To stop apps from running in the background on a Windows PC, follow these steps:
1. Stop Apps from Background Apps Settings
- Open Settings by pressing Windows + I.
- Go to Privacy and then select Background apps from the left sidebar.
- Here, you’ll see a list of apps that can run in the background. To stop them, toggle off Let apps run in the background to disable all background apps, or turn off individual apps by toggling them off.
2. Disable Startup Programs
Some apps automatically start when Windows boots. To disable them:
- Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
- Go to the Startup tab.
- Right-click on any unnecessary programs and select Disable. This will prevent them from launching at startup, which reduces background activity.
3. Close Apps from Task Manager
- In Task Manager, go to the Processes tab.
- Find apps running in the background that you don’t need and right-click them, then select End task to close them completely.
4. Disable Background Services
- Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
- Type
msconfigand press Enter. - In the System Configuration window, go to the Services tab.
- Check the box that says Hide all Microsoft services to avoid disabling essential system services.
- Review the remaining services and uncheck any unnecessary ones, then click OK and restart your computer.
5. Manage App Permissions (for Apps from Microsoft Store)
- Open Settings and go to Apps.
- Select an app from the list, then click Advanced options.
- Under Background apps permissions, you can choose Never to prevent the app from running in the background.
6. Disable System Notifications
- Open Settings and go to System > Notifications & actions.
- Toggle off Get notifications from apps and other senders to stop notifications from causing apps to run in the background.
By following these steps, you can reduce the number of apps running in the background, which can help improve your PC’s performance and conserve system resources.