Computers have come a long way since the beige boxes of old, but even with speeds measured in gigahertz and gigabytes per second, I’ve found that they still involve some occasional waiting. This can be especially true when I’m starting up my computer from a powered-off state. For years, I tried everything to make the machine boot up quicker, but now I’m confident I’ve found the fix.
If you’re tired of solving Rubik’s Cubes in the time it takes your computer to boot into Windows, there are likely some issues to address. Here are a few ways I’ve found that can speed up the boot process, so you can start working (or playing) faster.
1. Enable Windows’ Fast Startup Mode
Windows has a feature called Fast Startup that does exactly what it sounds like, so this is an obvious first stop in your quest. It’s possible the feature is enabled by default on your machine, but if it was ever turned off—or if it wasn’t enabled on the desktop you built yourself—flipping the switch is pretty easy.
Open Control Panel in Icon view and choose Power Options. Click Choose what the power buttons do in the sidebar. You should see a checkbox next to Turn on fast startup in the list of options. If it’s grayed out, you’ll need to click the Change settings that are currently unavailable link at the top of that window first, then turn on the Fast Startup feature. Be sure to click Save changes when finished.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)
Essentially, this is a halfway mode between hibernating and shutting down. When you shut down your PC next time, it won’t preserve your open applications, like hibernation will, but the background OS will go into hibernation mode, which will help you start up with a clean state faster. Rebooting is unaffected, though, so if you run into problems with Windows Update or getting into your BIOS, you may have to restart your PC to perform those tasks.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)
2. Adjust Your UEFI/BIOS Settings
Some computers have a Fast Boot setting in the BIOS. Unlike Fast Startup in Windows, the Fast Boot setting bypasses some of the initial tests your computer runs when it first starts up. Anyone who needs regular access to the BIOS—like overclockers—might want to leave this off, but most people could benefit from turning it on if it isn’t already.
To enable this feature, reboot your computer and press the assigned key on the startup screen to enter the BIOS setup. The exact key will differ by the make and model of your machine. Search for any fast boot settings (or whatever it’s called on your system) in the menu and turn it on. Every motherboard is different, so poke around your UEFI/BIOS settings to see if there are any other features you can enable or disable to speed up the boot process.
Some also recommend changing your Boot Order Priority to put the hard disk at the top of the list, rather than a DVD drive or network boot, but I’ve never found this to move the needle much. If in doubt, confer with your motherboard’s manufacturer or the manual that came with your computer to hopefully get a nudge in the right direction.
(Credit: PCMag / MSI)
3. Cut Down on Startup Programs
The more programs you have set to launch at startup, the longer your computer will take to get into a usable state when you boot it up. Some of your startup programs may need to be running all the time, but plenty probably don’t. To see what launches at startup, press Ctrl-Shift-Esc to bring up the Task Manager. Click More details along the bottom, then head to the Startup tab (Windows 10) or click the Startup apps category (Windows 11)
You’ll see a list of programs that start alongside your computer, with Windows’ estimate of how much it impacts your boot time. (You’ll also see “Last BIOS Time” in the upper-right corner—this tells you how long your BIOS takes to hand off control to Windows, so if this number is more than a few seconds, you might want to take another look at the BIOS settings as described above. In some cases, you might just have a slow motherboard.)
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If you see a program in this list you don’t need at startup—especially if it has a high startup impact—head into that program’s settings and uncheck the option to launch it with Windows. (Dropbox, in my opinion, is worth the startup impact since you want it running all the time, but I don’t think Epic Games Launcher needs to launch with your PC.)
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)
If you don’t see an option in that program’s startup settings, you can disable it from this Task Manager window to prevent it from launching at boot. You can also open Settings > Apps > Startup and turn off anything you don’t want to open at startup.
Another option is to open File Explorer and type %APPDATA%MicrosoftWindowsStart MenuProgramsStartup into the address bar to access your Startup folder. Any shortcuts added here will automatically launch at boot, so if there’s something here you don’t want launching, just delete it from the folder.
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(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)
4. Let Windows Updates Run During Downtime
When Windows runs an update, it has to take time to install those updates when you shut down—and, often, when you boot back up. If you’re tired of the computer “Getting Windows Ready” after an update when you just want to play some games, you should set up active hours to let Windows do its thing when you aren’t using the PC—this means letting your machine run automatic updates.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)
To set this up in Windows 10, head to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Change Active Hours, and click the Change button. in Windows 11, open Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options, then click Active hours and changethe drop-down to Manually. Tell Windows what time you tend to use the device most—say, from 9 to 5—and it’ll run automatic updates and reboots outside that timeframe, when the system is more likely to be idle.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)
5. Upgrade to a Solid-State Drive
Most computers now ship with a solid-state drive over the spinning mechanical hard drives of yore, since they’re much faster. If you’re still using an old computer with a legacy hard drive, it’s time to upgrade internally. Not only will programs launch nearly instantaneously compared to your ancient hard drive, but your computer will boot much faster as well.
Just about any desktop computer with a spinning disk should be easy to upgrade to a 2.5-inch SSD. Our guide can help you copy your Windows installation over to an SSD, if you don’t want to start from scratch. You’ll need to look up instructions on how to open up your specific computer and replace the drive, since it can vary from machine to machine. The good news is that you shouldn’t need more than a screwdriver (and maybe a torx bit) for most computers.
Samsung SSD 870 EVO (Credit: Chris Stobing)
6. Just Use Sleep Mode
Here’s the thing: Booting up fresh will always be slower than resuming from sleep. If you’re frustrated by how long it takes to start your computer, consider just putting it to sleep instead—that’s what I do. Sleep may use a bit more power than a full shutdown, but the difference is negligible in terms of electricity costs. Putting your computer to sleep also means it can be woken up by rogue background programs, but we have a guide to fix that.
Shutting down still has its place, though. If I’m putting my laptop in my bag for travel, for example, I probably want to shut it down fully. However, the more often you use sleep, the less you’ll have to worry about that pesky startup time.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)
About Our Experts
Whitson Gordon
Contributing Writer
Experience
Whitson Gordon is a writer, gamer, and tech nerd who has been building PCs for 10 years. He eats potato chips with chopsticks so he doesn’t get grease on his mechanical keyboard.
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Jason Cohen
Senior Editor, Help & How To
Experience
As PCMag’s editor of how to content, I have to cover a wide variety of topics and also make our stories accessible to everyday users. Considering my history as a technical writer, copywriter, and all-around freelancer covering baseball, comics, and more at various outlets, I am used to making myself into an expert.
I believe tech corporations are bad, but you might as well know how to use technology in everyday life. Want more how to content delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the tips and tricks newsletter that I curate twice a week.
My job as how-to guru means I use just about every gadget under the sun, so I can figure out how everything works. I work from a Lenovo ThinkPad running Windows 11, but also have a very large Dell Inspiron 17 3000 and Apple silicon MacBook. I also have a Google Pixel 6a for personal use and use a Galaxy Z Flip 4 for additional Samsung-related testing. For iOS coverage, an iPhone 13 mini works like a charm, though it’s already becoming a little long in the tooth.
My desktop situation includes a dual monitor setup with a modest Acer monitor. I also use a Logitech mouse (who can use these ThinkPad trackpads) and a Havit keyboard (my first mechanical keyboard; I love it but my wife hates it!). I’m a recent convert from wired headphones; I have Anker Soundcore Liberty Air wireless earbuds for personal use and have taken to the Sennheiser HD 450BT headphones for work.
Whenever I have a second to myself, I’m probably gaming on my Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or Xbox Series S. I also still have a bunch of classic consoles lying around as well.
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