The Invisible Resource Drain
Windows 11 allows numerous applications—particularly those installed via the Microsoft Store—to run silently in the background even when you have explicitly clicked the “X” to close their main windows. These background apps constantly consume RAM, utilize CPU cycles to check for updates, and drain battery life by pinging servers for notifications. While it makes sense for an email client or a messaging app to run continuously, it makes absolutely no sense for a calculator, a casual game, or a sound recorder utility to secretly siphon system resources while you are trying to perform intensive tasks like video editing or gaming.
Restricting Background Permissions
To reclaim your system performance and stop Windows 11 from allowing non-essential software to operate behind your back, you must manually restrict the background permissions for specific programs.
Press the Windows Key and click the gear icon to open the Settings app. In the left-hand navigation pane, click on Apps, then select Installed apps from the main window. Scroll through the list and locate a program you wish to restrict (for example, the Xbox app, Cortana, or the Calculator). Click the three horizontal dots located to the right of the app’s name, and select Advanced options from the small popup menu. Scroll down this new page until you find the section labelled Background apps permissions. Click the dropdown menu beneath “Let this app run in background.” By default, it is usually set to “Power optimized (recommended).” Change this setting to Never. The application is now strictly forbidden from executing any code unless its window is actively open on your desktop.