A slow-booting PC can be a frustrating experience, to say the least. Although a reboot is quite rare nowadays, having to wait a long time for the computer to be usable after this type of operation is certainly not pleasant.
Although Windows 11 has changed the cards on the table by redefining the user experience, it can nullify everything if you have to wait more minutes when opening the operating system.
Fortunately, there are a couple of things you can do to make your PC boot faster with the latest version of the operating system from Microsoft. From changing a few minor system settings to replacing an old, outdated hard drive – below, we’ll give you some practical tips to boot Windows 11 in as little time as possible.
1- Disable the programs that run at the startup
As with previous versions of Windows, boot speed is largely determined by the software that starts hand in hand with the operating system.
When your PC starts up, a list of programs is configured to start automatically as soon as you log in through the lock screen. While some of this software is essential for the operating system to function, other third-party apps are not at all. Many programs can load up on RAM and cause your computer to slow down when starting up.
You can safely block these programs from starting automatically through the Task Manager. To disable startup programs in Windows 11 follow these steps:
- right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager ;
- click on the icon with three horizontal bars in the upper left corner to expand the side menu and select Startup applications ;
- sort the list according to the State field by clicking on the appropriate label;
- from the list of enabled programs, choose the one you want to disable and click the Disable button.
If you are not sure whether an app can be disabled or not, avoid selecting that item. Eventually, try a reboot or two to see if these changes have any real impact on the operating system’s uptime.
2- Enable fast startup
Windows Fast Startup is a very cool feature that does exactly what its name suggests: it helps your PC boot up faster.
To activate Fastboot mode in Windows 11, you will have to perform the steps given below:
- first, make sure hibernation mode is enabled on your operating system (to do this, right-click the Start menu and select Terminal (Administrator) ;
- in the Terminal window, type the following command and hit enter to activate hibernation mode: Powercfg -h on ;
- then navigate to System and Security – Power Options ;
- from the left sidebar menu, select Choose what the power button does ;
- select Change the currently available settings ;
- under Shutdown settings, check the Turn on fast startup (recommended) option ;
- finally, select Save Changes and restart your PC to get access to the Fast Startup option.
3- Update your hardware
With the aforementioned two techniques, you should already have obtained perceptible advantages in terms of timing. If these are not enough or if you still want to make Windows 11 start and restart even faster, you will need to resort to a hardware upgrade.
What are the most useful components in this regard? Acting on SSD and RAM means intervening in a targeted manner, making your computer faster and more responsive at 360 degrees.
The best SSD media are much faster than traditional HDDs but can be a bit expensive compared to them. An SSD will ensure fast booting and overall smoother system performance, so we highly recommend upgrading in this direction.
If an SSD seems a bit out of budget, you should at least upgrade your RAM. For systems currently running 4GB of RAM, you should consider upgrading to at least 8GB, even better would be to go for 16 GB.
- Windows 11 Snipping Tool Not Working? Here’s how to fix it
- Enter BIOS in Windows 11 on Any Laptop or Pc
- Enable new Spotlight UI on Desktop in Windows 11 build 25197
- Enable Full Screen Widgets Panel in Windows 11 Build 25201
- How to install Windows 11 on a Raspberry Pi 4
- How to start Windows 11 in safe mode
- Windows 11 Keyboard Shortcuts: Here are the Best Guide