Index:
- Disable auto-start programs
- Perform defragmentation
- Optimize the operating system
- Update the hardware components
Disable auto-start programs
To speed up your computer at startup the first solution I want to provide you with is to disable unnecessary programs that have an autostart feature. Performing this specific operation can be useful in case you have installed software that occupies a lot of resources on your computer, thus slowing it down in its start-up process.
This procedure can be performed on Windows computers but also on Mac computers even if, in the latter case, it must be considered that computers equipped with the Apple operating system have more default optimizations and therefore require less maintenance in these terms.
Anyway, if you want to disable autostart programs and you are using a Windows computer, follow the instructions I will give you in the following lines.
If your Windows computer is updated to the latest version of the operating system, Windows 10, then first you need to boot the Task Manager Windows or the panel also called Activity management.
To do this you can press the key combination CTRL + Shift + Esc o CTRL+Shift+Esc from your computer keyboard or you can right-click on the Windows taskbar and, from the drop-down menu you will see on the screen, click on the wording Activity management.
Once you have launched the Windows Task Manager panel you will need to click on the tab called Start in such a way as to display the list of all the programs that start when the computer runs.
To evaluate which programs have the greatest impact on the startup of your computer and which could therefore be responsible for a slowdown, click on the tab Start-up impact in such a way as to sort the list of programs and thus view at a glance those with the highest startup impact.
Once you have identified the programs that start automatically, you can disable them by right-clicking on them and then clicking on the wording Disable.
My advice is to disable most of the programs that start automatically except for those that are related to the security of your computer such as antivirus and firewall.
In any case, always keep in mind that, in case of doubt, you can do a search on Google in order to understand the usefulness of a software. Also, in case you mistakenly disabled an essential program you can fix and re-enable it at any time.
Through the startup section of the Task Manager then right-click on a disabled program and then press the button Enable to reactivate it.
Using the Task Manager you can also go to the section Services: through this section you can stop some unnecessary additional services.
However, this is a more “dedicated” procedure and more suitable for expert users. Consequently, before stopping a service by right-clicking on it and pressing the button Stop, do a thorough search on Google in order to understand the functioning of the service you would like to deactivate.
On a Mac computer, on the other hand, you can manage the programs that start automatically by clicking on System preference, application that presents the symbol of a gear and is located in the Dock bar.
Then click on the icon users and groups that you will see on the screen and then select your username which you can see in the left sidebar.
Then access the tab Login elements so that you can see the list of all the programs that start automatically when you turn on your Mac computer.
Through this section you can remove an unnecessary program from automatic start by clicking on its icon and then on the button [-] which is located at the bottom.
I recommend, before removing a program from the automatic startup of your Mac computer, always do a Google search to understand the real functioning of the software in question.
In case of errors you can easily retrace your steps and add a program previously removed from the automatic start: always from the section Login elements that I have indicated to you, just press the button [+] located at the bottom in order to locate the program through the folder Applications say macOS.
Perform defragmentation
A very important procedure to carry out to solve the problems of a slow computer and therefore to make the computer speed up at startup is related to defragmentation.
This is a procedure that should not be underestimated but must only be carried out on computers equipped with hard drives with magnetic disk while it should not be carried out on computers with SSD as these devices do not require any defragmentation procedure.
Furthermore, defragmentation is not necessary on Mac computers as these are already optimized and are in any case less subject to data defragmentation thanks to the intrinsic connotations of the Apple operating system.
Also keep in mind that the defragmentation procedure is not able to work miracles but that it can still be valid for the optimization of ignition times.
To defrag your computer you can first choose whether to use a predefined program already present on your Windows computer.
To do this you must first click on Cortana's search bar or on the icon with the symbol of a magnifying glass (Search). Then type defragment and optimize drives in the text field that you will see on the screen and click on the result corresponding to the search term.
This will start the default defragmentation tool on your Windows computer and you can first perform an analysis to see if there is any data that goes fragmented: then click on the button Analyze and then once the analysis is complete click the button Optimize to start the defragmentation of the Hard Disk.
In case you want to start a periodic defragmentation and make this happen automatically click on the button Change settings that you will see on the screen and then put the check mark next to the wording Run on a schedule.
You can also choose to set a predefined time period for the defragmentation procedure: you can then choose if you want the defragmentation to be performed automatically Everyday, Every week or Every month. To confirm your choice, click on the button Ok.
The default defragmentation tool of your Windows computer is just one of the software that can perform a defragmentation of your computer; if you wish you can learn more by reading my guide entitled how to defragment the PC in which I told you how to perform the defragmentation using third-party software.
Optimize the operating system
If you want to make your computer run faster during its start-up, you must avoid installing software related to optimization as much as possible; it may seem counterintuitive but not all optimization programs are able to do their job without weighing down your computer.
Consequently, if you want to optimize your computer, you can turn to some few but good and trusted software and use these to perform some specific optimization procedures concerning the start-up.
Among the programs I recommend you use to carry out some optimization operations without affecting the performance of your computer, there is the well-known software called CCleaner.
This is a program that I told you about in depth in my guide dedicated to computer optimization as regards the wording that allows you to free up disk space.
In this case, however, you can use the tool Cleaning of CCleaner to delete the oldest temporary data that was generated by your computer in the folder prefetch. This is a secondary procedure that can still be useful for speeding up the computer at startup.
To carry out this procedure you will therefore have to have previously installed and downloaded the CCleaner software and then you will have to click on the section Cleaning which is located left bar.
Then scroll down the list of items you will see on the screen and put the check mark next to the wording Old prefetch data that you can see in correspondence of the section Advanced.
To start cleaning your computer you will have to press the button Analyze and then Start cleaning.
Update the hardware components
Have you correctly followed all the procedures I have indicated to you in the course of this tutorial but do you notice significant improvements in your computer? If this is the case it is possible that you have to opt for the most drastic solution but also the most effective one: the replacement of the hardware components of your computer.
Specifically, as regards the ability to speed up the computer at startup, my advice is to replace your hard drive with an SSD.
In this regard, if you need more explanation about it and want some advice on which SSD to buy, then read my guide in which I tell you what are the best solid state drives.
How to speed up your computer at startup