Disable unnecessary background apps to Accelerate startup.

 Disabling unnecessary background and startup apps is one of the most effective ways to speed up your computer's boot time. Here’s a breakdown of where to look and how to do it.



🎯 Step 1: Focus on the Startup Tab (The Biggest Impact)

The most direct way to speed up boot time is to stop apps from launching automatically when you turn on your PC. These apps load in the background during startup, consuming CPU cycles and RAM .

How to do it:

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

  2. Click on the Startup tab (or "Startup apps").

  3. Look at the "Startup impact" column. This shows you which apps are slowing you down the most .

  4. Right-click on any app you don't need immediately (like Spotify, Discord, or Adobe updaters) and select Disable .

Note: Do not disable your antivirus or essential system drivers. Only disable third-party software you recognize .

⚙️ Step 2: Check the "Hidden" Startup Locations

Some programs hide in other folders and won't appear in Task Manager. You can check these manually:

  • The Settings App (Simpler for Windows 11):

    • Go to Settings > Apps > Startup.

    • Use the toggles to turn off the apps you don't want .

  • The Startup Folders (Deeper Clean):

    • Press Windows + R,  and type shell:startup, and press Enter. Delete any shortcuts here to stop them from launching just for you .

    • For a system-wide cleanup, type shell:common startup instead.

🛠️ Step 3: Advanced Tweaks (For the Pros)

If your PC still feels slow, you can dig a little deeper, though these methods require more caution.

  • Clean Up Background Services:

    • Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and go to the Services tab.

    • Check "Hide all Microsoft services" (this prevents you from breaking Windows).

    • Uncheck any third-party services you don't need (like old printer software or updaters) and click OK .

  • Use Microsoft's "Autoruns" Tool:

    • If you want total control, download Autoruns from Microsoft. It lists every single thing that runs when Windows starts, including extensions and drivers that Task Manager misses .

  • The Registry (Last Resort):

    • You can edit the Registry to kill startup entries, but this is risky. If you go this route, back up your Registry first .

💡 What About Apps Running After Boot?

There is also a difference between "Startup apps" (which launch when you turn the PC on) and "Background apps" (which run after you've logged in).

  • Windows 10: You can go to Settings > Privacy > Background apps and toggle the master switch off to stop many Microsoft Store apps from running in the background .

  • Windows 11: This setting is now managed per-app. Go to Settings > Apps > Advanced app settings or look for "Background apps permissions" in the individual app settings page .

✅ Quick Summary

To get the fastest boot possible:

  1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc).

  2. Disable all "High impact" apps in the Startup tab.

  3. Keep your Antivirus enabled.

  4. Restart your PC to feel the difference.

Once you've cleaned these up, the change in boot speed is usually noticeable immediately.