How to Speed Up Startup Time on a Windows 11 Gaming PC

A gaming PC that takes minutes to reach a usable desktop is usually slowed by one of three things: too many launchers and helper apps starting at sign-in, a long firmware stage before Windows even loads, or a storage or system-file problem. The fastest fix is to disable unneeded startup apps in Task Manager, which takes about five minutes and can be undone any time. This guide covers Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 on any gaming desktop or laptop and walks through measuring first, then trimming safely.

Quick Answer

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, open Startup apps, and note the Last BIOS time at the top.
• Right-click launchers, chat clients, RGB tools and updaters you do not need at sign-in and choose Disable.
• Check Settings > Apps > Startup for anything Task Manager missed.
• If Last BIOS time is long, review the firmware boot options in your motherboard manual instead of Windows settings.
• Restart and compare the time to the desktop with your first measurement.

Before You Start

Disabling a startup entry does not uninstall the app; it only stops the app from opening at sign-in. You can re-enable it from the same screen. Even so, do not disable anything you do not recognize without looking it up, and leave security software, your graphics driver tray tools, touchpad drivers on laptops and audio services alone, because those can cause missing features or reduced protection when they are stopped.

Create a restore point before you change system-level settings: search for Create a restore point in the Start menu, pick your system drive, and click Create. You do not need to change anything in the firmware to follow the main method. If you later edit BIOS or UEFI options, change one setting at a time, write down the original value, and never flash a new firmware version in the middle of a startup troubleshooting session; a failed flash can leave a board unable to start.

Finally, define what “slow” means. Time how long it takes from pressing the power button to a desktop you can use, using a phone stopwatch. A second measurement after each change tells you which step helped, since results vary by game library, storage type and hardware.

Method 1: Trim Startup Apps

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. If you see a small view, click More details.
2. Open the Startup apps tab. Click the Startup impact column to sort. Windows labels entries as None, Not measured, Low, Medium or High, based on CPU and disk use during startup.
3. Right-click each entry you do not need immediately after sign-in and choose Disable. Typical candidates are game store launchers, chat apps, cloud storage clients, update checkers, RGB lighting suites and hardware monitoring tools you open only occasionally.
4. Open Settings > Apps > Startup and switch off anything remaining that you do not need at sign-in. This page shows only apps registered as startup apps.
5. For apps that do not appear in either list, press Windows key + R, type shell:startup and press Enter to open your personal Startup folder. Delete shortcuts you do not want there. The folder shell:common startup affects all users and needs administrator rights.
6. Many launchers have their own setting. In Steam, look for the option that runs Steam when the computer starts under its interface settings. In Discord, look for the option that opens the app at startup in the Windows settings section.
7. Restart the PC and measure again.

This works because every enabled entry competes for storage and CPU at the moment you sign in. Starting launchers only when you need them leaves more resources for the shell and for background services.

Method 2: Check Fast Startup and Firmware Boot Time

1. Return to the Startup apps tab in Task Manager and read Last BIOS time. This is the time spent in firmware before Windows takes over. If it is several seconds long, no amount of app trimming will reduce it.
2. Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable to unlock the section below.
3. Look at Turn on fast startup (recommended). Fast startup saves part of the system state to disk when you shut down, so the next boot can be quicker. It does not apply to a restart.
4. If you are troubleshooting odd behavior such as drivers that misbehave after shutdowns, untick the box, click Save changes, and shut down fully. The trade-off is that a cold start may take a little longer, but you get a clean boot each time. If your PC already boots fast, there is no reason to turn it off.
5. For firmware options, enter your BIOS or UEFI setup (usually by pressing Delete or F2 during the first seconds, and some boards list it in the manual). Look at the boot section for options named Fast Boot or similar, a logo or full-screen splash that can be disabled, and the boot priority list. Place your Windows drive first and disable boot methods you do not use, such as network boot.
6. Some boards with memory profiles, such as XMP or EXPO, spend extra time on memory training at power-up. A few vendors offer a setting often called Memory Context Restore or similar that can shorten this. Availability and names vary by board; confirm in your motherboard manual before changing anything.

Firmware settings affect hardware initialization, so a mistake can stop a board from starting. If the PC does not display after a change, clear the CMOS using the method in the manual, which restores defaults.

Method 3: Repair System Files and Check Storage

1. Right-click Start, choose Terminal (Admin), and approve the prompt.
2. Run sfc /scannow and wait for it to finish. It checks protected Windows files and repairs the ones it can.
3. If it reports problems it could not fix, run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, then run sfc /scannow again.
4. Open Settings > System > Storage and make sure the Windows drive has comfortable free space. Use Temporary files to remove items you do not need, and read the list before you confirm.
5. Open Settings > Windows Update and install pending updates. A boot that includes a long update stage will drop back to normal afterward.
6. Open Event Viewer > Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > Diagnostics-Performance > Operational. Event ID 100 records boot duration, and later events with other IDs in the same log point to specific apps or drivers that slowed startup.

These steps address corruption, a crowded system drive and a stuck update, which are common reasons for a startup that stays slow after apps have been trimmed.

If It Did Not Work

• Last BIOS time is still long. Reset the firmware to defaults, then reapply only the options you need. Check the manual for a fast boot option and update the firmware only if the manufacturer’s notes name a boot-time fix, following their instructions exactly.
• Desktop appears quickly but is unresponsive for a minute. Sort Startup apps by impact again, and check Task Manager’s Processes tab for disk use at 100 percent right after sign-in, which can mean a busy drive or an indexing task.
• Disabled apps keep coming back. Some apps re-register themselves after updates. Turn off their own “start with Windows” setting, not only the Windows toggle.
• Event ID 100 shows a long boot, but the apps are not the cause. Look at the Diagnostics-Performance events with IDs in the 101 to 110 range, which name the app, driver or service that was slow.
• The system drive shows errors. Run chkdsk C: /scan in an admin terminal, and check the drive manufacturer’s health tool. Back up important data before you do anything else.
• You want to find a conflicting service. Use msconfig with the Services tab and the option to hide Microsoft services as a temporary diagnostic, and undo it afterward so you do not leave services stopped.

Common Questions

Will disabling startup apps break my games?

Usually not. Most games start fine when you open their launcher yourself. Some anti-cheat or overlay services are separate from the launcher, so if a game complains, re-enable the entry you disabled last.

Is it better to use Sleep or Hibernate instead of shutting down?

Sleep resumes in seconds and uses a small amount of power, while Hibernate saves the session to disk and powers off. Either avoids a cold boot, but a full restart now and then helps clear driver or memory issues.

Does an SSD make a difference?

Storage speed matters for loading Windows and apps, so a solid-state drive is generally much more responsive than a spinning drive. Gains vary by hardware, and a clean startup list helps on any drive.

Should I turn off Fast Startup?

Only if you see problems after shutting down, such as devices that do not initialize or updates that do not finish. Turning it off lengthens some cold boots, but it gives a cleaner start each time.

Why is the first boot after an update slower?

Windows finishes configuring components and drivers, which takes extra time. Later boots return to normal speed unless another update is waiting.

Update History

• October 14, 2026 – Initial publication; steps checked against Windows 11 24H2/25H2 and current driver releases.
• Menus can differ slightly by Windows build, BIOS vendor and driver version; check your own screens against the steps.

Sources

• Microsoft Support documentation on configuring startup applications in Windows
• Microsoft Windows documentation on Power Options and Fast Startup
• Microsoft documentation for System File Checker and DISM
• Motherboard vendor manuals for firmware boot options