How to Whitelist a Process in PowerThrottling Settings on Windows 11

Windows 11 uses PowerThrottling to reduce energy consumption by pausing background processes. This feature can slow down or interrupt applications that need consistent CPU access. You can whitelist a process to prevent PowerThrottling from affecting it. This article explains how to add a process to the PowerThrottling exclusion list using Windows Settings and the command line.

What Is PowerThrottling and Why Whitelist a Process?

PowerThrottling is a Windows 11 power management feature introduced in version 1809. It reduces CPU clock speed and pauses background threads to save battery on laptops and tablets. The feature targets processes that the system considers low-priority, such as background services or apps running in suspended state.

When PowerThrottling applies to a process, the process may experience delays, stuttering, or reduced throughput. This is especially noticeable for real-time applications like audio production software, video encoding tools, or remote desktop clients. Whitelisting a process tells Windows 11 to exclude that process from PowerThrottling, allowing it to run at full CPU performance.

Prerequisites for Whitelisting

You need administrative rights on the Windows 11 device. The process you want to whitelist must be running as an executable file with a known name, such as audiodg.exe or obs64.exe. PowerThrottling only applies to processes that are not in the foreground and not actively used by the user. A whitelisted process will still be throttled if it is suspended by the system for other reasons.

Steps to Whitelist a Process Using Windows Settings

The easiest method is to adjust the background app permission for the specific application. This method works for apps installed from the Microsoft Store or desktop apps that appear in the background apps list.

1. Open Settings
   Press Windows + I to open Settings. Go to System > Power & battery.
2. Locate background app settings
   Scroll down to the Battery section. Click Background apps.
3. Choose the app
   Find the application you want to whitelist in the list. Click the app name to expand its options.
4. Set background permission to Always
   Under Let this app run in the background, select Always. This prevents PowerThrottling from pausing the app when it is minimized or running in the background.

This setting does not disable PowerThrottling entirely. It only tells the system that the app should not be suspended. The app can still be throttled if it consumes excessive CPU or if the system enters a low-power state like battery saver mode.

Limitations of the Settings Method

Only apps that appear in the background apps list can be configured this way. Many system processes, such as svchost.exe or SearchIndexer.exe, are not listed. For those processes, you need the command-line method described next.

Steps to Whitelist a Process Using PowerShell and Group Policy

This method uses a Group Policy setting to define a list of processes exempt from PowerThrottling. You create an XML file with the process names and apply it using PowerShell.

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator
   Right-click the Start button and select Windows PowerShell (Admin) or Terminal (Admin).
2. Create the exclusion XML file
   Run the following command to create an XML file named PowerThrottlingExclusions.xml on your desktop:
   New-Item -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\PowerThrottlingExclusions.xml" -ItemType File
3. Open the XML file in Notepad
   Run:
   notepad "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\PowerThrottlingExclusions.xml"
4. Add the exclusion list
   Paste the following content into the file. Replace YourProcess.exe with the actual executable name, such as audiodg.exe or obs64.exe. You can add multiple process names by adding more lines.

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   <PowerThrottlingExclusions>
     <Process>YourProcess.exe</Process>
   </PowerThrottlingExclusions>

5. Save and close the file
   Press Ctrl + S to save, then close Notepad.
6. Apply the policy
   In PowerShell, run:
   Set-ProcessMitigation -PolicyFilePath "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\PowerThrottlingExclusions.xml"
7. Restart the process
   Close and reopen the application you whitelisted. The new policy takes effect immediately for new process instances.

To verify that the exclusion is active, run Get-ProcessMitigation -RunningProcesses YourProcess.exe. Look for the DisablePowerThrottling flag set to True.

Common Issues and Limitations When Whitelisting Processes

Process Does Not Appear in Background Apps List

Many system processes and services are not shown in the Settings background apps list. Use the PowerShell method to whitelist them. If the process is a service, you may need to whitelist the service host executable svchost.exe with the service-specific command-line argument, which is not supported by the current policy mechanism.

PowerThrottling Still Slows Down the Process

Whitelisting prevents PowerThrottling from pausing the process, but other power-saving features can still affect it. Check if Battery saver is enabled. Go to Settings > System > Power & battery > Battery saver and set the threshold to a lower percentage or disable it. Also verify that the power mode is set to Best performance in Settings > System > Power & battery > Power mode.

Policy File Not Applied

The Set-ProcessMitigation command may fail if the XML file has formatting errors. Ensure the file is saved with UTF-8 encoding. Open the XML file in a text editor and confirm that the tags are correctly closed. If the command returns an error, check the event log under Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > CodeIntegrity > Operational for details.

PowerThrottling Exclusion Methods Comparison

Item	Windows Settings Method	PowerShell / Group Policy Method
Target processes	Apps listed in background apps	Any executable by name
Administrator required	No	Yes
Persistence across updates	Survives updates	Survives updates
Supports multiple processes	One app at a time	Yes, in a single XML file
Immediate effect	Yes	Yes, after process restart

You can now whitelist any process in PowerThrottling on Windows 11 using either the Settings app or a PowerShell policy file. For most users, the Settings method works for common apps. Use the PowerShell method for system processes or when you need to exclude multiple executables. To further optimize performance, also review which startup apps are enabled and disable any that are unnecessary.