Written by tc | Posted in Computers and Tech |

The cause of slow startup times is primarily due to the applications initialized as the operating system boots up. This article shows how to fine-tune these programs and increase startup times.

The key to improving slow startup speed is to (a) deactivate/reduce the amount of programs running as Windows begins and (b) optimize the programs you wish to keep running.

Windows provides a utility called the System Configuration tool that can aid this process as follows:

• Startup the System Config tool by going to the Start menu, Run program and entering msconfig.
• Go to the startup tab.
• Scan through the list of start up programs. Disable any familiar programs which are non-critical that you are happy to not initialize (they can of course be manually started later using the ‘Start’ menu).
• For unfamiliar programs, research them online first before deactivating them.
• Save your changes and reboot Windows to check the difference.

Any programs in the list of start up programs should now be checked for optimization using regular computer repairs maintenance tasks and tools.

• Open the Task Manager and see how much RAM & CPU the program uses. If it uses comparatively little small amounts of resources then it is no concern.
• Programs using a lot of RAM should be checked for program updates, known issues and customer support tickets that report performance issues.
• Make sure you have the latest product version, that this version is compatible with your operating system and that your PC meets the minimum requirements (RAM, CPU) for the product.
• Run Windows Update for the latest device drivers and scan for malware, adware and spyware viruses which may be hampering or corrupting program files.

If these tips fail to improve slow startup speeds then why not consider using the hibernation or standby modes. Both of these shutdown options make a copy of running programs and memory/system states to disk which can be used to load up Windows faster.

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