While Windows 10 is an awesome operating system for most people, it becomes frustrating when it takes forever to boot up. A slow boot time can be a major annoyance, especially when one is in a hurry to get started with the day.
Fortunately, there are some simple and effective ways you can use to fix slow boot time on Windows 10. In this article, we see eight effective fixes. Let's get into it.
Causes of Slow Boot times.
Some of these factors may be the cause of slow boot times on your Windows 10 PC.
- Too many startup programs - It goes without saying that too many start programs will affect the boot time as those programs will have to load first before Windows does.
- Outdated hardware - Due to outdated hardware, the PC may fail to keep up with the demands of modern software and this leads to longer boot times.
- Corrupted or outdated drivers - Drivers help the computer to communicate with the hardware and so if they are outdated, it may be the cause for the slow boot times among other issues.
- Malware and Virus infections - This is a major cause considering that most users are unaware when they get infected. Most Malware and viruses will run in the background using the systems resources. This causes the computer to become slow and the worst part is they are automatically added to the start-up programs.
Effective Solutions to Speed Up Windows 10 Boot Time
Now that we know some of the causes for slow boot times, we are in good a good position to take steps to fix the problem.
Disable some startup programs
The first thing to check is the start-up programs because some programs when installed will add themselves to the list of programs that run on startup. Over a period of time, the start-up programs become very long and this impacts the boot time speed negatively. You can disable some of the startup programs from the task manager under the Startup tab.
Disable Fast Startup
Fast startup on Windows is a feature that allows computers to start up faster by saving some system information to a file when shutting down the PC. So when booting up, it uses the saved information to startup instead of performing a full system boot. While the name sounds so much like what you are looking for, fast startup can be the cause of slow boot times. This is because at times the feature may conflict with some of the hardware and software configurations on the system.
You can disable this feature by heading to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options. On the left, go to "Choose what the power buttons do". The setting should be under the shutdown settings.
Turn off the WSL
Windows provides a full Linux experience directly on the Windows computer using WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux). This means there is no need of dual booting or spinning up virtual machines. How awesome is that : 0. While this feature is very useful for some users, windows boot-up time takes a hit as the computer will have to load the necessary resources for it. If you tend to use WSL mostly, you can skip this step. However, for those that don't need it, feel free to do so.
To disable this feature, head over to the start menu and search "Windows features". Select Turn Windows feature on or of from the results. Scroll down until you see Windows Subsystem for Linux option and uncheck the box next to it.
Update Graphics Drivers
Outdated graphics drivers are another cause for long boot-up times. This is mainly due to the fact that Windows will at times mess with drivers and you end up with corrupted drivers. If the options above, did not work for you, try updating the graphics drivers.
Head to your vendor's website and find the latest updates and install them.
Upgrading storage Drive.
Upgrading your storage drive can significantly improve your boot time especially if you run Windows from an HDD (Hard disk drive). This not only slows the boot time speed but also speeds all across. If cost is not a hindrance, an upgrade to an SSD (Solid State Drive) is something you will never regret. Here are some of our recommended drives.
Adjust Paging File Settings
The paging file, also known as the virtual memory file is a portion of the hard drive that Windows uses as additional RAM when the computer's physical RAM (Random Access Memory) is full. Windows will at times change the virtual memory settings and this can have an impact on the boot time. While Paging File settings may not have a noticeable impact on the boot time, you can change these settings by heading to the start menu and typing Performance. Select Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows. under the Advanced tab, you should see the size of the paging file. You can click on change to edit the size. Get more information on how to change these values.
Run an SFC scan
it is important to run the System File Checker (SFC) from time to time. This can help repair corrupted or damaged system files which may be the cause of slow boot times.
To run an SFC scan, open the command prompt with administrative privileges and run the command:
sfc /scannow
Reinstall a fresh copy of windows
As the last resort, when all have failed, you may need to reinstall a fresh copy of Windows. This will wipe out your drive so be sure to back up important files. This should significantly improve your boot time speeds. You can check our tutorial on How to Create a Bootable Windows USB Drive to aid in the installation.
Conclusion
By following these eight fixes, you should be able to speed up your Windows 10 boot time and enjoy a faster and smoother PC experience.
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