How to Change a Process's Priority on Windows
Give a specific program more, or less, CPU priority than the rest.
You can tell Windows to give more (or less) CPU priority to a specific program compared to the rest.
- Task Manager → "Details" tab (not "Processes").
- Right-click the process → "Set priority".
- Choose the level: from "Low" to "Realtime".
Warning: avoid "Realtime" — it can make that process hog so much CPU that the rest of the system (including the mouse and keyboard) stops responding normally. "High" is enough for most cases where you want to prioritise something.
Note: this change isn't saved permanently — it is lost when you close the program or restart the machine, so you have to reapply it each time if you need it regularly.
Frequently asked questions
Does changing the priority greatly improve a program's performance?
The effect is modest in most cases — it helps when several programs are actively competing for CPU, but it doesn't fix underlying hardware limitations.
Why is the change lost on restart?
Because it is a temporary setting applied to that specific running process, not a configuration permanently saved by Windows for that program.