Tips to Fix Windows 10/11 Slow Boot/ Startup

Recoverit Editorial Team

Oct 22, 2026 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions

TL;DR:

Fix slow boot times in Windows 10/11 by disabling non-essential startup programs, turning off Fast Startup in Power Options, and updating system drivers to prevent background processes from delaying hardware initialization.
    ● Stop unnecessary applications and background services, such as Telemetry and Windows Search, from launching at boot using Task Manager and the msconfig utility.
    ● Modify system configurations by disabling Automatic Maintenance via Registry Editor, turning off the Windows Subsystem for Linux, and setting a custom paging file size for virtual memory.
    ● Maintain a minimum of 250 MB of free hard drive space and manually delete obsolete application keys in the Windows registry to prevent system startup delays.

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Windows 11/11 is a powerful operating system, but it still is vulnerable when it comes to startup issues. Windows can be subject to a slow boot or slow startup, taking too long for the desktop to appear. However, this issue is fixable.

Part 1: Reasons for a slow startup in Windows 11/11:

• Corrupt or out-of-date drivers. A computer will boot up slowly is drivers have not been updated.
• Programs that load as the computer starts up. These programs slow down the boot process because they automatically launch while the computer is booting up. This leads to a slow startup.
• Insufficient space in the hard drive. For your computer to run smoothly, it needs at least 250 MB of space

Fixing a Windows 11/11 slow boot issue is pretty simple and easy once you follow the steps below:

Part 2: How to Fix Windows 11/11, Slow Boot

The solutions below will quickly solve a slow start up problem for your Windows 11/11 computer.

1. Check Last Bios Time

   Click Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Open Startup tab, you will see Last Bio Time at the right-hand side of the window.
   This shows the time it took the firmware to initialize the hardware before boot.

   

2. Disable Windows 11/11 Fast Startup

   Open Control Panel and choose Power Options.

   

   Click on Choose what power buttons do.

   

   Select Change the settings currently unavailable. Unselect Turn on the fast startup in Shutdown Settings.

   

3. Disable Windows 11/11 Automatic Maintenance

   In the search box type exe to launch Registry Editor Find HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\Maintenance.

   

   MaintenanceDisabled, a 32-bit DWORD Value can be found on the right pane. If there is no value, create it by doing a right-click n the space of the window and choose New and then DWORD (32-bit) value.

   

   Set value to 1 to disable Windows 11/11 Automatic Maintenance.

4. Disable Startup Services and Startup Programs

   Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc and click on the Startup tab. Select the programs that are unnecessarily starting at boot; these can slow down startup considerably.

   

   To disable startup services, press Win + R to launch Run dialogue box. Type in msconfig to open System Configuration. Click on the Services tab and choose the services that you do not need upon startup and select Disable all.

   

5. Disable Windows 11/11 Services

   Note: some services are crucial for programs, so be careful in choosing which services to disable.

   Enter msc in the Run window (press Win + R) Find the services Background Intelligence Transfer Service, Windows Search, Connected User Experiences, and Telemetry. Right-click on each of these and choose Properties.

   

   Select Stop and choose Disabled for startup type.

   

6. Disable Fast Boot

   Open Settings and choose System > Power & sleep. Select Additional power settings found at the right side of the screen. This opens the Power Options

   Click Choose what the power buttons do > Change settings that are currently unavailable. Untick Turn on fast startup and proceed to Save Changes.

   

7. Adjust Virtual Memory Settings

   On the search tab, key in Performance and select Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows. Choose Advanced You will see the Change button in Total paging file size for all drives, select it.

   

   Untick Automatically manage paging file size for all drives. Choose Custom Size, set both Initial and Maximum Size to the recommended file size indicated. Click Set and proceed to reboot your PC.

   

8. Turn Off the Linux Terminal

   Type in Windows features in the search bar to launch the Turn Windows features on or off

   Untick Windows Subsystem for Linux.
   Restart PC.

   

9. Update Graphics Drivers

   Launch the Device Manager on the Start Menu right-click options. Find Display adapters and expand to see what graphics card your PC has.

   

   Check for updates on the graphics card driver by visiting the manufacturer’s website. Install any updates available.

10. Install latest Windows 11/11 updates

    Proceed to Settings, and then select Updates & Security.

    

    Select the Check for updates.

    Windows 11/11 will check and install the updates automatically.

    Besides, you can learn how to fix more boot issues. Before you start the Reset PC function to solve slow startup and boot issues, try one of these recommended solutions that may resolve the problem. Be careful with changing administrative settings and make sure you follow the steps right to avoid getting PC errors and crashes.

11. Use a registry cleaner

    Registry cleaners can be good for improving performance and speeding up the startup process.

    The Windows registry containing specific settings and information about your your computer such as preferences, applications, users, attached devices, etc. The Windows operating system refers to the registry to launch a program, install new software updates or to change the hardware.

    Cleaning your registry rids your computer of old entries that may slow down your computer. To conduct a registry clean up, click the Windows start up butto and open Run.

    Type regedit and press enter. Look for applications that have been removed from your computer and delete them. Next, look for duplicate keys the removed applications may have left in the registry.

    Open the Find dialog box (Ctrl + F keys) then enter the name of the removed applications then select OK to start searching. Each matching key will be highlighted so delete the highlighted key.

    Repeat this step until you have reviewed all highlighted items.

    You can also remove unnecessary start-up items by going to the following location:
    My Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version

    Use run t0 list all shortcuts for the .exe files that run during the startup stage. Delete all applications that you don’t want to launch during the Windows startup. Repeat the same procedure for the paths below:

    • HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Run
    • HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components
    • HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components

    If the manual process of cleaning your registry is too complex, use a free registry cleaning software such as https://www.auslogics.com/en/software/registry-cleaner/. A registry cleaning software does all the work in a single click. it will clear and repair while optimizing your Windows OS registry to get rid of system issues and restore smooth operations on your PC.

Video Tutorial on How to Speed Up Windows 11/11

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