Speeding Up the Windows 10 Boot Process for Faster Startup
Staring at the Windows loading screen and waiting for the operating system to start up can be a tedious process. But there are several ways we can speed up and optimize this startup sequence to reduce frustratingly long load times.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through proven techniques to slash your Windows 10 boot time and get you to the desktop fast.
Close Unnecessary Background Programs
One of the biggest reasons for slow startup is too many programs running in the background. Each additional process eats up valuable RAM and CPU cycles, delaying the OS loading.
To optimize startup, press Ctrl + Alt + Del and open the task manager. Make sure only critical Windows processes like Explorer and SysTray are active. Force quit any other programs by selecting them and choosing “End task.” This stops them from starting up automatically next time you reboot.
Can a group policy be configured for computers or users?
It can be configured for computers or users. If you configure the group policy for computers, all users that sign-in to those computers will be allowed and prompted to enroll for Windows Hello for Business. If you configure the group policy for users, only those users will be allowed and prompted to enroll for Windows Hello for Business.
How do I configure Windows Hello for business tenant-wide?
With an Identity protection profile, you can configure settings on discrete groups of Windows 10/11 devices. To configure Windows Hello for Business tenant-wide, as part of device enrollment, see the section Create a Windows Hello for Business policy in Integrate Windows Hello for Business with Microsoft Intune.
Fewer programs means faster boot!
Run Disk Defragmentation
If you have a traditional hard disk drive (HDD), fragmented files can bog things down. Defragmenting optimizes the drive by rearranging files, putting all the pieces in order.
This consolidation speeds up access times. To defrag your drive, type “Defragment” in the Windows search bar and run the built-in utility. Set it for a regularly scheduled optimization, like every week.
Defragging can reduce Windows loading times by up to 20% on HDDs.
Upgrade to a Solid State Drive
For the biggest speed boost, upgrade to a lightning-fast solid state drive (SSD). These high-performance storage devices have no moving parts, unlike traditional disk drives.
The lack of mechanical components means SSDs can access data instantly. This makes starting Windows dramatically faster, with boot times around 10 seconds versus minutes on HDDs.
SSDs are more expensive, but well worth it for their incredible speed. Install Windows itself on the SSD for optimal loading performance.
Change Power Settings to High Performance
Windows’ default “Balanced” power plan throttles system resources to save energy. For quicker startup, change to the “High performance” plan.
Can I mix Group Policy and MDM settings in Windows Hello for business?
Windows Hello for Business is designed to be managed by group policy or MDM, but not a combination of both. Avoid mixing group policy and MDM policy settings for Windows Hello for Business. If you mix group policy and MDM policy settings, the MDM settings are ignored until all group policy settings are cleared.
How do I enable the Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 10?
The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions. All editions can use Option Two below. 1 Open the Local Group Policy Editor. 4 Do step 5 (enable) or step 6 (disable) below for what you would like to do. Not Configured is the default setting.
Access power options by right-clicking the battery icon and selecting Power Options. Then choose High performance as the active plan. Your computer will now startup at full speed.
Give your machine all the power it needs for blazing fast boot times.
Disable Unneeded Startup Programs
Too many programs starting automatically on boot can overload the system. Streamline things by disabling unnecessary apps in Task Manager.
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and select the Startup tab. Right click on any app you don’t need immediately on startup and choose “Disable.” This prevents them from loading automatically.
Prune startup programs for a lean and mean loading sequence.
Clean Out the Startup Folder
The Startup folder contains program shortcuts that automatically run on boot. Removing unnecessary items clears bloat for faster loading.
To access it, open File Explorer and go to:
C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Delete any shortcuts you don’t need. Reboot and enjoy a quicker, cleaner startup sequence.
Delay Startup of Certain Apps
You don’t have to disable startup programs entirely. Instead, you can delay when they begin loading using Task Manager.
How do I manage Windows Hello for business?
There are three ways in which you can manage Windows Hello for Business: Group Policy, Modern Management, and Mixed. Group Policy is the easiest and most popular way to manage Windows Hello for Business on domain joined devices. Simply create a Group Policy object with the settings you desire.
How do I configure Group Policy settings for Windows Hello?
The following table lists the Group Policy settings that you can configure for Windows Hello use in your organization. These policy settings are available in User configuration and Computer Configuration under Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Hello for Business.
How do I manage settings for Windows Hello for business?
In addition to Identity protection profiles, Intune supports the following options to manage settings for Windows Hello for Business: During device enrollment: Configure tenant-wide policy that applies Windows Hello settings to devices at the time the device enrolls with Intune.
Open Task Manager, go to the Startup tab, right-click a program, and select “Properties.” From here choose “Delayed Start” to postpone launching for a faster boot.
Strategically delaying startup programs reduces bottlenecking.
Optimization Is Ongoing
With these tips, you can slash Windows loading times and get to work faster. Check back often as we continue providing the latest performance tweaks and tricks. What are your favorite ways to speed up boot time? Let us know in the comments!
References
- https://www.easeus.com/partition-manager-software/my-games-take-forever-to-load-pc.html
- https://recoverit.wondershare.com/partition-tips/fixed-slow-game-loads-on-windows.html
What happens if Windows Hello is disabled?
When disabled, users can’t provision Windows Hello for Business. When set to Disabled, you can still configure the subsequent settings for Windows Hello for Business even though this policy won’t enable Windows Hello for Business. Not configured. Select this setting if you don’t want to use Intune to control Windows Hello for Business settings.
Does Windows Hello for business work on Windows 10/11 devices?
Any existing Windows Hello for Business settings on Windows 10/11 devices is not changed. All other settings on the pane are unavailable. Disable – If you don’t want to use Windows Hello for Business, select this setting. All other settings on the screen are then unavailable.
How do I configure Windows Hello for business on Windows devices?
You can create a Group Policy or mobile device management (MDM) policy to configure Windows Hello for Business on Windows devices. Windows Hello as a convenience PIN is disabled by default on all domain joined and Azure AD joined devices. To enable a convenience PIN, enable the Group Policy setting Turn on convenience PIN sign-in.
