If you’re tired of waiting for your Windows PC to start up, you’re not alone. Over time, I’ve picked up a few simple but effective tricks that have significantly reduced my Windows boot time. Whether you’re using Windows 10 or Windows 11, these tips can help speed things up without requiring advanced technical skills.
Here are 6 easy tricks that made my PC boot faster:
1. Enable Fast Startup
Fast Startup is a hybrid shutdown feature that helps your PC boot faster by saving part of the system state to disk.
How to enable it:
- Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do.
- Click “Change settings that are currently unavailable”.
- Check the box for “Turn on fast startup (recommended)”.
- Save changes.
✅ Result: Reduces cold boot time by up to 50% on most systems.
2. Disable Unnecessary Startup Programs
Too many apps launching at startup can slow down your boot process and overall system performance.
How to disable them:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Go to the Startup tab.
- Right-click any program you don’t need at startup and select Disable.
✅ Tip: Focus on disabling programs like Steam, Discord, or cloud sync tools unless you use them immediately after booting.
3. Switch to an SSD (or Upgrade Your Current One)
If you’re still using a traditional HDD, upgrading to an SSD (Solid State Drive) will give you the biggest performance boost—especially in boot times.
Even if you already have an SSD, upgrading to a faster NVMe drive or ensuring your current one isn’t failing can help.
✅ Result: SSDs can reduce boot times from minutes (on HDDs) to under 10 seconds.
4. Keep Your System Updated
Microsoft regularly releases updates that improve performance, fix bugs, and optimize how Windows boots.
What to do:
- Go to Settings > Windows Update.
- Install all pending updates.
- Restart when prompted.
✅ Bonus: Some updates include driver updates that can improve hardware compatibility and speed.
5. Trim the Fat: Clean Up Your System
A cluttered system with too many installed programs, temporary files, and bloatware can slow things down.
Tools to try:
- Disk Cleanup: Built-in tool to remove temporary files and system cache.
- Storage Sense: Automatically deletes unused files.
- Uninstall unused apps: Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps and remove what you don’t need.
✅ Pro Tip: Use PowerToys’ File Explorer enhancements or third-party tools like CCleaner to clean deeply and safely.
6. Optimize BIOS/UEFI Settings
Sometimes, tweaking a few settings in your BIOS or UEFI firmware can speed up boot times.
Recommended actions:
- Set your boot device (SSD/HDD) as the first option.
- Enable Fast Boot in BIOS settings (not the same as Windows Fast Startup).
- Disable unnecessary onboard devices like serial ports or legacy USB support.
⚠️ Caution: Be careful when changing BIOS settings—only adjust what you understand.
Final Thoughts
Improving your Windows boot speed doesn’t have to be complicated. With just a few simple adjustments—like enabling Fast Startup, cleaning up startup apps, and using an SSD—you can make your PC feel much more responsive.
📌 My Results: After applying these tricks, my boot time dropped from over a minute to under 15 seconds!
If you want a faster PC, start with these six steps. You might be surprised how much smoother your Windows experience becomes.
Bonus: ReadyBoost Is Not Worth It Anymore
While ReadyBoost was useful for older PCs with limited RAM, modern systems benefit far more from real RAM upgrades or switching to an SSD. Skip ReadyBoost and invest in better hardware instead.
Summary Table
| Trick | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Enable Fast Startup | Drastically reduces cold boot time |
| Disable Startup Programs | Improves both boot and post-boot performance |
| Switch to an SSD | Major performance leap across the board |
| Keep Windows Updated | Ensures optimal system performance |
| Clean Up System Files | Frees space and improves efficiency |
| Optimize BIOS/UEFI | Fine-tunes hardware-level performance |
Let me know if you’d like a step-by-step guide tailored to your specific PC model or OS version!