Guide: Optimizing Windows 11 Pro for Performance and NVDA Screen Reader Use

[Mister Kayne]

Hello everyone,

 

I am sharing a set of step-by-step instructions to help customize and optimize Windows 11 Pro desktops for better system performance and a smoother experience when using the NVDA screen reader.

 

Disclaimer and Caution:

Please note that these are generic instructions provided purely for informational purposes.

Check System Specifications: Please review the target system specs below to ensure they closely match your own setup before proceeding.

Use at Your Own Risk: Proceed with caution if you are not entirely familiar with any of the settings or configuration steps mentioned.

No Support Warranty: I may not be in a position to troubleshoot or assist in reversing any settings you choose to change.

User Discretion: The decision to apply, modify, or discard these instructions rests entirely with you.

Target System Specifications Reference:

This manual was put together for systems matching or similar to the following configuration:

System Architecture: x64-based PC running Microsoft Windows 11 Pro

Processor (CPU): 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12400, 2500 MHz, 6 Cores, 12 Logical Processors

Physical Memory (RAM): 16.0 GB Installed

Primary Accessibility Tool: NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) screen reader

 

Section 1: Target System Specifications

For reference and troubleshooting, this manual is optimized for the following computer configuration:

 

1. System Architecture: x64-based PC running Microsoft Windows 11 Pro

2. Processor (CPU): 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12400, 2500 MHz, 6 Cores, 12 Logical Processors

3. Physical Memory (RAM): 16.0 GB Installed

4. Primary Accessibility Tool: Nonvisual Desktop Access (NVDA) screen reader

 

Section 2: Streamlining Windows Visual and Animation Performance

Reducing unnecessary graphical effects frees up CPU cycles and system memory, resulting in snappier screen reader feedback and reduced latency.

1. Press the Windows Key + R, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter to open System Properties.

2. Press the Tab key until you reach the tabs, then use the Right Arrow key to select the Advanced tab.

3. Tab down to the Settings button under the Performance section and press Enter.

4. In the Performance Options window, select the radio button for Adjust for best performance.

5. Locate and check the box for Smooth edges of screen fonts (this ensures text remains crisp and clear for any residual vision and screen-magnification tools).

6. Tab down to the Apply button, press it, then tab to OK and press Enter.

 

Section 3: Minimizing Background Resource Usage

A clean startup ensures that background bloatware does not consume your 16GB of RAM or trigger unexpected audio notifications that clash with NVDA speech.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.

2. Press Ctrl + Tab until you reach the Startup apps page (represented by a speedometer or gauge icon).

3. Use the Down Arrow to navigate through the list of applications that start with Windows.

4. When you find an application you do not need running immediately at startup (e.g., third-party updaters, chat apps, or media helpers), press Alt + S or click the Disable button in the command bar.

5. Close Task Manager by pressing Alt + F4.

 

Section 4: Power Management and Sleep Configuration

Screen readers and background maintenance scripts rely on active memory states. Putting a screen reader system into unmonitored sleep states can sometimes corrupt accessibility hooks or cause RAM state lag upon waking.

1. Press the Windows Key + I to open Settings.

2. Type Power and sleep or use the Down Arrow to find System, press Enter, and select Power & battery.

3. Tab to Screen and sleep and expand it. Set the options for battery and plugged-in states to comfortable intervals, or choose Never if you prefer the computer to remain fully awake for remote tasks or long reading sessions.

4. Press the Windows Key + R, type control printers (or open the classic Control Panel), and choose Power Options.

5. Select Choose what the power buttons do from the left-hand column.

6. Ensure that the setting for When I press the power button is set to Shut down rather than Sleep or Hibernate, ensuring a clean memory flush regularly.

 

Section 5: Configuring File Explorer for Details View and Screen Reader Efficiency

Setting File Explorer to Details view provides NVDA users with immediate, text-based metadata (file type, size, date modified) via screen reader table reading commands without needing to check properties manually.

1. Press the Windows Key + E to open File Explorer.

2. Press Ctrl + Shift + 6 (or Ctrl + Shift + Details layout shortcut) or press Alt + V, arrow down to Layout, and select Details. This arranges items in a structured list format with columns, which NVDA reads efficiently.

3. Press Alt + V, arrow down to Show, and ensure File name extensions is checked so file types are explicitly spoken.

4. Press Alt + T then O (or access the View menu options) to open Folder Options, go to the View tab, and click the Apply to Folders button so this details layout applies globally to all folders on your system.

5. Uncheck Show pop-up description for folder and desktop items in the same View list to prevent unnecessary tooltip speech interruptions as you navigate rows.

6. Click Apply and OK.

 

Section 6: Windows Notification and Sound Optimizations

Preventing unnecessary notification chimes ensures that your audio channel remains clear for NVDA voice synthesizer output.

1. Press the Windows Key + I to open Settings.

2. Go to System and then select Notifications.

3. Toggle notifications Off completely if you require a distraction-free working environment, or expand the list to disable alerts from individual non-essential apps that trigger audio dings while you are reading.

4. Navigate back to System, select Sound, and choose More sound settings to open the classic Sound dialog.

5. Go to the Sounds tab, and change the Sound Scheme dropdown to No Sounds. This eliminates default Windows error and navigation clicks that overlap with NVDA speech. Click Apply and OK.

 

Section 7: Recommended NVDA Performance Adjustments

To ensure NVDA itself runs at maximum efficiency on your hardware configuration:

1. Launch NVDA or open its menu using NVDA Key + N (where the NVDA key is set to Insert or Caps Lock).

2. Arrow down to Preferences, sub-menu to Settings, and press Enter.

3. In the Speech category, choose a reliable synthesizer (such as Microsoft Speech API version 5) and set a comfortable, responsive speech rate.

4. In the Document Formatting category, ensure you only check the formatting attributes you genuinely need (e.g., headings, links). Leaving every single formatting attribute checked forces NVDA to process extra metadata for every line, introducing minor speech latency in large documents.

5. Under the Advanced category, ensure options like Log warning messages are left at default levels to prevent unnecessary disk writing overhead.

 

Warm regards,

Mister Kayne
Author: The Somebody, Nobody, Anybody & Everybody Blog!

SHOW LOVE | SHOP LOVE | Contact Me

 

 

[Ira Edward Marquette]

Yesterday, I experienced very strange behavior by NVDA and Microsoft Word.

I'm running the most recent version of NVDA (no Beta version) an the
most up-to-date version of Microsoft Office.

Prior to yesterday, I regularly edited documents in "Draft" mode (Alt +
W, E). That seemed to solve the NVDA problem of skipping lines when a
paragraph straddled a page (when in "Print" mode).

Yesterday (and it has continued today), when I enter "Draft" mode, NVDA
goes completely silent. I have tried mouse clicks and every navigation
command I know. I've tried to go in and out of focus mode. I have even
used Alt + Tab to exit and reenter the window. NVDA works fine outside
Word and even works in simultaneously opened word documents, provided
they are in "Print" mode.

Very strange.

[Richard Turner]

Could the view have gotten changed to 2 page, instead of one page?
Try alt+w, then 1.



Richard, USA,
The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance."
-- Alan Watts (1915-1973)

My web site: https://www.turner42.com

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[Richard Turner]

I meant, alt, then w, then 1.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/007b01dd1c67%24540e3790%24fc2aa6b0%24%40comcast.net.

[Ira Edward Marquette]

Richard:

Thank you. I took your advice. I pressed Alt W 1. That immediately
solved the problem. NVDA resumed speaking; however, NVDA announced
"Print Layout."

I then pressed Alt W E, hoping that I could return to draft layout in
single page mode. Unfortunately, NVDA went silent again.

I repeated the process several times. Each time I pressed Alt W 1 NVDA
spoke as expected--though it announced "Print Layout." Every time I
pressed Alt W E NVDA announced "Draft Layout" and went silent.

  This never used to happen. Is it possible that some Office update is
causing the problem. I have Office updates set to automatic. I know NVDA
hasn't changed.


On 25/07/2026 13:56, 'Richard Turner' via NVDA Screen Reader Discussion
wrote:

[Richard Turner]

It does sound like a Microsoft update is the issue.

Someone else will have to add more, as I have no idea what to do about that.

Richard, USA

"While striving for perfection, let us do what is possible." -- John Wesley

My web site: https://www.turner42.com

(sent from my iPhone 16 pro) 

On Jul 25, 2026, at 2:22 PM, Ira Edward Marquette <marque...@gmail.com> wrote:

Richard:

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/9de12d13-b283-41d7-ad09-828bffe882c9%40gmail.com.

[Andrew Downie]

I cannot replicate the issue here.  When pressing alt+w and e NVDA says "Draft on" and behaves normally.  When pressing alt+w and e again NVDA says "Draft off".  Behaviour is the same if switching via the Ribbon.

I tried changing UI Automation settings under Advanced that everything still worked.

I hate such issues and appreciate your frustration.  I wonder if following the steps in this Microsoft post may fix the paragraph issue without resorting to draft mode.  When I check the checkbox in question the setting does not hold, so you probably  need to check it each time you open Word.

Andrew

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/9de12d13-b283-41d7-ad09-828bffe882c9%40gmail.com.

[Sarah Alawami]

Since I have draft mode on my Quick Access toolbar in Microsoft Word all I do is hit Alt plus the number two on my number row. I tested this and NVDA is not going silent. I get the feeling this is a systems issue with your computer and your version of Microsoft Word. have you checked for updates lately?

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/D8DDA5DF-B53F-481C-87BF-D13B0070F5A5%40comcast.net.

[Snehashish Mahato.]

Ira,

I’m currently on Office 365 MSO (Version 2606 Build 16.0.20131.20112), and for me (just like the others mentioned), the “Draft” option isn’t causing any issues.

I’ll probably have to update Office anyway, and then I can look into it from the perspective of MS Word. But before that, could you try to recall if you updated any NVDA add-on, or if a recent update automatically enabled a specific feature in one of your add-ons that might be causing this problem?

In my case, I’m using an add-on called “NVDA global commands extension” which has a feature that says “Special remanence for Gmail.com”. It gave me such a hard time with table navigation through NVDA that my installation was almost on the verge of breakdown. I couldn’t navigate through tables at all on WhatsApp or Gmail’s web. So, to check if a recent add-on update and one of its auto-activated features is causing this issue on your end, could you restart NVDA in “Restart with add-ons disabled and debug logging enabled” mode, try editing a document in “Draft” mode, and confirm the result with us?

Snehashish.

[Jerry Martin]

A dumb question. In Word, what exactly is draft mode? Thanks.

Jerry

 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/CALm5GvnhLPpEyy90PS%3DQFx%3DvCoUdSnkH9%2Bsg0%3D2B%3D%3DvkG3g3mg%40mail.gmail.com.

[kers...@montana.com]

Hi,

I know you have automatic updates on, but try updating manually. Hit alt + f and up arrow to account and press enter. Tab to update options press enter and one of the options is to check for updates.
It will be interesting to know if ou end up getting an update.

Hope that will help

Best
George

-----Original Message-----
From: nvda-...@nvaccess.org <nvda-...@nvaccess.org> On Behalf Of Ira Edward Marquette