Microsoft: Jump-start for sluggish PCs
Microsoft has published a support page with tips on how to speed up Windows startup.
(Image: Bild erstellt mit KI in Bing Image Creator durch heise online / dmk)
Microsoft wants to help users of Windows 10 and Windows 11 to optimize their computers. Microsoft has identified the startup process as one of the most important areas for optimization.
A new Microsoft support website from the beginning of the week – which was first indexed by the Wayback Machine on Monday – provides helpful information on how to speed up the Windows startup process. There, Microsoft employees describe how the startup speed of Windows can be improved with on-board tools.
Adjusting the applications that start
The article focuses on applications that start automatically when booting up. These can take a lot of time and even affect the overall performance of the system. The supporters present several Windows on-board tools with which optimization should be straightforward.
The first method presented leads via "Settings" to "Apps" and then to "Autostart". There, the automatic start for apps can be controlled by simply flipping the on/off switch. The second way is via the task manager, which can be opened by right-clicking on the taskbar, for example. The "Autostart apps" tab also shows automatically started software. Right-click on an entry to enable or disable autostart. There is also a display showing how much the respective app extends the start time.
Other apps that start automatically can be found using File Explorer. Windows starts applications that are located in the directories %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup and %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. Users can delete shortcuts for applications that should not start automatically here.
Users can also examine the autostart areas in the registry. However, as this can damage the system registry to such an extent that Windows no longer starts, only advanced users should attempt this. The registry paths are HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.
Slow system: software is not always to blame
Many people are probably familiar with these tools and tips, but not everyone knows the Windows on-board tools. When Windows slows down, there can also be entirely different reasons. Genuine hardware damage can slow down start times and prevent system start-ups completely. It may help to take a look at the Windows event logs to see if there are more error messages. But programs that check their registration online, for example, can also lead to delays if the Internet connection is unstable. However, Microsoft's support article provides a good guide for initial start optimizations on Windows PCs.
In the foreseeable future, Microsoft's PC Manager will probably become an integral part of Windows 11, in which Microsoft collects tools with which the system can be cleaned up and optimized in such a way that its functionality does not subsequently suffer. In the past, this has often had a negative impact on commercial PC optimization software.
(dmk)