Tip of the Week: 3 Ways to Get Windows 10 to Boot Faster

Have you ever waited far too long for your Windows workstation to boot up? Chances are that you’ve seen first-hand how much time can be wasted during this process. If you want to save some time, you can review our three tips to help you speed up your Windows 10 computer’s boot time.

Before we get started, however, a word of caution; always check with your IT department before changing any settings on your workstation. Ideally, you will have your IT department handle these changes on their own.

Use Fast Startup
Windows 10 has a special startup feature called Fast Start-up. It basically cuts down on the time it takes for Windows to boot up. Fast Start-up works by utilizing a special filing system that makes each subsequent startup process quicker. Rather than shut down completely or go into sleep mode, your device sits somewhere between the two.

To set up Fast Start-up, start by opening up your Control Panel and finding your way to Power Options. If you can’t find it, just search for it in the search bar. Next, select Choose what the power buttons do. Locate the checkbox option for Turn on fast start-up. Once you’re done, save your changes.

Edit Your Startup Programs
There are a lot of programs that start up alongside your Windows operating system, but you don’t necessarily need all of them. What started as an attempt to improve the user experience has led to bloated system slowdown that ultimately betrays its original intent. By removing some of these from the startup process, you can considerably improve system speed.

To get started, open up your task manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc. You then need to click on the Start-up tab. You’ll see all of the programs that open on startup, where you can remove any applications that you want. Just make sure that you work with IT to make sure that none of these programs are ones that are crucial to your organization, as one false step could create problems.

Implement Simple Hardware Updates
If you upgrade a couple components on your computer, you can improve its performance--including startup. Even making a simple change, like implementing a solid-state drive, can make a huge impact on the way your computer starts up. If you use an SSD to hold your Windows 10 installation, as well as add in a little extra RAM, you’ll be able to improve your performance in ways you don’t believe.

Horne & Benik can get your computers running as smooth as possible. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 499-4400.