Windows 11, be careful with Photos because the application can slow down the PC

Microsoft recently updated the Photos app in Windows 11. This development brings several changes including some AI-powered features and a migration from the UWP app to the Windows App SDK.

However, this update has brought some inconveniences to some users, including the automatic opening of the application at Windows startup, which can slow down the PC startup. Not everyone is affected, which suggests that this is probably a test to observe the reaction of users.

This discovery is annoying because the automatic launch of Photos affects the startup performance of users who do not use the application frequently. Additionally, it seems that the application launch is also slower.

Windows 11 and Photos, solutions

If you don’t want the Photos app to open automatically on startup, here’s what to do.

1. Click Start and open Settings,
2. Go to Applications then Start,
3. Find Photos in the list and toggle the option to Off.

Another solution is to opt for an alternative software. We can cite IrfanView to view images and take advantage of some basic editing tools or even
FastStone Image Viewer known for its simplicity and low resource consumption.

Note that it is important to keep an eye on the list of applications allowed to start when Windows starts. This helps maintain optimal performance because some applications can be added discreetly.

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