Why managing startup programs matters

When you turn on your Windows computer, all kinds of programs automatically start in the background. Some of them are useful, such as your antivirus software, but many programs add themselves to startup without really needing to. This can slow your computer down considerably during startup and afterwards too, because these programs keep using memory and processor capacity.

By disabling unnecessary startup programs, you can shorten your computer's startup time and improve overall performance. Your computer will respond faster and more memory will be available for the programs you actually use. In this article you'll learn how to manage startup programs and which ones you can safely disable.

Viewing and managing startup programs in Settings

The easiest way to manage startup programs in Windows 11 is through the Settings app:

Step-by-step guide

  1. Open Settings by pressing the Windows key + I
  2. Click Apps in the left menu
  3. Click Startup
  4. You'll now see a list of all apps that can start automatically
  5. Use the toggle next to each app to turn it on or off for startup

Startup impact

For each app you can see its impact on your startup time, shown as:

Focus mainly on apps with high and medium impact for the biggest improvement.

Managing startup programs in Task Manager

Task Manager offers a more detailed overview and more information about startup programs:

Opening Task Manager

There are several ways to open Task Manager:

  • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc
  • Right-click the taskbar and choose Task Manager
  • Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and choose Task Manager

Going to the Startup tab

  1. Open Task Manager with one of the methods above
  2. Click the Startup apps tab in the left menu (or the Startup tab at the top in older versions)
  3. In Windows 11 you may first need to click 'More details' if you see the simple view

Information in the Startup tab

Task Manager shows more details than the Settings app:

  • Name: The name of the program
  • Publisher: The company that made the software
  • Status: Enabled or Disabled for startup
  • Startup impact: High, Medium, Low or Not measured

Disabling a program

  1. Select the program you want to disable
  2. Click the Disable button in the top right (or right-click and choose Disable)
  3. The program will no longer start automatically when you turn on your computer

Which startup programs can you safely disable?

Not all startup programs are needed. Here is a guideline for what you can safely disable:

Safe to disable

  • Cloud storage services you don't need all the time (OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive)
  • Messaging apps such as Skype, Discord, Slack, Teams (unless you need them right away)
  • Media players such as Spotify, iTunes
  • Game launchers such as Steam, Epic Games, Origin
  • Update utilities from Adobe, Java and other software
  • Manufacturer utilities you never use

Better not to disable

  • Antivirus software and security programs
  • Graphics drivers and control panels (AMD, NVIDIA, Intel)
  • Audio/sound drivers and software (Realtek, Dolby)
  • Touchpad and keyboard drivers on laptops
  • System utilities from Windows itself

Advanced: managing the Startup folder

Besides the automatic startup programs, there is also a special folder where you can place programs or shortcuts that should launch at startup:

Opening the Startup folder

  1. Press Windows key + R to open Run
  2. Type shell:startup and press Enter
  3. Your personal Startup folder opens

Removing programs from the Startup folder

Everything you see in this folder is launched automatically. Remove shortcuts to programs you don't want to start automatically by dragging them to the Recycle Bin.

Startup folder for all users

There is also a Startup folder that applies to all users:

  1. Open Run (Windows + R)
  2. Type shell:common startup and press Enter
  3. Removing items here requires administrator rights

Adding a startup delay

Instead of disabling a program completely, you can also choose to have it start with a delay. This reduces the peak load during startup:

With Task Scheduler

  1. Search for Task Scheduler in the Start menu and open it
  2. Click Create Task in the right pane
  3. Give the task a name
  4. Under Triggers: add a new trigger for 'At log on' with a delay
  5. Under Actions: add the program you want to start
  6. Disable the original startup item in Task Manager

Measuring performance before and after

To see how much difference your changes make:

Checking the startup time

  1. Open Event Viewer from the Start menu
  2. Go to Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > Diagnostics-Performance > Operational
  3. Look for event ID 100 (boot completed)
  4. The 'Boot Duration' value shows how long startup took

General tips for faster startup

  • Turn on Fast startup in Power Options if it isn't active yet
  • Consider an SSD if you still have a traditional hard drive
  • Keep your system up to date with Windows Update
  • Completely uninstall programs you no longer use

Conclusion

Managing startup programs is an effective way to make your Windows computer faster without spending money on hardware upgrades. By taking a critical look at which programs really need to start automatically, you can shorten startup time considerably and improve overall performance. Use the Settings app or Task Manager to regularly check which programs have added themselves to startup, and disable everything you don't need right away. Your computer will thank you.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to the startup programs in Windows 11?

Go to Settings > Apps > Startup, or open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc and click the Startup apps tab. Both give you access to the list of startup programs.

Which startup programs can I disable?

You can safely disable game launchers, media players, cloud storage apps and messaging apps. Never disable your antivirus software, graphics drivers or system utilities, because these are important for your computer to work properly.

Does disabling startup programs remove them from my computer?

No, the programs stay installed and you can use them normally. They just no longer start automatically when you turn on your computer. You can still open them manually whenever you need them.

How can I see how much faster my computer starts up?

Open Event Viewer and go to Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > Diagnostics-Performance > Operational. Look for event ID 100 to see the total boot time before and after your changes.

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