One gripe many users have with Windows is that it comes with a lot of additional baggage. The add-ons are not a problem if you’re using a super-powerful computer. But if your PC’s processing power is average or just-above-average, these hidden services can sometimes really slow things down. The good news is that not all of them are essential. You can safely turn off some of them to make things easier for your CPU and boost system’s performance.
Here are 4 hidden services that you may want to turn off.
Runtime Broker
The Runtimebroker.exe process manages permissions for applications found in Microsoft Store. Think of it as a middleman between those apps and your computer’s security settings that ensures they follow your security and privacy configurations.
While this process is supposed to consume no more than 30% of CPU resources, frequent spikes in usage are not uncommon, with each spike lasting 2-3 seconds. When the spikes occur repeatedly at short intervals, it can be rather frustrating. Worse, your system may freeze frequently if your computer is low on RAM.
The good news is you can safely turn off Runtime Broker if you don’t use any store apps. Here’s what to do:
- Press Ctrl+Alt+Del keys and click Task Manager
- Under the Processes tab, locate and disable Runtimebroker.exe
The process shouldn’t load automatically unless you access Microsoft Store or a related app.
Windows Search Indexer
Windows Search Indexer, or SearchIndexer.exe, handles indexing of your files for Windows Search. The process comes in real handy when you want to search for a lost file, but the downside is that can hog CPU resources when repairing the underlying index or indexing large files.
In case of limited CPU headroom, SearchIndexer.exe can alone impacts your computer’s speed. You can disable it be performing the following steps:
- Press Win + R keys
- Type services in the Run dialog box and press the OK button
- Locate Windows Search service and then double-click it
- Click Disable to turn off the service
- If you want to disable it permanently, choose the Disabled option from the drop-down menu next to Startup type
CTF Loader
CTF Loader, or ctfmon.exe, is a process that’s part of the Alternative User Input Text Input Processor (AITIP), which manages text input methods such as speech recognition and specialized keyboards.
Since CTF loader continuously runs in the background, it makes sense to disable it if you don’t use alternate text input methods. But keep in mind that disabling ctfmon.exe from Task Manager isn’t the best option because the process can launch itself again. A more effective solution is to permanently disable it via Windows Services.
This is what you’ve to do.
- Press Win + R keys
- In the Run dialog box, type services.msc and press the OK button
- In the right-hand pane, locate and double-click Text Input Management Service
- Click Disable to turn off the service. Choose the Disabled option in the Startup type drop-down menu to permanently disable the service
Microsoft Store Background Apps
Windows include numerous bloatware programs, including, but not limited to, Microsoft Store apps such as Outlook and Copilot. These apps continue to run in the background, hogging CPU resources, so it’s best to uninstall them if you don’t use them. You can uninstall these apps via Add or Remove programs utility, just like any other installed app.
However, if you prefer to keep these apps, consider preventing them from starting automatically with Windows to speed up your computer. Here’s what to do:
- Press Ctrl+Alt+Del and select Task Manager
- Locate and select the apps you want to disable and then select Disable
Besides disabling hidden services that can slow down your computer, I also recommend you to keep your device drivers up-to-date. The easiest and fastest way to do this is by using an advanced third-party tool such as Driver Updater.
Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:
- You can update device drivers automatically
- The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
- The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
- Automatic driver updates are 100% safe
Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tools out there. Outbyte Driver Updater will give you access to a database of over 1 million drivers. It will regularly scan your PC, suggesting new driver versions to install. Driver Updater contains drivers for a variety of Windows devices. With just one click, you can update drivers in your system.
Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app
Step 2
Scan all devices
Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically
