Are you tired of waiting an eternity for your computer to boot up? Do you find yourself staring at that dreadful loading screen, wishing you could just start being productive already? Well, my friends, I’m here to let you in on a few quick tricks that can seriously speed up your Windows 10 startup process. Get ready to say goodbye to those endless boot-up times!
Harness the Power of Fast Startup
Let’s start with an easy one – turning on the Fast Startup feature. It’s aptly named because, well, it makes your startup faster. [1] The way it works is simple – when you shut down your computer, Windows creates a temporary file that stores the state of your system. The next time you power up, your computer can access those temp files instead of doing a full cold boot, shaving precious seconds off your startup time.
To enable this nifty feature, just head to your Control Panel, then Power Options, and finally, the “Choose what the power buttons do” section. Check the box for “Turn on fast startup” and you’re good to go. [1] It’s a small change that can make a big difference.
Curb Those Startup Programs
Another culprit behind sluggish startups? All those programs that automatically launch when you boot up your machine. [2] While some of these are essential, many are probably apps you don’t even use anymore.
To trim the fat, open up your Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc is the shortcut) and head to the Startup tab. Here, you’ll see a list of all the programs that fire up when your computer starts. [2] Go through them one by one and disable anything that’s not absolutely necessary. Just be careful not to turn off anything vital – if you’re not sure what something is, it’s best to leave it alone.
Uninstall Those Unused Apps
Speaking of trimming the fat, let’s talk about uninstalling programs you no longer need. [3] Those unused apps might seem harmless, but they can actually slow down your startup process by taking up valuable system resources.
To give your startup a boost, open up the Add or Remove Programs menu (just search for it in the Start menu) and go through the list. Anything you haven’t used in ages? Bye-bye! [4] Getting rid of that bloatware can make a noticeable difference in how quickly your computer boots up.
Disable Search Indexing
Here’s an interesting one – did you know that disabling search indexing can also speed up your startup? [3] Apparently, all that indexing your computer does to make searches faster can actually have the opposite effect when you’re booting up.
To turn off search indexing, just type “indexing options” into the Start menu search bar and tweak the settings. You can choose to exclude certain folders or even turn it off entirely. It’s a small change, but the speed boost can be surprisingly significant.
Upgrade Your Hardware
Alright, let’s say you’ve tried all the software tricks and you’re still not seeing the results you want. In that case, it might be time to consider a hardware upgrade. [5]
One of the best things you can do is swap out that old hard disk drive (HDD) for a solid-state drive (SSD). [4] SSDs are lightning-fast compared to their spinning-disk counterparts, and the difference in startup times is seriously night and day. Plus, SSDs are more reliable and durable, so it’s a win-win.
If you really want to supercharge your startup, you could also look into upgrading your RAM. [5] More memory means your computer can handle more tasks without bogging down, which translates to quicker boot-ups. It’s an easy upgrade that can make a big difference.
Putting It All Together
There you have it, folks – a handful of quick tricks that can breathe new life into your Windows 10 startup process. From enabling Fast Startup to uninstalling unused programs to upgrading your hardware, the options are endless. [1-5]
The best part? Most of these changes are easy to implement and won’t cost you a dime. So what are you waiting for? Go forth and conquer those frustratingly long boot times! Your productivity (and sanity) will thank you.
References:
[1] https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-make-your-windows-pc-boot-faster
[2] https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/yl87mg/i_tested_all_the_tips_how_to_make_windows_10/
[3] https://pegasustechnologies.com/6-ways-to-speed-up-your-windows-startup-time/
[4] https://itsupportguys.com/it-blog/faster-windows-10-startup/
[5] https://forum.arduino.cc/t/how-can-i-speed-up-the-start-of-the-arduino-ide/682715
