The average Windows 11 startup time is 64 seconds. If you have an upgraded solid-state drive (SSD), that number could be 20ish seconds.
But what if you’re not getting those numbers? Do you use that boot-up time to get a cup of coffee? Often, yes.. it could be hardware-related, but there ARE a few things you can do to help speed things up.
The problem with Windows is that almost everything installed wants to also boot up with your computer. This is entirely unnecessary.
This may come as a surprise, but most programs should only load…. when you click on them. Not all at once when you turn on your computer, leading to a big slow down.
Of course, some essential programs need to load with Windows. But not all of them. Some malware could be in that start-up list as well.
I’ll share how you can take a look at what apps are starting up with your computer… but i’ll also share how you can turn on 🚨 ALERTS 🚨 for when each new start-up program is added to your list.
Checking Which Apps Are Loading At Startup
So how can you check your startup tasks? Simple. Open up Task Manager. A quick way to open Task Manager is to push the following keys together at the same time: Control + Shift + Escape. From there, you can select the “Startup” tab to get a bird’s eye view of everything loading with your computer.
Enable Alerts for New Startup Programs
New startup apps tend to sneak into your system. Windows has a built-in alerting system that you can enable to be notified of any new startup programs.
Start by opening the Windows 11 system settings. You can do this by clicking the Start menu and selecting the gear icon or by pressing ‘Windows + I’ on your keyboard.
In the settings window, click on ‘System’ in the left sidebar, then select ‘Notifications’ on the right.
Scroll down to the bottom of the notifications page. Just above Additional settings, you’ll find ‘Startup App Notification’, which is switched off by default. Move the slider to ‘On’.
From this point forward, you’ll get a pop-up notification when a sneaky new application wants to be added to your startup process.
Getting alerts can not only keep your computer running smoothly but also let you know right away if a suspicious program is trying to add a new threat to your PC.
Of course, if you’ve cleaned everything up and you STILL have an issue with a sluggish startup… then you could potentially have some minor form of a hard drive failure.
Regardless, we’re here to help! Whether you need an affordable hard drive replacement or you need help with your office computers loading… we can help. Send me a message or call us directly at 352-328-3333. 🙂
