 PC & MOBILE

 LIFESTYLE

 HARDWARE

 FREE STUFF

 VIDEOS

 ABOUT

 WHATNERD

 BLOCKS D.

 Email

 Facebook

 Pinterest

 Instagram
  Twitter

 YouTube

Search

WINDOWS

6 Ways to Fix Slow Boot Times in

Windows 10
Ben Stegner Updated November 5, 2018 5 minutes
6 Ways to Fix Slow Boot Times in Windows 10
Email FacebookPinterest Twitter
Advertisement

One of the most frustrating Windows issues is slow startup. When Windows takes forever to
boot, you dread turning on or rebooting your computer. Certain Windows 10 versions are
especially prone to this.

Unlock the "Windows Keyboard Shortcuts 101" cheat sheet

now!
This will sign you up to our newsletter

Enter your Email

Unloc k

Read our privacy policy

Thankfully, slow booting is a solvable issue. We’ll show you the most common fixes for a slow
startup in Windows 10.

1. Disable Fast Boot

By far, the most problematic setting when it comes to boot time in Windows 10 is the Fast
Startup option. This is enabled by default, and is supposed to reduce startup time by pre-loading
some boot information before your PC shuts off.

While the name sounds promising, it’s caused issues for a lot of people. Thus, it’s the first step
you should try when you have slow boot problems. (Note that restarting your computer isn’t
affected by this feature.)

Open Settings and browse to System > Power & sleep. On the right side of this screen,
click Additional power settings to open the Power Options menu on the Control Panel.

Here, click Choose what the power buttons do on the left sidebar. You’ll need to provide
administrator permission to change the settings on this page, so click the text at the top of the
screen that reads Change settings that are currently unavailable.

Now, untick Turn on fast startup (recommended) and Save Changes to disable this setting.

If you don’t see the Fast Boot option, you don’t have hibernation enabled and thus it won’t show
up. To enable hibernation, open an administrator Command Prompt or PowerShell window by
right-clicking on the Start button and choosing Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows
PowerShell (Admin).

Type the following command to enable it, then try to disable Fast Startup again:
powercfg /hibernate on

2. Adjust Virtual Memory Settings

Virtual memory is a feature Windows uses to dedicate a part of your hard drive as pretend
RAM. Of course, the more RAM you have the more tasks your system can handle at once. So if
Windows is close to maxing out true RAM, it dips into virtual memory.

Is Your Virtual Memory Too Low? Here's How to Fix It! Is Your Virtual Memory
Too Low? Here's How to Fix It!Computer memory issues can slow down your computer over
time. Here's how to set the virtual memory size and boost performance.READ MORE

Some users have reported that Windows 10 can change virtual memory settings, causing boot
issues. You should thus have a look at your virtual memory settings and see if you can change
them to fix the slow boot problem.

Type Performance into the Start Menu and choose the Adjust the appearance and
performance of Windows.

Under the Advanced tab, you’ll see the size of the paging file (another name for virtual
memory); click Change to edit it.
On the resulting window, what’s important is at the bottom. You’ll see a Recommended amount
of memory and a Currently Allocated number. Some having this issue find that their current
allocation is way over the recommended number.

If yours is as well, uncheck Automatically manage paging file size for all drives to make
changes. Then choose Custom Size and set Initial Size and Maximum Size to the
recommended value below.

Reboot, and your boot time should improve.

3. Turn Off the Linux Terminal

A while back, Windows 10 got a full Linux bash terminal. This is exciting for developers, but
it might also the culprit of your boot issues.
A Quick Guide to Linux Bash Shell in Windows 10 A Quick Guide to Linux Bash
Shell in Windows 10You can now run Linux on Windows. Learn more about Bash on Windows,
from how and why you should install it, to hidden features you probably didn't know about.READ MORE

This feature isn’t turned on by default. So if you don’t know what Bash is, you probably don’t
need to try this step as you would know if you turned it on.

To turn off the Linux shell, type Windows features into the Start Menu to open the Turn
Windows features on or off menu. Scroll down to Windows Subsystem for Linux, uncheck it,
and restart.

If this fixes your issues, but you need the Linux terminal, you can download other tools to get
the Linux command line on Windows.

Forget Cygwin: CASH Brings The Best Of Linux To Windows Forget Cygwin:
CASH Brings The Best Of Linux To WindowsLinux and Windows are very different
operating systems, and nowhere is that more apparent than with the command line. Various tools are available
to make Windows feel more like Linux, such as Cash.READ MORE

4. Update Graphics Drivers

Windows 10 is known to mess with drivers, unfortunately. Updating your graphics card drivers
can sometimes fixe boot issues, so let’s give it a look.
Take Back Control Over Driver Updates in Windows 10 Take Back Control Over
Driver Updates in Windows 10A bad Windows driver can ruin your day. In Windows 10,
Windows Update automatically updates hardware drivers. If you suffer the consequences, let us show you how
to roll back your driver and block future...READ MORE

Open the Device Manager by right-clicking on the Start button and choosing Device Manager.
Navigate to Display adapters to see which graphics card you’re using (typically Nvidia or AMD
if you have a dedicated graphics card).

You can usually open the corresponding software on your PC to check for updates. If you don’t
have it, you’ll need to navigate to the vendor’s website (or your laptop manufacturer’s website, if
you’re using integrated graphics on a laptop) to check for driver updates. Install any new
versions available.
We’ve covered updating your computer drivers in more detail if you need help. Hopefully, an
update will fix your issue. It might be worth checking for other driver updates in the Device
Manager as well, but we haven’t seen anyone discuss other drivers as a cause of slow booting.

How to Find & Replace Outdated Windows Drivers How to Find & Replace
Outdated Windows DriversYour drivers might be outdated and need updating, but how are you
to know? Here's what you need to know and how to go about it.READ MORE

5. Remove Some Startup Programs

Perhaps your slow boot time isn’t caused by one of these issues. If you experience slowness
between logging in and actually getting to use your computer, too many startup programs could
be the culprit.

A lot of software sets itself to automatically run at startup. If you have dozens of apps loading as
soon as you log in, this can really bog your system down right away. Follow our guide to
removing heavy startup programs and see if that makes a difference.

These Programs Slow Down Your Windows 10 Boot These Programs Slow Down
Your Windows 10 BootIs Windows 10 booting slower than it used to? Sluggish programs
launching on startup might be the culprit. We'll show you how to trim down your boot list.READ MORE

6. If All Else Fails, Perform a Reset

If you’ve tried all the above solutions and still can’t speed up your boot time, it might be best to
cut your losses and reinstall a fresh copy of Windows 10.

You have several options for resetting your PC. The built-in Refresh option can reinstall
Windows without removing any of your files. You’ll should still back up your computer
data before this, though.

4 Ways to Factory Reset Your Windows 10 Computer 4 Ways to Factory Reset

Your Windows 10 ComputerWant to know how to factory reset a PC? We show you the best
methods to reset a Windows computer using Windows 10, 8, or 7.READ MORE

Head to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery and select Get started under Reset this
PC to start.

Slow Booting in Windows 10, Begone

Hopefully, applying one or all of these fixes works for you. Slow startup is a huge pain, but you
thankfully have options to combat it. If nothing else works, hold out for the next major Windows
10 release, which should clear up the issue.
Of course, slow boot times are not the only booting problem that occurs on a Windows
machine. If your Windows 10 PC is stuck in an infinite reboot loop, we can help you fix that
too. For other PC problems, check out our basic troubleshooting guide for Windows.

How to Fix a Windows 10 Infinite Reboot Loop How to Fix a Windows 10 Infinite
Reboot LoopThe Windows infinite reboot loop is a failure to correctly boot up the OS. Here's how to fix
it on Windows 10, 7, and 8.READ MORE

Explore more about: Troubleshooting, Windows 10, Windows Update.

6 Tips for Windows 7 End of Life and SupportHow to Disable Access to the Registry
Editor in Windows 10
Enjoyed this article? Stay informed by joining our
newsletter!
Enter your Email
Submit

Read our privacy policy

11 COMMENTSWRITE A COMMENT

Ben Stegner1406 articles

Ben is a Deputy Editor and the Sponsored Post Manager at MakeUseOf. He holds a B.S. in Computer
Information Systems from Grove City College, where he graduated Cum Laude and with Honors in his major.
He enjoys helping others and is passionate about video games as a medium.

Trending Now

The Slack Cheat Sheet: Shortcuts, Commands, and Syntax to Know

by Akshata Shanbhag
Run Windows on Your Mac With Parallels Desktop 15
by Kris Wouk

YouTube Makes Its Homepage Easier to Use

by Dave Parrack

How to Use Your Android Phone as an IP Webcam

by Christian Cawley

The 8 Best Fact-Checking Sites for Finding Unbiased Truth

by Megan Ellis
5 Apps and Sites to Find Reddit’s Best Posts and Favorite Recommendations
by Mihir Patkar

5 iPhone Problems You Can Fix Using DFU Mode

by Dan Helyer

Google’s Quantum Supremacy Signals Huge Advance in Computing

by Gavin Phillips

Latest Giveaways!

Jackery Explorer 240/250: Emergency Power Backup for All The Things
by James Bruce
Elegoo Mars: High Quality Resin Printing for Anyone
by Joe Coburn

Anycubic Photon S: The Best Resin 3D Printer? (And Less Than $500)
by Joe Coburn

One Mix 3S Yoga: Not the First Netbook, But Probably The Best
by Kris Wouk

Latest Videos

Guess the App Logos | Game: Dueling Logos | TGTS Side Games #4
 Sci-Fi Movie Trivia | Game: Trivia Hangman | TGTS Side Games #5

How to Download YouTube Videos to Your iPhone Camera Roll

Be Prepared, with the Jackery Explorer 240/250 Portable Power Station

 Elegoo Mars: Perfect for Beginners to Resin 3D Printing?

10 Sites to Download Royalty Free Christmas Music

Latest Deals
How to Write for Any Site
How to Write for Any Site

$199$12.99

Ivacy VPN: Lifetime Subscription + NAT Firewall

Ivac y VPN: Lifeti me Subscription + N AT

$1254$39.99

iMazing 2 Device Manager: Universal License for Mac & Windows

iMazing 2 D evice Manager: U ni versal Lic ens e

$90$14.99

SideNotes for Mac

SideNotes for Mac

$20$7.99
Affiliate Disclosure: By buying the products we recommend, you help keep the lights on at MakeUseOf. Read
more.
00% Dis k Usag e in Windows 10 Fi xed With 14 Tric ks

100% Disk Usage in Windows 10 Fixed With 14 Tricks

100% Dis k Us age in Wi ndows 10 Fi xed With 14 Tric ks

indows 10 T as kbar N ot Wor king ? 6 F ast Fi xes

Windows 10 Taskbar Not Working? 6 Fast Fixes

Windows 10 Tas kbar N ot Wor king ? 6 F ast Fi xes

4 Ways to M ake Windows 10 Faster and Improve Perfor manc e

14 Ways to Make Windows 10 Faster and Improve Performance

14 Ways to M ake Windows 10 F as ter and Impr ove Perfor manc e

ow to Fi x an U nmountabl e Boot Volume i n Windows 10

How to Fix an Unmountable Boot Volume in Windows 10

How to Fi x an U nmountabl e Boot Volume i n Windows 10
 ow to Fi x Windows 10: A Beginner’s F AQ

How to Fix Windows 10: A Beginner’s FAQ

How to Fi x Windows 10: A Beginner’s F AQ

ow to Fi x the Wi ndows Stop C ode M emory Management BSOD

How to Fix the Windows Stop Code Memory Management BSOD

How to Fi x the Wi ndows Stop C ode M emory Management BSOD

ow to Incr ease Dedicated Video R AM (VR AM) in Wi ndows 10

How to Increase Dedicated Video RAM (VRAM) in Windows 10

How to Incr ease Dedicated Video R AM (VR AM) in Wi ndows 10

indows 10 Won’t Boot? 12 Fi xes to Get Your PC R unni ng Agai n

Windows 10 Won’t Boot? 12 Fixes to Get Your PC Running

Again
Windows 10 Won’t Boot? 12 Fi xes to Get Your PC R unning Agai n

© 2019 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved.