Top 7 Ways to Fix Slow Boot Times in Windows 10

Windows 10 offers impressive boot times with SSDs. However, if your computer does not start quickly, you check out what is causing slow boot times on Windows 10. The reason behind it can range from an increasing number of startup programs to malware or corrupted files. Fortunately, with some troubleshooting, you can fix Windows 10 slow startup issue.

Before you start, make sure to update your Windows 10 PC to the latest version available. The latest updates usually contain fixes for bugs.

After that, you can go ahead with these top 7 fixes for slow boot times with Windows 10.

1. Disable fast startup

Contrary to its name, the fast startup feature could potentially increase the boot time of your Windows 10 PC. Disabling it has worked for a lot. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Click on Start and type control Panel in Windows search and press Enter to open the Control Panel window. Select Power Options from the Control Panel.

2nd step: Navigate to “Choose what the power buttons do” on the left sidebar. Since you’ll need administrator permissions to turn off fast startup, click on the text at the top that reads “ Change settings currently unavailable. ”

Step 3: Finally, uncheck the “ Enable fast startup (recommended) ” box, then Save changes at the bottom.

By default, fast startup is enabled. After you turn off the fast startup option, try restarting your PC to see if this solution fixes the problem. If not, read on.

2. Disable programs on startup

Programs that start automatically each time you start your PC can slow down the startup process. Hence, it is wise to disable unwanted programs to speed up boot times on Windows 10.

Step 1: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager window. Click on the “ More details ” button at the bottom and go to the Startup tab.

2nd step: Here you will find a list of programs that start automatically each time you start your PC. Click on the unnecessary program and click on the Disable button at the bottom.

To note: Avoid disabling programs you don’t recognize. Some of them can be an integral part of the Windows operating system. To be sure what this program does, right-click on it and click Search Online to learn more.

Keep repeating the same process to prevent any unnecessary programs from starting automatically.

Once done, restart your PC to see that this method reduces the boot time.

3. Reset virtual memory

Windows 10 comes with a virtual memory feature that borrows memory space on your PC’s hard drive along with the actual RAM to handle any unexpected load on your PC. Thus, increasing the size of virtual memory allocated on your PC can help to resolve boot issues. Here’s how.

Step 1: Click on Start, type advanced system settings in the search window and press Enter. On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Performance.

2nd step: Go back to the Advanced tab and click Edit under “Virtual Memory”.

Step 3: Uncheck the option “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives”. Now select the primary drive where your operating system is installed and choose “Custom Size”. Set the initial size to the recommended value below and the maximum size to 3 times the size of your RAM. If your PC has 4 GB of RAM for example (1 GB = 1024 MB), the maximum size must be 12 288 MB. Then click on OK.

4. Shut down the Linux terminal

Besides the command prompt, Windows 10 also offers a Linux terminal. Surprisingly, this would slow down computers a lot. Disabling it can resolve slow start issues.

Step 1: Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type now optional features and press Enter.

2nd step: In the Windows Feature window, scroll down and uncheck the box that reads “Windows Subsystem for Linux,” then click OK.

Step 3: Wait until the feature is deactivated and click on “Restart now”.

As it reboots, see if the boot time is reduced or not.

5. Update the display driver

If you are facing longer boot times followed by a black screen, there may be a problem with the display drivers installed on your PC. To resolve this issue, you can try updating the display drivers by following the steps mentioned below.

Step 1: Press Windows Key + X and select Device Manager from the list. Now expand “Graphics Cards” from the list. Then right-click on the name of the graphics card and select “Update Driver”.

2nd step: Select “Automatically search for drivers” and wait for the process to complete.

Now restart your PC to see if the problem is resolved. If not, try scanning your PC for any malware or viruses.

6. Check for viruses / malware

Performing a quick scan of your Windows PC for viruses and malware is always a good idea when dealing with slow boot times or any other issues. If you have already installed an antivirus, use it to scan your computer. Otherwise, you can rely on the built-in Windows Defender (now Microsoft Defender) to get the job done.

To perform a quick scan on your PC using Windows Defender, go to Settings> Update & Security> Windows Security. Then click on “Virus and Threat Protection”. On your right click on the “Quick Scan” button to scan your computer for viruses. Once done, restart your PC to see if the issue is resolved.

7. Reset your PC

If you’ve exhausted all of your options and are still experiencing slow boot times, resetting your PC might just be your last option here. This reinstalls the Windows operating system as well as the default Windows programs on your PC from scratch.

Step 1: To reset your PC, press Windows key + I to launch settings. Then press “Update & Security”.

2nd step: Select the recovery option on the left and under the “Reset this PC” option, click on the “Start” button.

Step 3: Now select “Keep my files” option to start the reset process without losing your files.

To note: Resetting your PC will remove all third-party apps, settings, and utilities.

Need of speed

Slow startup times can be frustrating. Hopefully one of the solutions listed worked for your PC and it’s now back to normal boot speeds. To further speed up the process, you can try disabling the login password feature to directly access your desktop.