The first symptom of a computer that is not working as it should is the Windows Boot procedure, i.e. the whole series of uploads that take place from the moment you press the PC's power button until the Windows desktop appears. There is nothing more annoying than a PC that takes minutes to power up and get up and running.
Before figuring out how to speed up your PC startup, it is important to know first what happens when you turn on your computer and then the causes that can cause slow startup.
In a nutshell, the main causes of a slow Windows load are:
1) The number and weight of the programs that start automatically
2) The number of services with automatic start.
3) Errors on disk in disk.
4) defragmentation of the hard disk
5) Disc too full
6) Presence of malware
7) Insufficient RAM
NOTE: Before finding out how to speed up PC startup it can be useful and interesting to measure the Windows startup speed.
1) Programs with automatic start
As explained in a recent article, when a computer is slow to start or to respond, the first thing to do is to uninstall all the programs that we don't need and the second thing to do is to check which ones start automatically.
Unfortunately, the majority of the most famous and popular programs such as Skype, Adobe Acrobat and many others, after installation, set themselves to load when the computer is booted, causing longer ignition times.
While in Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 this control can be done directly from the task manager (press the CTRL-Shift-ESC keys together, click on "more details" and, finally, on the Startup tab) where you can disable processes with a click in automatic start, on Windows 7 you must use one of the computer startup management programs.
NOTE 1: One of the programs that start automatically is the antivirus which obviously cannot be disabled.
However, if you are using an old or inexpensive PC that has little RAM, it is absolutely advisable to uninstall the antivirus and rely solely on Windows Defender, which in Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 works very well or in Microsoft Security Essentials in Windows 7.
NOTE 2: If you want to keep many programs in automatic start I recommend an excellent tool such as Startup Delayer which is used to delay the loading of programs in automatic execution.
2) Services in automatic start
Windows services are internal processes of the operating system that enable certain fundamental functions such as the one to print, the one to connect to the internet, the one to hear audio etc.
However, among the services set to start automatically there are installed programs or unnecessary services.
Managing Windows services is not the easiest thing in the world so the less experienced may be better off not touching them.
But if you feel you are quite master of the computer, then I can refer you to the guide on services that can be disabled to speed up Windows and on how to manage Windows services even with support programs.
3) Disk errors, defragmented or full
If one wonders why the tablet or iPad turns on in a few seconds while the PC takes minutes, the answer is why the memory unit is a chip on the tablet, while on most cheap computers or old is the hard drive, which is always the slowest hardware component.
Furthermore, if the hard disk had errors, if it was defragmented or if it was almost full, the loading time would end up getting even longer.
However, keep in mind that in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 disk defragmentation is automatic and never required.
However, I refer to the guide on how to defragment and clean a hard disk to optimize the computer which is always useful.
Disk error checking is done with the Checkdisk and can be decisive in some cases.
4) Antimalware check
One of the symptoms of the presence of malware inside the system is the slow loading of the Windows startup.
It may also be that it is not an active virus, but some residue of a malware that the antivirus had discovered, or a silent spyware that does not stand out in any way, but that makes startup and each loading slower .
Even those who have no reason to suspect the presence of viruses would do well, every now and then, to do a scan with one of the best antimalware programs like Malwarebytes.
5) RAM
RAM is always the most common cause of a slow PC, because it is often insufficient.
Adding RAM to a computer not only makes it faster at startup, it also makes it more new and snappier in running any program.
6) Using faster hardware
If you had some money to spend, there are two things that can speed up your PC a lot: increase RAM and replace the hard drive with an SSD.
It should also be considered that it is possible to speed up PC startup by reducing the BIOS time.
7) Use the fast start of Windows 10, which as explained in the guide, is a special function that allows PCs to start faster.
Finally, I would like to contest some sites that I do not name that list tricks to speed up the startup of the computer that are completely useless instead.
Some not-to-follow tips that don't improve your PC include:
- Cleaning up the Prefetch folder.
- The use of Readyboost, good only on PC with less than 2 GB of RAM.
- Defragmenting the disk and especially the registry keys and boot files.
- The use of programs for cleaning registry keys.
- The use of programs to optimize RAM.
- Always clear the cache files.
In another article, however, it explains how to speed up the shutdown of Windows for a faster PC shutdown .
READ ALSO: All the ways to speed up the startup of Windows 10, 7 and 8
