Microsoft promises 'significant gains' for Windows 11 boot times
Microsoft says Windows 11 will boot faster and log in more responsively, with significant gains cited for boot time and Windows Hello.
Linton said "We've made significant gains on things like boot time, Windows Hello responsiveness." Windows Hello is Windows 11's secured sign-in system that can use an infrared webcam and facial recognition. The claimed improvement, alongside a faster boot, would allow users to reach the desktop sooner, but no timeline or performance estimates were given. The work is not yet in pre-release builds, remaining in Microsoft's internal testing.
Microsoft is pursuing several other performance improvements for Windows 11. It has already begun rolling out a CPU-boosting feature called Low Latency Profile that targets faster app loading, and it continues to work on menu and system responsiveness.
The performance work is also aimed at computers with 8GB of RAM, which have become more common as soaring memory prices raise laptop prices. Linton said the company is "optimizing so that 8 gig of RAM runs great on machines as well." He also said Microsoft is "continuing to improve on the fundamentals." No specific speed gain was provided.