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When I Turn on My Computer, How Do I Speed up Startup?

G. Wiesen
G. Wiesen

There are a few ways you can speed up startup on your computer, depending on the issue that is causing your computer to start slowly. One of the first things you should do is remove old and unused programs from your computer, as these may be slowing your startup. You should also look at the programs you do use, and consider which ones are using your resources during startup, and change those programs as needed. There are also some computer programs you can use to speed up startup, though these are not always necessary.

The best way to speed up startup depends a great deal on your particular hardware and software setup. In general, however, you should understand that older hardware, especially an older central processing unit (CPU) and low random access memory (RAM), can significantly slow down your computer’s startup. You should upgrade your hardware whenever possible, and ensure that your computer is not slow simply due to its age.

Having too little RAM can slow startup.
Having too little RAM can slow startup.

Beyond the hardware itself, you should also consider the impact of your software as you work to speed up startup. Old and unused software can have a significant negative impact on the startup speed of your computer. While you may not actively use such software, they can still run background processes that use your memory and impact your startup speed. You should remove any software you no longer use, as this can speed up startup by reducing the number of applications that have to be started.

An older central processing unit can slow a computer's startup speed.
An older central processing unit can slow a computer's startup speed.

Even programs that you do use regularly can have a negative impact on your startup speed. Many programs, like instant messaging software, are started along with your computer during startup. This slows down your startup speed, since your computer is not only starting your operating system (OS), but also those other programs. You should consider changing those programs to not execute on startup to help speed up startup. This can be done in different ways, depending on individual programs and your OS.

You can also use certain programs specifically developed to help you speed up startup. These programs often make changes to your computer in many of the same ways that you can change, such as eliminating older programs and changing what programs are initiated at computer startup. This makes such programs unnecessary for some users, so you should consider what you can do without extra software. These programs may, in fact, slow down your computer further, depending on the software you choose and how it functions.

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    • Having too little RAM can slow startup.
      By: Sergey Dashkevich
      Having too little RAM can slow startup.
    • An older central processing unit can slow a computer's startup speed.
      By: Restyler
      An older central processing unit can slow a computer's startup speed.