Every application you install tries to add itself to Windows startup. Over time, this slows your boot significantly and wastes memory on apps running in the background that you rarely use. Managing startup programs is one of the quickest ways to speed up Windows 11 — and it takes about two minutes.
How to Manage Startup Programs in Task Manager
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
- Click the Startup apps tab
You will see every program set to run at startup, along with:
- Status: Enabled or Disabled
- Startup impact: High, Medium, Low, or Not measured — Windows estimates how much each app slows your boot
- Publisher: Helps identify unfamiliar entries
- Last BIOS time: Shown at the top — the time your PC spends in BIOS before Windows starts loading
To disable a startup program: right-click it and select Disable, or click it once and click Disable in the bottom right. Disabling does not uninstall the app — it just stops it loading at startup. You can still open it manually.
How to Manage Startup Programs in Settings
- Go to Settings → Apps → Startup
This shows the same list as Task Manager with toggle switches. The impact rating is shown next to each app. Toggle off anything you do not need running at startup.
What to Disable and What to Keep
Some startup programs are essential. Others are purely optional.
Usually Safe to Disable
- Spotify, Steam, Epic Games Launcher — entertainment apps. Open them when you need them.
- Adobe Updater, Creative Cloud — can be opened manually when you want to update
- Discord — if you only use it occasionally
- Office apps (if listed) — Word, Excel etc do not need to start with Windows
- Zoom, Teams — depends on your job. If you are in back-to-back meetings, keep Teams. If not, disable it.
- OneDrive — optional if you are not actively using cloud sync
- Manufacturer bloatware — apps installed by your PC manufacturer like HP Support Assistant, Lenovo Vantage, Dell SupportAssist. Useful for driver updates but not worth a High startup impact if you only use them occasionally.
Keep These Enabled
- Windows Security (Windows Defender) — your antivirus. Always keep this running.
- Your VPN client — if you need it connected before accessing work resources
- Synology Drive, OneDrive, Google Drive — if you depend on cloud sync being active immediately
- Realtek Audio, Intel/AMD graphics utilities — usually Low impact and needed for hardware to function correctly
How to Add a Program to Startup
To make an app start with Windows that is not currently in the startup list:
- Press Win + R, type
shell:startupand press Enter — this opens the Startup folder - Create a shortcut to the application in this folder
The Startup folder is C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. Any shortcut placed here launches at login.
For all users on the PC, use the All Users startup folder instead: press Win + R, type shell:common startup.
How Startup Impact is Measured
Windows measures the CPU and disk activity caused by each startup app during the first few minutes after login:
- High impact: Adds more than 1 second to startup time or uses significant disk/CPU during boot
- Medium impact: Noticeable but not severe
- Low impact: Minimal effect on boot time
Disabling all High impact apps can cut minutes off your boot time on older or slower PCs.
Startup Programs vs Background Apps
Startup programs and background apps are different:
- Startup programs (covered in this guide) — launch at login and run visibly or in the tray
- Background apps — run silently without appearing in the tray. Manage these at Settings → Apps → Installed apps — click an app → Advanced options → Background app permissions → set to Never
To see everything running right now — startup apps, background processes, and services — use Task Manager’s Processes tab sorted by CPU or Memory.
