Windows 11: Pay attention to the Windows Photos App - it may be slowing down your PC
Many Windows users use the Microsoft Photos app to view images and videos. The main reason for that is simple: it is the default app for media on Windows. When you click on an image or a video, it may open in the Photos app by default.
Microsoft has made changes to the Photos app on Windows 11 recently. For one, it migrated the Photos app from UWP to Windows App SDK. Microsoft furthermore began to add AI features to the app, similarly to how it added AI to other parts of the operating system.
Some users are also reporting that the Photos app is autostarting with Windows 11. I could not verify this on Windows 11 version 24H2 devices, but maybe that is something that Microsoft is still testing or rolling out gradually to test reactions.
Good to know: the change happened in June for Insiders. Microsoft has started to update the app on stable versions of Windows 11. It also announced that the updated version will come to Windows 10 devices as well.
The change landed in version 2024.11050.3002.0 of the Photos app. You can check the version by opening the Microsoft Photos app on your device and selecting Settings. The version is displayed under "about" at the bottom of the page that opens.
The two main issues that (some) users of the new photos app experienced are:
- The app is set to autostart with the operating system. This slows down the start of the PC.
- The app takes longer to launch.
Launching the Photos app on start of the system may be beneficial to users, who use it regularly. It is problematic for users who do not use it at all. The main reason for that is that it slows down the start of the Windows system without having any use when the system is running.
How to stop the Photos app from launching with Windows
You may use built-in admin tools to check the startup state of the Photos app. Here is how that is done:
- Select Start.
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to Apps > Startup.
- Look for Photos.
- Toggle Photos to Off.
This prevents the autostart of the app with Windows 11. This does not affect any functionality for users who do not use the app. Those who do may notice a slower startup when they first launch the app on the system.
You may also use the best startup manager Autoruns to deal with Photos and any other app that may have sneaked its way into the autostart settings.
Also good to know: you can still install the Microsoft Photos Legacy app on Windows. It is has been replaced by the new app, but is still available.
There are alternatives
Tip: If you're looking for alternatives, consider lightweight photo viewers like IrfanView or FastStone Image Viewer. They might not have all the bells and whistles, but they'll do the job without bogging down your system
Remember, keeping an eye on your startup apps is a smart way to maintain your computer's performance. It's often the quiet, background processes that can have the biggest impact on your system's speed.
When you upgrade your system to Windows 11 version 24H2, you may want to check the autostart entries just to make sure no app that you do not want to start with the system added itself to the list.
Have you noticed any other sneaky resource-heavy apps on your system? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below!
Windows 11 is malware and I don’t run malware systems on my PC. Windows 10 it is for the next 15 years at least
impression:eyes is, and will always be, the best Windows image viewer
@Lunar Ronin –
“Agreed with Bobo. I use XnView MP instead. Works just fine, and it’s open source.”
While I find XnView MP one of the best free image viewers, it is most certainly NOT open source. It is FREEWARE but remains proprietary.
I use Irfanview since it was released. No problem at all for years. Thanks for the article! :]
– DigiKam (free+open source, Linux, MacOS, Windows)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DigiKam
https://www.digikam.org/
– Picasa (freeware, MacOS, Windows, Linux via built in WINE)
(discontinued but still works with old versions)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picasa
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/picasa_photo_organizer.html
https://old.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/17u41us/does_i_am_the_only_one_still_using_picasa_in_2023/
– Shotwell (free+open source, Linux)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotwell_(software)
PhotoScapeX for example is nice for people wanting quick editing, but like nearly every MS app it’s memory usage is high, 309 mb when idle, on my desktop.
Faststone image viewer, which is imo a very well designed piece of software, only uses 14mb in idle.
They are changing the UWP apps though. “Microsoft claims that Windows App SDK-based apps can now run significantly faster on Windows 11” see
https://www.windowslatest.com/2024/09/15/microsoft-promises-incredible-performance-boost-for-modern-windows-11-apps/
Agreed with Bobo. I use XnView MP instead. Works just fine, and it’s open source.
Microsoft completely sucks at software. I’ve already uninstalled and erased all of Microsoft’s awful inbox apps, replacing them with acceptable native programs. Microsoft apps are nothing more than bloated web apps used to market their terrible online services.
I removed all image M.$ media software during the initial setup but, my kid does use the photos app on the other pc.
It’s slow to create thumbnails but it’s not set to auto start, I just checked.
I actually still use a 24 year old program to view and do minor edits to images. I like it because it’s fast, it doesn’t connect to the internet, and it can handle archives too.
Win 11 doesn’t like it and occasionally tosses and error that I tell it to ingore and the software keeps working fine doing just what I want it to and nothing more.
I have been looking for a newer replacement and I’ll take a look at those your suggested.
Pretty sad when a tech blog doesn’t recommend Windows Photo Viewer as an alternative – like, helloooo, it’s an official windows photo viewer, just better. Ifranview for all it’s utility is ugly, I don’t like using ugly software unless there’s no other option.
laterzzzz
That’s one of the first apps I remove. Because it’s s*it. It’s a data-harvesting advertisement that can show pictures. Total garbage, just like every other Microsoft “app”.