Tired of waiting for your computer to start up? Or do you find yourself tapping your fingers eagerly while staring at the Windows logo? In such situations, it will be comforting for you to know you are not alone. Slow boot times are a common issue for many Windows 10 users. Fortunately, there are several ways to speed up the boot process and get your computer up and running faster. This article explores 5 ways to fix slow boot times in Windows 10.
Contents
Causes and fixes to slow boot times in Windows 10
1. Corrupted system files
Windows 10’s delayed startup speeds might be brought on by damaged system files. The operating system may have problems getting the information it needs to start up properly if system files are corrupted or damaged. As the system tries to fix or work around the faulty files, this may cause prolonged boot times.
Fix
The problem of delayed boot times brought on by corrupted system files can be resolved with the aid of an SFC (System File Checker) scan. Windows has a tool called SFC that examines your computer for broken or damaged system files and makes an effort to fix them.
Open the Command Prompt as an administrator, type “sfc /scannow,” and then press Enter to launch an SFC scan. The scan might take some time to finish, but when it does, a message will be displayed stating whether any issues were discovered and addressed. The boot process can be sped up and overall system performance enhanced if the SFC scan is able to fix any corrupted system files.
2. Fast Startup is enabled
Fast Startup is a feature in Windows 10 that is designed to reduce startup time by pre-loading some boot information before your PC shuts off. While the name sounds promising, it can actually cause issues for some users and result in slow boot times. When Fast Startup is enabled, it can interfere with the shutdown process and cause the system to take longer to start up the next time it’s turned on.
Fix
Try disabling Fast Startup to see if it improves your boot speed. To do this, disable Fast Startup, open Settings, and browse to System > Power & Sleep. Then, on the right side of this screen, click Additional power settings to open the Power Options menu in the Control Panel.
Next, click Choose what the power buttons do on the left sidebar. Note that you will need to provide administrator permission to change the settings on this page, so click the text at the top of the screen that reads Change settings that are currently unavailable.
Lastly, untick Turn on fast Startup (recommended), followed by Save Changes, to disable this setting.
3. Too many Startup Programs
Startup programs are programs that run as soon as your computer starts up. Even though they can be useful, having too many startup apps can make the computer take longer to start up. Each program that starts up with your computer uses up system resources and may prolong the time it takes for it to boot up.
Fix
You can try turning off some startup programs that you don’t need to see if that helps the boot process go more quickly. This can speed up computer startup time and free up system resources.
To disable a startup app in Windows 10, follow these steps:
- Right-click on the taskbar and select “Task Manager” from the context menu. Or press SHIFT+CTRL+Esc keys as a shortcut to get to the Task Manager.
- In the Task Manager window, click on the “Startup” tab.
- Find the app you want to disable in the list of startup programs and click on it to highlight it.
- Click on the “Disable” button in the bottom-right corner of the Task Manager window.
After disabling the startup app, it will no longer launch automatically when you start your computer. This can help speed up the boot process and improve overall system performance.
4. Graphics Driver issues
Windows boot times may be slowed down by graphics driver difficulties. Your computer’s display and graphics rendering are under the control of the graphics driver. Longer startup times can occur if the driver is old or corrupted, which can interfere with the boot process.
Fix
You can try updating your graphics driver to the most recent version to resolve this problem. The system’s overall performance and boot time may both benefit from this. Through Device Manager or by visiting the manufacturer’s website and downloading the most recent driver for your graphics card, you can upgrade your graphics driver.
You can open the Device Manager by right-clicking on the Start button (or hitting Win + X) and choosing Device Manager. Then, navigate to Display Adapters to see which graphics card you’re using. Next, install any new versions available, restart, then see if your boot times speed up.
5. Last resort, reset your PC
Provided you have tried all the above solutions and still can’t speed up your boot time, it might be best to cut your losses and reinstall a fresh copy of Windows.
There are several options for resetting your PC. The built-in Refresh option can reinstall Windows without removing any of your files. Keep in mind that you should still back up your computer data before doing this.
Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery and select Get started under Reset this PC to start.
Conclusion
Overall, it’s important to remember that slow boot times are a common problem that many Windows 10 users face. The 5 fixes in this article can solve the issue of slow boot times.