows ⊞ Start button.
2. Type “Microsoft Store” and open it.
3. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner.
4. Select “App settings.”
5. Turn on “Update apps automatically.”

Alternatively, search for “Microsoft Edge” in the Store and click the “Update” button if it’s available.

Solution 3: Disable Extensions That You Don’t Use

Browser add-ons run in the background and can use up your computer’s resources. One add-on might not cause problems, but several can slow down your browser. Turning off the ones you don’t use often can make Edge feel much faster.

How to manage extensions in Edge:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three dots (Menu) in the top-right corner.
3. Select “Extensions.”
4. Click “Manage extensions.”

You will see a list of all your installed add-ons. For any add-on you don’t use regularly, click the switch next to it to turn it off. You can turn them back on later if you need them.

Try turning off add-ons one by one. After disabling an add-on, check your browsing speed. If the speed improves, you’ve found the problem add-on. If disabling an add-on doesn’t change anything, turn it back on and try the next one.

Some common add-ons that can cause slowness are:

• Antivirus add-ons (they check every webpage).
• VPN add-ons (they send your internet traffic through an encrypted connection).
• Multiple ad blockers running at the same time.
• Password managers (though good ones are usually efficient).
• Price comparison tools (they check product prices on shopping sites).

A good rule is: if you haven’t used an add-on in a month, turn it off. You can always turn it back on if you change your mind.

Solution 4: Clear Cache and Cookies

Edge saves files from websites (cache) to help them load faster when you visit them again. Over time, these files can become old or corrupted, causing slowdowns. Clearing them can fix this and free up storage space. Edge will create new, faster cache files over the next day or two.

How to clear cache and cookies:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+Del on your keyboard. This opens the “Clear browsing data” window.
3. Alternatively, click the three dots (Menu), then select “Settings.”
4. Click “Privacy, search, and services” on the left side.
5. Under “Clear browsing data,” click “Choose what to clear.”
6. A small window will appear.
7. Check the boxes for “Cookies and other site data” and “Cached images and files.”
8. In the “Time range” dropdown menu, select “All time” to clear everything.
9. Click “Clear now.”

Websites might load a little slower the first time you visit them after clearing, as Edge needs to download the files again. However, subsequent visits will be faster. Your overall browsing speed should improve within a day or two.

Important: Clearing cookies will sign you out of most websites. You will need to log back into sites like your email, social media, and banking sites. This is normal.

Solution 5: Disable Graphics Acceleration

Sometimes, the graphics acceleration feature can cause Edge to slow down. Disabling it makes your computer’s main processor (CPU) handle the graphics instead of the graphics card (GPU). This can fix issues caused by outdated graphics drivers or certain websites. Your browser might run faster if the GPU was causing the problem. Some advanced web features might load a bit slower, but most users won’t notice a big difference.

How to disable graphics acceleration in Edge:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three dots (Menu) in the top-right corner.
3. Select “Settings.”
4. Click “System and performance” on the left side.
5. Scroll down and find the “Graphics acceleration” toggle.
6. Click the toggle to turn it OFF. It should turn gray.

Restart Edge for the change to take effect.

Test your browsing speed after turning off graphics acceleration. If Edge feels faster, leave it off. If you don’t see any improvement after a few hours, turn it back on and try the next solution.

Solution 6: Enable Efficiency Mode

Efficiency Mode helps prevent Edge from using too many of your computer’s resources. This means other programs can run more smoothly without being slowed down by Edge. Your computer might run cooler, use less battery power (which is good for laptops), and your whole system will feel more responsive when you’re using multiple applications at once.

How to enable Efficiency Mode:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three dots (Menu) in the top-right corner.
3. Select “Settings.”
4. Click “System and performance” on the left side.
5. Find “Efficiency mode” and click the toggle to turn it ON. It should turn blue.

You can also set it to turn on automatically when your battery level gets low.

Close and restart Edge.

You might not notice a big difference in browsing speed, but the benefit is that your computer will perform better overall, especially when it’s handling many tasks.

Solution 7: Disable Preloading the New Tab Page

Edge sometimes preloads content for new tabs and websites in the background. This uses your CPU and memory even when you’re not actively using those tabs. Turning this off frees up those resources. New tabs might take a moment longer to fully load, but the background slowness will disappear, and your other computer tasks will run faster.

How to disable preloading:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three dots (Menu) in the top-right corner.
3. Select “Settings.”
4. Click “Start, home, and new tabs” on the left side.
5. Scroll down and find “Preload new tab page for a faster experience.”
6. Click the toggle to turn it OFF. It should turn gray.

Close and restart Edge.

This is a small change, but when combined with other fixes, it can contribute to a noticeably faster browsing experience.

Solution 8: Switch Tracking Prevention to Basic

Strict tracking prevention blocks trackers very aggressively, but this can use more computer resources and sometimes cause websites to not work correctly. Basic prevention blocks the most harmful trackers while using fewer resources. You still get good privacy protection without slowing down your browser. Pages load faster, websites work more reliably, and some sites that were broken might start working again.

How to change tracking prevention:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three dots (Menu) in the top-right corner.
3. Select “Settings.”
4. Click “Privacy, search, and services” on the left side.
5. Under “Tracking prevention,” you will see three options: Balanced, Basic, and Strict.
6. Click the “Basic” option. It should show as selected.

Close and restart Edge.

If some websites don’t load correctly when set to Basic, you can try switching to Balanced. If you need the highest level of privacy and don’t mind potential slowness, you can stay on Strict. The best setting depends on what’s most important to you.

Solution 9: Reset DNS and Clear Network Cache

We have covered settings within Edge. Now, let’s look at settings outside the browser. Sometimes, the slowness isn’t Edge itself, but how your computer finds website addresses.

Your computer keeps a list of website names and their corresponding internet addresses (this is called DNS). Over time, errors in this list can slow things down. Flushing this list clears it out, forcing your computer to get fresh address information.

How to clear DNS cache in Windows 11:

1. Right-click the Windows ⊞ Start button.
2. Select “Windows Terminal (Admin).” This requires administrator privileges.
3. Type the following command exactly:
   
4. Press Enter.

You should see a message saying, “Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.”

Close the terminal window.

Restart Microsoft Edge.

If you don’t see “Windows Terminal (Admin),” you can use Command Prompt instead. Right-click the Windows Start button and look for “Command Prompt (Admin).” The word “Admin” means you have permission to make system changes.

1. Right-click the Windows ⊞ Start button.
2. Type “Command Prompt” in 🔍 the search box.
3. 🖱️ Right-click on “Command Prompt” and select “Run as administrator.” This requires administrator privileges.
4. Type the same command:
   
5. Press Enter.

Close the window.

Solution 10: Reset Edge Settings to Default

Over time, Edge settings can become changed due to conflicts, updates, or customizations that don’t work well together. Resetting Edge removes these problematic settings and returns it to its original, optimized defaults. Your bookmarks and saved passwords will remain, but you will lose customizations like your homepage and startup pages, and you’ll need to set them up again. However, this often leads to a significant improvement in performance.

How to reset Edge:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three dots (Menu) in the top-right corner.
3. Select “Settings.”
4. Click “Reset settings” on the left side.
5. Click “Restore settings to their default values.”
6. A confirmation pop-up will appear asking if you are sure.
7. Click “Reset” to confirm.

Edge will restart automatically.

After the reset, Edge will look like a fresh installation. Your homepage and startup pages will change, and your theme might change. But performance often improves greatly. You can re-customize the settings afterward if you wish.

Advanced Solution: Check for Malware and Browser Hijackers

Malware (malicious software) can run hidden processes that use up your computer’s power and constantly connect to the internet. It can also add code to websites, and your antivirus software might use extra resources trying to fight it. Removing malware can eliminate this background slowness and make your computer much faster.

How to scan for malware:

1. Click the Windows ⊞ Start button.
2. Type “Windows Defender” or “Windows Security.”
3. Click “Windows Security” to open it.
4. Click “Virus & threat protection” on the left side.
5. Click “Scan options.”
6. Select “Full scan.”
7. Click “Scan now.”

This scan can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours, depending on how much data you have on your computer.

If threats are found, Windows Security will usually remove them automatically.

Restart your computer when prompted.

If Windows Defender doesn’t find anything, but you still suspect malware, you can download a program like Malwarebytes to help clean your computer.

Summary

If Microsoft Edge is running slowly on your Windows 11 computer, there are several steps you can take. Try restarting Edge, updating it to the latest version, and disabling any extensions you don’t use. Clearing your browser’s cache and cookies can also help. You might also want to try disabling graphics acceleration, enabling Efficiency Mode, or turning off new tab preloading. Adjusting tracking prevention settings to ‘Basic’ can improve speed, and resetting your computer’s DNS cache can resolve network-related issues. Finally, resetting Edge’s settings to default or performing a full malware scan can fix deeper problems. By working through these solutions, you can usually restore Edge to its optimal performance.