7 Ways to Fix Microsoft Edge Running Slow on Windows 11

Quick Fixes

• Disable preloading your new tab page from Edge Settings > Start, home, and new tabs > New tab page.
• Reset Microsoft Edge settings from the three-dot menu > Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their default values.

Basic Fixes

• Update or reinstall Microsoft Edge: Open the Microsoft Store, search Microsoft Edge browser, and click Update. Alternatively, uninstall it from Windows Settings > Apps > Installed apps > reinstall it from the Microsoft Store.
• Remove unnecessary Edge extensions: Select the three-dot menu at the top right of Microsoft Edge and click Extensions > Manage extensions. Under the unnecessary extension, click Remove to delete it.
• Update Windows 11: Press the Windows + I shortcut to open the Settings app, select Windows Update from the left sidebar, and install available system updates.

Fix 1: Disable Preloading Your New Tab Page

Edge’s preloading tab feature loads your favorite wallpaper and other home screen components when opening a new tab, which can be resource-intensive. Disable it to boost the browser speed.

Step 1: Click on the horizontal three-dot menu at the top right of Microsoft Edge and select Settings.

Step 2: Select Start, home, and new tabs from the sidebar and toggle off Preload your new tab page for a faster experience.

Fix 2: Disable Graphics Acceleration

Graphics acceleration is designed to improve the browser’s performance but demands significant system and GPU resources, slowing down Microsoft Edge. To turn it off, go to the Edge settings.

Step 1: Open Microsoft Edge settings from the three-dot menu > Settings.

Step 2: Select System and Performance from the sidebar and toggle off Use graphics acceleration when available.

Fix 3: Enable Efficiency Mode in Edge

If Microsoft Edge is consistently running slow on your PC, enable its built-in efficiency mode that reduces system resource consumption and enhances your device battery life.

Open Edge settings > select System and performance from the sidebar > toggle on Efficiency mode.

Tip: To define the efficiency mode intensity, choose between Balanced savings and Maximum savings.

Fix 4: Remove All Cookies and Site Data

Excessive cookies and site data accumulation often slow down the Edge browser speed. Clear them manually to restore normalcy.

Step 1: Open Microsoft Edge settings from the three-dot menu > select Privacy, search, and services from the sidebar > click Choose what to clear next to Clear browsing data now.

Step 2: Check the boxes for Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files > select Clear now.

Fix 5: Switch to Basic Tracking Prevention

Microsoft Edge’s strict tracking prevention blocks most website trackers, causing long loading times and occasional glitches. Switch to Basic tracking prevention to improve browsing speed.

Open Edge settings, select Privacy, search, and services from the sidebar, and select Basic under Tracking prevention to switch it.

Fix 6: Flush the Edge DNS

Flushing the DNS cache in Microsoft Edge clears recorded IP addresses and DNS records from your cache, improving the browser speed significantly.

Step 1: Open a new tab in Microsoft Edge, paste the following path in the URL, and press Enter.

edge://net-internals/#dns

Step 2: Click Clear host cache to flush the Edge DNS and restart the Microsoft Edge browser.

Fix 7: Reset Edge Settings 

Lastly, if nothing works, reset Microsoft Edge to its factory defaults, fixing its slow speed on Windows 11.

Step 1: Click the three-dot menu at the top right of Microsoft Edge and select Settings.

Step 2: Select Reset settings from the sidebar and click Restore settings to their default values.

Step 3: Click Reset to confirm resetting Microsoft Edge settings.