Microsoft Photos App Opens Extremely Slow in Windows 11 (How to Fix)

There could be various reasons why Microsoft Photos App Opens Slowly, such as corrupted app files, an outdated application or Windows OS, and conflicts with other apps.

Steve Ballmer

March 2, 2025 Modified date: September 25, 2025

Microsoft Photos is the default image viewer and editor in Windows 11, designed to help users quickly open, organize, and make simple edits to pictures and videos. Microsoft regularly updates the app with new AI features, bug fixes, and improvements. However, sometimes you may notice the Microsoft Photos app not opening, it takes around 25-30 seconds to open a single picture. Users report Microsoft Photos app not loading pictures, takes a long time to launch or becomes unresponsive, especially when opening large image files or multiple pictures at once. Several factors cause such problem, including corrupt app files, outdated updates, excessive cache buildup, or interference from background services. Whatever the reason, here are several solutions you can apply to fix it.

Contents

1 Why Microsoft Photos App Opens Slowly

Why Microsoft Photos App Opens Slowly

There are several possible reasons why Microsoft Photos app opens slowly or not respond. Some of the common ones include corrupted cache files, the app running background tasks or AI features, having a large number of photos to index, or using a slow hard disk drive (HDD).

Corrupted thumbnail cache: A bloated or corrupted cache of image thumbnails can significantly slow down the app’s loading times.
Background tasks and AI features: The app performs background tasks, such as metadata collection and photo analysis, and its new AI features can also consume system resources.
Hard Disk Drive (HDD): If your PC uses an HDD, the app’s reliance on reading large amounts of data for photos will cause lag.
Outdated software: An outdated Photos app or an outdated version of Windows can cause performance issues.
Large photo library: The app may be trying to analyze and index a massive collection of images, which takes time.

Update the Microsoft Photos App

An outdated Photos app may have bugs that slow down performance. Updating ensures you get the latest features and performance improvements.

An outdated application can contain unfixed bugs and problems with the proper functioning of the app.

Open Microsoft Store.
Click on the Downloads icon on the left.
Select Check for updates.
If Photos has an update, install it and restart your PC.

Update Microsoft store apps

In addition, an outdated Windows OS can also cause Microsoft Photos to malfunction. Open Settings → Windows Update. Click Check for updates. Install any pending updates and restart your PC.

Clear Photos App Cache

Over time, Photos accumulates cache files that may slow it down. Clearing the cache often improves startup speed.

Press Windows + R, type %localappdata%, and hit Enter.
Navigate to the Packages folder.
Find Microsoft.Windows.Photos_8wekyb3d8bbwe and open it.
Delete the LocalCache folder and restart your PC.

Repair or Reset the Photos App

If the app’s internal files are corrupted, repairing or resetting it can restore normal functionality.

Press Windows + I to open Settings.
Go to Apps → Installed apps.
Scroll down to locate Microsoft Photos, click the three-dot menu, and choose Advanced options.

Select Repair first. If the issue persists, choose Reset (this will clear app data).

Run the Photos app to see if it’s working correctly. If not, next try the next solution.

Run System File Checker (SFC)

Corrupted Windows system files can also impact the Photos app. Running SFC will scan and repair them.

Search for Command Prompt, right-click, and select Run as administrator.
Type the command sfc /scannow and press the Enter key
Wait for the scan to finish and restart your PC.

Reinstall Microsoft Photos

If repairing and resetting didn’t work, reinstalling the app ensures a fresh copy without corrupted data.

Press Windows + X and choose Windows PowerShell (Admin).
First Uninstall Photos with this command: Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.Windows.Photos* | Remove-AppxPackage
Open the Microsoft Store, search for Microsoft Photos, and reinstall it.

Finally, click the Open button to launch the app and check if it’s working properly as it should now.

Disable Background Apps

If too many apps run in the background, they consume memory and CPU resources, slowing down Photos.

Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
Select an app you don’t need running in the background.
Under Background app permissions, set it to Never.

If the issue continues, you can temporarily switch to lightweight alternatives like IrfanView, XnView, or FastStone Image Viewer, which are faster than Microsoft Photos.

FAQ: Microsoft Photos App Slow in Windows 11

Q1. Why is Microsoft Photos so slow to open?
The app becomes slow due to cache buildup, corrupted files, outdated versions, or high background resource usage.

Q2. Does resetting Photos app delete my pictures?
No, resetting only removes app data and settings. Your actual photos stored on your PC remain safe.

Q3. Should I reinstall Microsoft Photos if nothing works?
Yes, reinstalling often fixes deep corruption issues that repair and reset cannot solve.

Q4. Is there a faster alternative to Microsoft Photos?
Yes, lightweight apps like IrfanView, XnView, and FastStone are faster and use fewer system resources.