Ever feel like your computer’s crawling slower than molasses? One of the sneaky causes might be stuff running in the background that doesn’t need to be, especially if you’re just browsing or doing light work. A decent way to give things a nudge is by putting some apps to sleep on Windows 10 — helps free up CPU, RAM, and basically stops apps from hogging resources when you’re not actively using them. I’ve messed around with this on a few setups, and honestly, it kinda works—especially when you’re dealing with apps that refuse to close but don’t really need to run all the time. Just, beware: on some machines, this process can be a little flaky, and you’ll need to reopen the app to wake it up again. But it’s better than having your entire system slow down or fans spin like crazy.
In a nutshell, this is about saving some juice and making your PC feel snappier, without fiddling with crazy tweaks or constant reboots. Not perfect, but it helps on days when your machine feels laggy without a clear reason. So here’s what you might need to do — and of course, how I’ve managed to get a little more breathing room in the system.
How to Put Apps to Sleep on Windows 10
Method 1: Using Windows Settings & Battery Usage Reports
This one’s kinda weird, but you can tweak background activity via the battery usage by app. It’s mainly meant for laptops, but if you’re stubborn like me, it can be used on desktops too. It’s all about telling Windows which apps to chill out on when they’re not being used. When you do this, expect your system to respond a bit more promptly since background apps won’t be draining your RAM or CPU. But don’t forget, some apps might get unresponsive if you toggle this aggressively, so a bit of trial and error helps.
- Open Settings by clicking the Start button and then gear icon.
- Go to System > Battery.(If you don’t see Battery, on some setups it’s tucked under Power & Sleep or might be less obvious — you might have to scroll or look through the menu)
- Click on Battery Usage by App. On some systems, you have to enable the feature if it isn’t showing — look for a toggle or link.
- Now, for each app that’s hogging resources, select it and click on Manage background activity. Here, toggle off or choose Put to sleep. It’s kind of like telling Windows, “Hey, don’t keep this running unless I actually use it.”
On some machines, this may not be the smoothest process, and you might need to restart or log out/in to see effects. But basically, you’re controlling what apps can run in the background without totally killing their ability to restart later.
Method 2: Force Apps to Sleep Using PowerShell & Task Manager
If the above doesn’t cut it or you want a bit more control, you can try ending or suspending processes manually. It’s not exactly “put to sleep, ” but you can stop resource-hungry apps without killing them completely.
- Right-click on the taskbar and select Task Manager.
- Find the app or process that’s running like crazy and right-click it.
- Choose End Task or Suspend Process if available. Suspended processes will stop temporarily without actually closing, which is closer to “sleep.”
- If you want to automate it, open PowerShell as admin and run commands like
Stop-Process -Name "appname"or use third-party tools that suspend processes.
This approach requires a bit of caution—some apps are tied into system functions, and ending them might cause issues or loss of unsaved data. But in a pinch, it’s a quick way to free resources temporarily.
Tips for Making This Actually Work
- Check back periodically in Battery Usage—some apps sneak back into the background after updates or system restarts.
- Keep essential apps (like messaging, email) set to “Always allowed” if you still want notifications popping up.
- Update apps regularly — sometimes, a buggy app won’t play nice with background sleep options.
- Use power plans (like “Power Saver” or creating a custom one) to complement these app tweaks and stretch battery life or free up resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “putting apps to sleep” actually do?
Mostly, it pauses background activity — no more checking for emails, updates, or using CPU unless you actively open the app. Kind of like putting your phone on silent but for apps.
Will this delete my data or mess up the app?
Nah, it just pauses the app. Your files and info are safe — no data loss here. When you open the app again, it’s like waking it up from a nap.
Can I wake an app that’s sleeping?
Sure. Just reopen the app or sometimes click on it in the taskbar, and it’ll start back up. On some setups, you might need to restart it manually.
Do all apps support this sleep feature?
Most do, but some system apps or apps that need to run constantly (like antivirus or certain background services) might refuse to sleep or could cause issues if you force them.
Is this safe overall?
Yeah, it’s pretty safe — just remember, forcing apps into sleep or suspending processes could occasionally cause crashes or weird behavior if you go overboard. Generally, it’s a good way to get some breathing room without totally shutting things down.
Summary
- Open Settings (Start > Gear icon).
- Navigate to System > Battery.
- Check Battery Usage by App.
- Manage background activity for apps you want to put to sleep.
Wrap-up
Doing this won’t turn your computer into a rocket, but it can help smooth things out, especially if you’ve got a bunch of apps fighting for resources. It’s kind of like giving your PC a little breather — hard to say why it helps, but it makes a noticeable difference sometimes. Just keep in mind, it’s not a magic fix, and some apps might not cooperate. Still, it’s a quick, easy trick that’s worth trying if your system’s feeling sluggish or if you’re trying to eke out a little extra speed.
Hopefully, this shaves off a few hours for someone, and your machine runs a tad more like it’s supposed to. Fingers crossed this helps!