How to Speed Up Windows Startup: Disable Startup Programs

Why does Windows take so long to boot?

Every program that auto-starts adds seconds to your boot time and steals RAM in the background. Most PCs have 10–20 startup items installed by default — many of which you never use.

Step 1: Audit your startup apps

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
2. Open the Startup apps tab.
3. Check the Startup impact column and disable anything "High" that you don't need immediately.

Keep security software and drivers. Everything else — chat apps, launchers, updaters — can start when you open them.

Step 2: Check the hidden startup locations

Some programs hide their autostart entries. Press Win+R and run:

shell:startup
shell:common startup

Delete unwanted shortcuts. Then open Task Manager → Startup apps again — some entries also live in the registry (handled by the same list).

Step 3: Turn on Fast Startup (or off if buggy)

Control Panel → Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do → Change settings that are currently unavailable → tick Turn on fast startup. On some PCs Fast Startup causes issues; if boot became unreliable, untick it and use a full shutdown instead.

Step 4: Upgrade to an SSD

Nothing speeds up boot like an SSD. A SATA SSD boots Windows in 10–15 seconds vs 60–120 on a hard drive. Cloning tools make migration easy — or we can do it for you.

Step 5: Update BIOS/UEFI and drivers

Old firmware can slow POST to a crawl. Check your motherboard/laptop vendor's support page. Chipset and storage driver updates also improve boot times.

Step 6: Keep Windows lean

Run Storage Sense regularly and keep at least 20% of the system drive free. A bloated registry and failing updates can also drag boot — see our Windows Update guide.