Waiting for your computer to boot up can be annoying, especially when you’re in a rush. Common reasons for this slowdown include too many startup programs and services, improper boot order, and more. Here are some steps you can take to make your PC ready for use as soon as you turn it on.
1 Turn On Fast Startup
Fast Startup allows Windows to save the system kernel, loaded drivers, and system state to a special hibernation file when shutting down instead of fully closing everything. This way, when you turn on your computer, it restores this saved state rather than starting everything from scratch, which speeds up the boot process.
To enable Fast Startup in Windows, type Control Panel in the search bar and open the app. Navigate to Hardware and Sound > Power Options, then click “Choose What the Power Buttons Do” in the left sidebar. Under the Shutdown Settings section, check the box beside “Turn On Fast Startup (Recommended).”
If this option is grayed out, click “Change settings that are currently unavailable” and grant administrative access to enable it.
2 Disable Startup Programs
Some apps you install automatically gain permission to launch at startup. These startup apps use system resources like memory and CPU, which can delay how quickly your computer becomes ready to use. While some are essential, like antivirus programs, others may not be needed and can unnecessarily slow down boot time.
So, review the list of programs and disable unnecessary apps. Right-click the Start button and open “Task Manager.” Navigate to the “Startup Apps” tab, where you’ll see a list of apps and their startup impact (low, medium, or high).
Identify the apps you don’t need, right-click on them, and click “Disable” to prevent them from launching at startup.
3 Get an SSD or Defragment Your HDD
Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) have moving parts and rely on magnetism to read and write data on the disk’s surface. In contrast, Solid-State Drives (SSDs) have no moving parts and use flash memory with electronic circuits. For this reason, SSDs are much faster than HDDs. If your laptop has an HDD, upgrading to an SSD will speed up your OS boot time enormously.
If you’re not ready to switch to an SSD and want to keep using an HDD, you should defragment your hard drive. Over time, data on an HDD becomes fragmented (scattered) across the disk, which can slow down read and write speeds. Defragmenting your HDD reorganizes the data, placing it in contiguous blocks, which improves read times and helps Windows boot faster.
4 Prioritize Your OS Drive in BIOS
When you have multiple drives connected to your computer, such as an SSD, HDD, or USB drive, the BIOS checks each one to find and boot the operating system. If the drive with your OS is lower in the boot order, the computer takes longer to locate it, as it also checks the other drives that don’t contain the OS, leading to a slower boot time.
To resolve this, move the drive containing your operating system to the top of the boot priority list. This will stop the BIOS from searching OS in other drives and speed up the boot process. To do this, restart your computer, enter the BIOS/UEFI settings by pressing the appropriate key(s), go to the “Boot” or “Boot Order” section, and position your OS drive at the top of the list.
5 Reduce OS Selection Timeout
When you have multiple operating systems installed on your laptop, the system shows an OS selection window, prompting you to choose which OS to boot into. This adds a few extra seconds to the boot process, and if you don’t make a selection, it can take around 30 seconds for the system to automatically boot into the default OS, which slows down the startup process.
If you don’t often use the other operating system, you can shorten the timeout to 5-10 seconds to save time during boot-up. To do this, press Win+R, type sysdm.cpl, and hit Enter. In the Advanced tab, click the “Settings” button, then reduce the “Time to display list of operating systems” to 5 or 10 seconds, depending on your preference.
This way, you’ll have enough time to select your preferred OS, but you won’t waste 30 seconds during bootup if you step away after pressing the power button.
6 Disable Unnecessary Services
Some apps automatically gain permission to run background services after installation. For example, a browser might run an update service, a remote desktop app might check for incoming connections, a launcher might keep programs ready to open, or certain apps might keep their help assistant active. These background services can slow down your computer.
To resolve this problem, identify and turn off unnecessary services that don’t need to run constantly. Press Win+R, type msconfig, and press Enter. Navigate to the “Services” tab, then click “Hide All Microsoft Services” to exclude essential system services. Review the remaining services, uncheck those you don’t need, click “Disable All,” then “Apply,” and hit “OK.”
7 Optimize Paging File
A paging file is a section of your storage drive that acts as extra RAM when your computer’s physical RAM runs out. Your device stores less frequently accessed data there and frees up RAM for critical tasks. By default, the paging file size is often set to a standard value, which may not be enough. Increasing the virtual memory can help improve boot time.
To increase virtual memory, go to Settings > System > About > Advanced System Settings. In the System Properties window, switch to the “Advanced” tab and click “Settings” under the Performance section. Go to the “Advanced” tab again and select “Change” under Virtual Memory. Uncheck “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives” and select “Size.”
Set the initial size to 1.5 times your installed RAM and the maximum size to 4 times your RAM. For example, if you have 16 GB (16384 MB) of RAM, set the initial size to 24576 MB and the maximum size to 65536 MB. Finally, click the “Set” button and then “OK.” If your drive has limited space, allocate as much as you can spare.
Following the above tips, you can reduce your computer’s boot time. Each step speeds up the process, so you must not overlook any of them. Remember, improving boot time isn’t a one-time task; you have to regularly monitor and remove new startup apps, turn off unnecessary services, and take other measures to maintain a consistently fast boot.
