Start Menu Performance

Windows 11 is getting a meaningful speed boost in places users notice most, with the June Patch Tuesday update improving the Start Menu, Search, app launches, and Windows Store downloads. Microsoft is also adding a new low-latency mode designed to make core navigation feel smoother. The update arrives as KB5094126, with OS Builds 26200.8655 and 26100.8655 listed in Windows Update. At the center of the changes is a low-latency profile that pushes the CPU to maximum speed for a second or more when a system element or app opens, then drops it back once the initial workload passes. Why the change matters That approach is meant to reduce the brief delay people often feel when opening the Start Menu, Action Center, Search, or an app. In the past, the CPU had to ramp up more gradually as demand increased, which could make those small but repeated interactions feel slower than they should. Microsoft has already been working on Start Menu improvements for several months, and the new latency profile appears to extend that effort. In everyday use, the Start Menu is said to feel more responsive, while app launches also show noticeable gains even on capable gaming systems. Search and store downloads also get faster Windows Search is another area that benefits from the update. Search results now begin appearing after just two characters are typed, which should make Start menu searches feel quicker for people who often launch apps by typing. Downloads and installs from the Windows Store are also expected to be much faster. That is a significant fix for users who had previously found the process unusually slow. Area What Changes Start Menu and Action Center Lower latency and faster response when opening core UI elements App Launches CPU boosts immediately to reduce startup delay Windows Search Results appear after two characters are entered Windows Store Downloads and installs should complete much faster Not every change is visible at first The low-latency profile is part of the June security update, but it does not activate for everyone right away. Users can check for the behavior in Task Manager or with third-party tools such as HWiNFO64 by watching for a brief CPU speed spike when opening system elements. There are also several feature additions in the same update. Multi-app camera support lets users join a Zoom call while taking a selfie, while Shared Audio can broadcast sound to two Bluetooth LE headphones or earbuds at once. Microsoft has also added the option to rename the account folder during a fresh Windows installation. On PCs with dedicated AI chips, Task Manager now includes a new NPU monitoring tool as well. Security remains the heaviest part of the patch Beyond the usability changes, Microsoft says it has patched 206 vulnerabilities, many of them marked critical or severe. The risks include privilege escalation, remote code execution, information disclosure, and spoofing. One of the most serious issues is CVE-2026-45657, a kernel-level remote code execution vulnerability with a severity score of 9.8. In a May blog post, Microsoft said AI is speeding up the discovery of security flaws, giving both defensive researchers and attackers the ability to run penetration testing at much larger scale. Neowin also reports that more Start Menu changes are being prepared for a future public build. Those changes could let users add or remove each section individually, and even turn everything off so that only a notice remains saying the Start sections have been disabled.

Windows 11 Feels Faster Now, June Update Gives Start Menu A Real Lift