I admit it's very tempting to throw an SSD at Windows 10 performance problems, but sometimes we have to work with what we have, and that means tweaking both the operating system and the programs that come with it. If you feel that Windows starts slowly, we invite you to check out this list of adjustments that will help you optimize startup.

Windows Starts Slowly? How to Optimize Startup in Windows 10
Windows starts slowly

Windows Starts Slowly: Is Everyone on the Same Train?

One of the main issues when optimizing startup in Windows 10 and earlier versions is that many programs (perhaps too many) are configured by default to start with the operating system when it's not really necessary. Spotify, Discord, BitTorrent clients, game stores (Steam, GOG, Epic, Origin), RGB control, sensor software... the lists get very long, and the whole startup process becomes a snail.

Windows Starts Slowly? How to Optimize Startup in Windows 10
The 'new' Settings menu makes it easy to control app startup

To disable apps that start with Windows, you have two paths:

  • Go to Settings -> Apps -> Startup
  • Use the Startup tab in Task Manager

The interfaces are different, but the end result is the same. In the past, msconfig was recommended for this task, but its latest version sends us to Task Manager.

Windows Starts Slowly? How to Optimize Startup in Windows 10
The Startup tab in Task Manager does the same job

The 'nuclear option' directly deletes program entries from startup. The standard process is to go into each program and manually disable its startup with Windows, but in more extreme cases you have to edit the Registry, visiting:

  • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Windows Starts Slowly? How to Optimize Startup in Windows 10
An example of startup entries stored in the Registry. Be careful what you delete here...

Fast Startup: Yes or No?

Windows 10 has a 'Fast Startup' feature that you can find in the Power Options of the classic Control Panel, by going to the section 'Choose what the power buttons do'. But this feature is controversial, to say the least. Why? Because over time, users confirmed that 'Fast Startup' is actually a kind of hibernation. In other words, the computer 'doesn't actually shut down'.

Windows Starts Slowly? How to Optimize Startup in Windows 10
You need to elevate privileges before enabling or disabling Fast Startup

Because of this, many decided to uncheck Fast Startup, or disabled hibernation entirely using the command 'powercfg -h off' in the system console (with elevated privileges). If you prefer to re-enable Fast Startup, you just go in the opposite direction: First with 'powercfg -h on' (assuming it was disabled), and then check the Fast Startup box.

Windows Starts Slowly? How to Optimize Startup in Windows 10
Some users can't re-enable Fast Startup because hibernation is disabled. Use this command with elevated privileges to re-enable it.

Disable Credential Entry

Windows Starts Slowly? How to Optimize Startup in Windows 10
With reservations: This reduces the security of your computer

It's not necessarily a 'speed' trick, but rather 'convenience': Windows 10 requires all users to enter a password to log into the computer, but if you're willing to gain a couple of seconds at the expense of security, you can use the 'netplwiz' command, uncheck the box 'Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer', and apply the changes. Once again: This nullifies the security of profiles. Tread carefully.

StartupDelayInMSec

Windows Starts Slowly? How to Optimize Startup in Windows 10
Some say it's a fake trick, others say it works. We lose nothing by trying...

The first reports about this 'trick' date back to the Windows 8 era, and for many users it's still valid in Windows 10. The information suggests that Windows applies an artificial ten-second delay in loading certain apps, but that delay can be reduced to zero with the StartupDelayInMSec value in the Registry:

  1. Open the Registry Editor
  2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
  3. Inside Explorer, look for the key called 'Serialize'. If it doesn't exist, create it.
  4. In the Serialize key, create a DWORD entry StartupDelayInMSec, with a value of 0.
  5. Restart the computer.

Personally, I haven't been able to confirm the validity of this value, but that doesn't stop me from sharing the necessary details so you can try it on your end.

Empty Disk, Faster Disk

Windows Starts Slowly? How to Optimize Startup in Windows 10
Emptying the disk helps!

Solid-state drives don't have the natural limitations of hard disks, and they eliminate one of the most important bottlenecks. However, if you still rely on a traditional disk as the boot drive, it's not a bad idea to try to empty it a bit and consolidate its data with a defragmenter (remember, SSDs don't need defrag). In this case, I recommend WizTree to analyze disk space, and detect the most problematic elements.

Windows Starts Slowly: In Summary

Optimizing startup in Windows 10 may have lost some relevance with the explosion of SSDs, but the whole process definitely helps, and we're in the business of not wasting performance. Don't hesitate to give it a try. Good luck!