Windows Optimization Guide · 2025

How to Open Performance Options in Windows 10 & Windows 11

6 quick methods to access Visual Effects, Virtual Memory & Data Execution Prevention settings — no third-party tools required.

⚡ Windows 10 ⚡ Windows 11 🔧 Performance Tuning 🖥️ Visual Effects 📄 Virtual Memory
Overview

What Are Windows Performance Options — and Why Should You Open Them?

Performance Options is a built-in Windows control panel that lets you fine-tune how your PC balances visual appearance against speed. It is found inside System Properties and contains three tabs: Visual Effects, Advanced (virtual memory & processor scheduling), and Data Execution Prevention (DEP).

Opening this dialog is one of the fastest free ways to speed up an older machine, reduce RAM usage, or troubleshoot sluggish performance — without installing any software.

ℹ️
Compatibility All six methods below work on both Windows 10 (all versions, including 21H2 & 22H2) and Windows 11 (21H2, 22H2, 23H2 & 24H2). Administrator privileges are required to save changes.
Method 1 · Fastest

Open Performance Options via the Run Dialog

The Run dialog is the quickest path — it works identically on Windows 10 and Windows 11 and requires no mouse navigation.

  1. Press Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog.
  2. Type the command SystemPropertiesPerformance into the text field.
  3. Press Enter or click OK.
  4. The Performance Options window opens directly on the Visual Effects tab.
✅
Pro Tip This is the recommended method for power users. The command SystemPropertiesPerformance bypasses all intermediate windows and lands you exactly where you need to be. 
Run Dialog Command
SystemPropertiesPerformance
Method 3

Open Performance Options via System Properties

This is the classic multi-step path that has been consistent across all modern Windows versions. It's useful if you also need to access other System Properties tabs like Computer Name or Remote.

  1. Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter to open System Properties.
  2. Click the Advanced tab at the top of the window.
  3. Under the Performance section (the first section), click Settings…
  4. The Performance Options dialog opens.
Run Dialog Command
sysdm.cpl
Method 4

Open Performance Options via Control Panel

The Control Panel route is longer but helpful if you are already browsing system settings or want to see the full System and Security category.

  1. Open the Control Panel — press Win + R, type control, and press Enter.
  2. Set View by to Large icons or Small icons in the top-right corner.
  3. Click System.
  4. In the left pane, click Advanced system settings. The System Properties window appears.
  5. On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings…
ℹ️
Windows 11 Difference In Windows 11, the System item in Control Panel may redirect you to the modern Settings app. If so, scroll down and click Advanced system settings in the right-hand panel, then follow steps 4–5 above.
Method 5

Open Performance Options via Command Prompt or PowerShell

For administrators, IT professionals, or anyone who prefers the terminal, you can launch Performance Options directly from Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Windows Terminal using a single command.

  1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell — search for it in the Start menu, or press Win + X and choose Windows Terminal.
  2. Type the command below and press Enter.
Command Prompt / PowerShell
SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe

Alternatively, you can launch the full System Properties – Advanced tab directly:

Command Prompt / PowerShell — Advanced Tab
SystemPropertiesAdvanced.exe
✅
Script Automation You can also use the Start-Process cmdlet in PowerShell: Start-Process SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe. This is useful inside .bat or .ps1 scripts that automate system configuration on multiple machines.
Method 6

Open Performance Options via File Explorer Address Bar

An often-overlooked trick: you can type any Windows executable directly into the File Explorer address bar, just like a browser URL. This is useful if File Explorer is already open.

  1. Open File Explorer with Win + E.
  2. Click on the address bar at the top (or press Alt + D to focus it).
  3. Type SystemPropertiesPerformance and press Enter.
  4. The Performance Options dialog opens instantly.
Inside Performance Options

Performance Options Window: All 3 Tabs Explained

Once you have opened Performance Options, you will see a window with three tabs. Here is what each one controls:

Tab What It Controls When to Use It
Visual Effects Animations, shadows, transparency, font smoothing, thumbnail previews Speed up slow or older PCs by disabling animations
Advanced Processor scheduling (programs vs background services), virtual memory (paging file size) Adjust RAM usage; increase virtual memory if you see low-memory warnings
Data Execution Prevention DEP — blocks malicious code from running in protected memory regions Add exceptions for legacy software that is falsely blocked by DEP
Visual Effects Optimization

How to Optimize Visual Effects Settings for Maximum Performance in Windows 10 & 11

On the Visual Effects tab you will see four preset options. Choosing the right one depends on your hardware and priorities:

Option Description Best For
Let Windows choose Windows automatically enables or disables effects based on your hardware Most users on modern PCs
Adjust for best appearance All visual effects are enabled High-end PCs where appearance matters
Adjust for best performance All visual effects are disabled Old/slow PCs, virtual machines, maximum speed
Custom You manually tick/untick individual effects Users who want a balance between look and speed

Recommended Custom Settings for a Good Speed/Looks Balance

If you select Custom, the following combination preserves a clean, modern look while significantly reducing CPU and GPU overhead:

✅
Keep Enabled Smooth edges of screen fonts · Show thumbnails instead of icons · Show window contents while dragging · Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop
❌
Safe to Disable Animate controls and elements · Animate windows when minimizing/maximizing · Animations in the taskbar · Fade or slide menus · Fade or slide ToolTips · Fade out menu items after clicking · Show shadows under mouse pointer · Slide open combo boxes · Use a background image for each folder type
Virtual Memory

How to Adjust Virtual Memory (Page File) in Windows 10 & Windows 11

Virtual memory (also called the paging file or page file) is disk space that Windows uses as an overflow when physical RAM is full. Adjusting it can fix "Your computer is low on memory" warnings and improve stability in RAM-intensive workloads.

  1. Open Performance Options using any method above.
  2. Click the Advanced tab.
  3. Under Virtual memory, click Change…
  4. Uncheck Automatically manage paging file size for all drives if you want manual control.
  5. Select your Windows drive (usually C:), choose Custom size, and enter initial & maximum values.
  6. Click Set, then OK. Restart your PC to apply the changes.
⚠️
Recommended Values Microsoft recommends setting the Initial size to 1.5× your installed RAM and the Maximum size to 3× your installed RAM (in MB). For example, on an 8 GB system: Initial = 12288 MB, Maximum = 24576 MB. Do not set the maximum lower than the initial size.
Pros & Cons

Pros and Cons of Disabling Visual Effects in Windows 10 & 11

Before you switch to Adjust for best performance, weigh the trade-offs below:

✅ Advantages

  • Noticeably faster UI response on older hardware (Core 2 Duo–era CPUs, HDDs)
  • Reduced RAM consumption — up to 200–400 MB freed on low-end systems
  • Lower CPU usage during window operations and taskbar animations
  • Ideal for virtual machines (VMware, VirtualBox, Hyper-V)
  • Faster Remote Desktop sessions over slow network links
  • Improves gaming performance on integrated graphics laptops

✗ Disadvantages

  • Windows looks noticeably dated — flat, blocky UI without shadows or transparency
  • Font rendering may appear slightly rougher without ClearType sub-options
  • No perceptible speed benefit on modern PCs with SSDs and 8+ GB RAM
  • Some apps with custom animations may look inconsistent
  • Windows 11's design language was built around Fluent effects — disabling them feels more jarring than on Windows 10
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Windows Performance Options

Q Do I need administrator rights to open Performance Options? ▼
You can open the Performance Options window without administrator rights, but you will need an admin account (or UAC elevation) to save any changes. When you click OK or Apply, Windows will prompt for elevation if your account is a standard user.
Q Is "Adjust for best performance" safe? Will it break anything? ▼
Yes, it is completely safe. This setting only affects cosmetic animations and rendering. It will not harm your files, drivers, applications, or hardware. You can reverse it at any time by reopening Performance Options and choosing a different preset. The only "risk" is a plainer-looking desktop.
Q Why is the command called SystemPropertiesPerformance and where is the .exe file? ▼
The executable SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe is located in C:\Windows\System32\. Because System32 is in the Windows PATH environment variable, you can run it from the Run dialog, any terminal, or File Explorer address bar without specifying the full path.
Q How to open Performance Options in Windows 11 — is it different from Windows 10? ▼
No — all six methods described in this guide work identically on Windows 11. Microsoft did not remove or relocate the Performance Options dialog in Windows 11. The only difference is that Windows 11's Settings app and Control Panel may look different, but the underlying SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe and sysdm.cpl commands remain unchanged.
Q Can I create a desktop shortcut to open Performance Options directly? ▼
Yes. Right-click the desktop → New → Shortcut. In the location field type SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe and click Next. Name the shortcut (e.g. "Performance Options") and click Finish. You can then pin it to the taskbar or Start menu for one-click access.
Q What is Data Execution Prevention (DEP) and should I change it? ▼
Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is a security feature that prevents code from running in memory areas marked as non-executable. It helps block certain types of malware. By default, Windows enables DEP for essential Windows programs and services only. You should not disable DEP globally. Only add specific legacy applications to the DEP exception list if they are being incorrectly blocked and you trust them completely.
Summary

Conclusion: The Fastest Way to Open Performance Options in Windows

All six methods above reliably open the Performance Options dialog on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. The choice simply depends on your workflow:

# Method Speed Best For
1 Run Dialog — Win+R → SystemPropertiesPerformance ⚡⚡⚡ Power users, fastest possible
2 Windows Search — Win+S → "Adjust the appearance…" ⚡⚡ Casual users, mouse-first
3 System Properties — sysdm.cpl → Advanced → Settings ⚡⚡ Multi-tab system configuration
4 Control Panel → System → Advanced system settings ⚡ Users already in Control Panel
5 CMD / PowerShell — SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe ⚡⚡⚡ IT admins, scripting
6 File Explorer address bar — SystemPropertiesPerformance ⚡⚡ Users with Explorer already open

🚀 Bottom Line

The single fastest method on any Windows 10 or Windows 11 machine is Win + R → type SystemPropertiesPerformance → press Enter. This takes under 5 seconds and opens the dialog directly on the Visual Effects tab with no extra clicks. For most users on older hardware, switching to "Adjust for best performance" — or using a custom preset that keeps font smoothing and thumbnails — delivers an immediate, noticeable speed improvement at zero cost.