After a recent system update, a user ' s Windows 11 computer begins to experience...

Extra icons in the system tray after an update often indicate new background apps loading at startup, increasing boot time. The Mike Meyers Lab Manual explains that “autostarting programs will slow down your system,” and Windows provides control through Task Manager’s Startup tab to enable/disable startup programs—specifically calling this out as useful “especially if Windows is slow to load.” The All-in-One Exam Guide gives the same practical step: open Task Manager’s Startup tab and “review the enabled applications for any you don’t need,” then disable unnecessary ones to regain speed.

Importantly, the All-in-One answer guidance explicitly notes that disabling unnecessary startup programs is the least disruptive first action: “Andre’s best option would be to disable unnecessary startup programs… A system restore might help… but it’ll be much slower and more disruptive.”

Uninstalling the update or restoring the system are more disruptive and should come later if simpler optimization fails. Antivirus scanning can be appropriate if no obvious cause exists, but the clear clue here is new startup items (system tray icons).