How to Fix Low FPS on Windows After an Update

What Causes This?

Low FPS after a Windows update usually happens because the update changes something your games depend on, not because your PC suddenly got weaker. Common causes include outdated or replaced graphics drivers, new background services starting with the update, Game Bar or capture features turning back on, and leftover update files using disk space and system resources. In some cases, Windows also resets graphics or power settings, which can reduce gaming performance.

Common Symptoms

• Games that ran smoothly before the update now stutter or drop frames
• FPS is lower in every game, not just one title
• CPU, disk, or memory usage stays unusually high in the background
• Longer loading times or hitching during gameplay
• Performance gets worse after startup until the PC has been idle for a while

How to Fix It Manually

1. Restart your PC and let Windows finish post-update tasks

   • Click Start > Power > Restart.
   • After rebooting, wait 5-10 minutes before launching a game.
   • Open Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc and check whether CPU, Memory, or Disk usage is still very high. Updates sometimes keep indexing, scanning, or installing in the background.

2. Check for a graphics driver issue

   • Press Windows + X and click Device Manager.
   • Expand Display adapters and double-click your GPU.
   • Under the Driver tab, note the driver date and version.
   • If performance dropped right after the update, try updating the driver from NVIDIA App/GeForce Experience, AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, or Intel Driver & Support Assistant.
   • If Windows installed a worse driver, click Roll Back Driver if that option is available.

3. Turn off background gaming features that may have been re-enabled

   • Open Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar and turn it Off if you do not use it.
   • Go to Settings > Gaming > Captures and disable Record what happened or any background recording options.
   • Then open Settings > Apps > Startup and turn off non-essential startup apps such as launchers, chat overlays, RGB software, and updater tools you do not need while gaming.

4. Set Windows to a performance-focused power mode

   • Open Settings > System > Power & battery.
   • Under Power mode, select Best performance.
   • If you are on a desktop, also press Windows + R, type control, and open Power Options.
   • Choose High performance if it is available.

5. Clear temporary and leftover update files

   • Open Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files.
   • Check items such as Windows Update Cleanup, Temporary files, and DirectX Shader Cache.
   • Click Remove files.
   • This can free space and remove leftover update data that may be slowing the system down.

6. Check graphics settings for your game

   • Open Settings > System > Display > Graphics.
   • Select your game, click Options, and set it to High performance.
   • If the update changed display settings, also make sure your monitor is still set to the correct refresh rate under Settings > System > Display > Advanced display.

7. Uninstall the update if the problem started immediately after it

   • Open Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates.
   • Remove the most recent update that matches when the FPS problem began.
   • Restart your PC and test the game again.
   • Only do this if the issue clearly started right after a specific update.

Fix It Automatically with Kudu

Kudu can scan for the common causes of post-update FPS drops, including leftover update files, unnecessary startup apps, and background processes eating CPU, RAM, or disk usage. Instead of checking each setting manually, it helps clean up Windows and optimize your system for better gaming performance in a few clicks.

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