I Disabled Windows Startup Apps—Here’s How Much Faster My PC Boots

If your device is getting an age to start and you blame it on its age, you are wrong. I used to think the same until I find the real culprit – too many many applications loaded at start -up. Deactivating unnecessary applications has made my device start to start faster. I applied this change on two devices, and here is the difference it made.

How the test was done

To measure how the start -up applications really affect the starting time, I tested the impact of the start -up applications in three steps. First of all, I left all the starting applications activated, just as they were, and I recorded the average time that Windows took to start completely. This gave me a reference for the comparison. Once I got it, I went to the second step.

In the second step, I disabled all the start -up applications, including those useful that I usually keep activated and restarted my PC several times. As expected, the starting time has dropped. This configuration was not practical because I still need certain applications to be launched at start -up – as you probably also do – but it has clearly demonstrated the overall impact of start -up applications.

Finally, in the third step, I only reactivated the essential applications and kept the useless deactivated. This gave me the most realistic result: a significantly faster start -up without extinguishing key processes. To make sure that the results were correct, I did not rely on a single test for each step. Instead, I measured the starting time several times and calculated the average.

The results of our test

The three steps in which I tested the starting time are called:

• Baseline – All activated start -up applications

• All deactivated – Each non -system starting application disabled

• Selective – Essential Applications Activated, Useless Disabled

Here is the starting time that I recorded on the two devices for each step:

The first device I used for this test had low -end equipment and was equipped with a hard drive instead of an SSD, which is known to have faster starting times. The second device, on the other hand, had the latest specifications and an SSD. Naturally, the first machine was slower by default, so its start -up time had to be lagging behind the second.

According to the results, you can see that the two devices have taken the most time to start in the base step and the least time when all the start -up applications have been disabled. With selective deactivation, I was able to reduce the start -up time without deactivating essential applications. However, it is obvious that starting applications are not the only element influencing the start -up time.

Instead, hardware specifications, such as processor speed, SSD against hard disk, RAM capacity and even UEFI / BIOS optimization, affect overall start -up performance.

How you can check and deactivate start -up apps

If you want to perform an experience as I did, review the applications currently defined to start starting up, then deactivate them, either at the same time or selectively. To check, click with the start button, open “Task Manager” and access the “Startup Apps” tab. There, you will see the applications activated to operate at startup, as well as their impact rating, which helps you decide which to deactivate.

To prevent a start-up application at start-up, find it in the list of applications with the state established on “activated”, right-click and select “Disable”.

You can also manage start -up applications from the Settings application. Right -click the Start button, open “Settings” and go to Apps> Startup. Here, review the list and switch the apps on or deactivate if necessary.

How you can measure the starting time reliably

For reliable results, it is important to carefully measure the starting time. The simplest way is to use a stopwatch, but first, you must decide your starting and end points. For example, I measured the time by pressing the power button until the office and system system icons can be used. If you prefer a starting point or a different end point, it’s good – keep it coherent throughout your tests.

To test with a stopwatch, start the timing when you press the power button and stop once you have reached the chosen termination point. Repeat this 3 to 5 times and calculate the average.

For a more precise and objective approach, you can use the Viewer event, the integrated Windows utility that records system events. Open it and access application and services newspapers> Microsoft> Windows> Diagnostics-Performance> Operational-BY Event ID 100 filter, which shows the danger and related measurements in milliseconds.

Check the start -up values ​​between 3 to 5 executions, then on average to see how disabling start -up applications affect performance.

We explained how the test was done and how much the deactivation start -up applications have reduced the starting time. If you perform the same experience, your results may differ, but one thing is certain: the deactivation of starting applications will shorten the start time, if only for a few seconds. So if you want your PC to be ready a little faster, review the applications you allow you to start at start -up.