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turn off efficiency mode windows 11

samwindsor 0 Reputation points
2025-12-03T16:52:22.4566667+00:00

Hello Microsoft, please advise if there is an official way to turn off efficiency mode in Windows 11? I'm asking to turn this option OFF , not to go remove it from the task manager ( will come back ) or create a shortcut for the app.

i found a workaround with third-party software to do it , and just FYI, changing the power plan did not work, and enabling the super power plan didn't help either.

Why does Microsoft not have the option to disable efficiency mode in the settings?

Windows for business | Windows Client for IT Pros | User experience | Accessibility
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  1. Hailey Huong Bui 2,135 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-12-05T08:08:27.47+00:00

    Dear samwindsor

    Thank you for sharing additional details and I completely understand your frustration. You’re right: on older or resource-limited machines, Efficiency Mode can sometimes work against the very productivity it is meant to protect, especially in environments where applications like Chrome or Adobe need consistent full performance. I recognize that this becomes even more disruptive when Windows continues to reapply throttling despite your attempts to manage processes manually.

    While I personally cannot override product decisions or directly modify the feature, I can confirm that feedback from IT admins like you does reach the engineering teams, and cases with widespread user impact are reviewed with priority. I will escalate your scenario internally so it becomes part of the broader conversation on how Efficiency Mode should behave in enterprise or heavy-workload environments. Your real-world examples add meaningful context that helps shape future improvements.

    Although I fully understand that you don’t accept the current limitation, the official guidance remains unchanged third-party tools may work temporarily but are not supported and could introduce additional risks. Still, your feedback is absolutely valid, and you’re not alone in raising it.

    If this update helps, please consider hitting “Accept Answer” so we can close the thread with a smile . And of course, I’m here if you need anything else or want help documenting the escalation.

    Thank you so much. Hope you have a nice day

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  1. Hailey Huong Bui 2,135 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-12-03T17:54:58.3733333+00:00

    Dear samwindsor

    At this time, Windows 11 does not offer an official system-wide setting to fully disable Efficiency Mode across all apps, as the feature is designed to help enhance performance balance and power efficiency for modern hardware. While Task Manager allows you to toggle Efficiency Mode per process, there is currently no built-in option to permanently disable it through Settings, Group Policy, or Power Plans. I understand you’ve already tried adjusting power plans including the Ultimate Performance plan and confirmed that these do not remove or override Efficiency Mode behavior.

    Using third-party tools may provide temporary workarounds, but they are not officially supported and may introduce system instability or unexpected behavior. For now, the recommended approach is to manage Efficiency Mode on a per-process basis in Task Manager, as this is the only supported method provided by Microsoft. I completely understand the need for more granular control, and I have already passed similar customer feedback to the engineering team for future consideration.

    If you find it helpfull, don't forget "Accept the answer" so that it could be spread further to those in need too. Should you need more information, feel free to leave a message. We are happy to help!

  2. Hailey Huong Bui 2,135 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-12-04T16:28:17.3133333+00:00

    Hi samwindsor

    Thank you for the additional clarification that context about Chrome tabs and refresh behavior is extremely helpful. Windows 11 unfortunately does not offer any supported method to disable Efficiency Mode globally or to permanently turn it off for a specific application such as Chrome or Adobe . Because Efficiency Mode is applied dynamically by the OS based on process behavior (such as background activity or low CPU priority), it will re-enable itself automatically even if you manually turn it off in Task Manager.

    I understand the impact this can have when your staff work with many browser tabs or productivity apps. The design intent is to improve foreground responsiveness and battery efficiency, but in certain workflows especially high-tab, high-I/O environments it can feel counterproductive. At the moment, Microsoft does not provide a policy, registry key, or administrative control to force Efficiency Mode off system-wide or per-app. Third-party tools can override this behavior, but as mentioned earlier, these are not officially supported and may create scheduling or stability issues.

    I recommend submitting this through the Feedback Hub as well, since these entries directly influence feature prioritization.

    If this explanation helps clarify the current platform limitations, please feel free to hit “Accept Answer” so it can assist others too 🙂. And i’m still here if you need any assistance

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  3. samwindsor 0 Reputation points
    2025-12-04T16:43:41.4733333+00:00

    I did submit to the Hub, and a quick search will show Microsoft that thousands have the same issue. This issue is worse when the users are working on limited resources or older PCs, and try to dedicate all the PC resources to this software they are using, and Windows tries to throttle down the PC using Efficiency Mode ( this is counterproductive)

    I understand the limitation as you described, but I don't accept it, as mentioned, I'm using a 3rd party software to work around the issue, but if you can escalate the issue to the Dev team at Microsoft, that will be appreciated by many admins. Thanks

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