Why Is My PC So Slow to Start Up?
Over time, you may begin to notice that your computer is taking longer and longer to start up. Even if you do your best to remain cautious of what you install, download and run, you'll probably encounter this problem eventually. It can become very frustrating waiting five minutes while your computer takes its time loading your operating system and all of its components. There are a few measures you can take to speed up your computer's start time.
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Start-Up Programs
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As you use your computer and install new programs they may request the ability to start when your operating system starts. While this may be convenient for updates and quick program launching, it can considerably slow down the start up time of your computer. Disabling non-essential start up processes will speed up how quickly Windows starts. Make sure you know what you're disabling before you disable it so you don't risk stopping any essential programs from starting up.
Malware
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Malicious software includes things such as viruses, Trojans, spyware, adware and worms. These dangerous programs can alter your PC and damage files important for Windows' start up process. Installing, regularly updating and using a quality security suite will help keep this issue to a minimum, and ensure that your computer is as safe as possible in the process. For this reason, it is never recommended to turn off the start up process for your anti-virus protection, you want that to start as soon as your computer does.
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Defragment
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Files may become fragmented and cluttered. Defragmenting your hard drive is like tidying it up, and it serves to organize your hard drive better so that your computer can access the information faster. This will improve start up time as well as overall computer performance. Windows has a free tool called Disk Defragmenter that works well. There are also a plethora of third-party programs that claim to do the job better than Disk Defragmenter.
Drivers and Devices
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If you've got outdated drivers it may cause your computer to start slowly, according to VLaurie.com. When Windows starts, part of the process is the loading and starting all of your devices. If the drivers are outdated, it may take longer for this process to complete, ultimately increasing start up time. Disable any peripherals and hardware you barely use to speed up the process, according to VLaurie.com. You can do this in your Device Manager.
Boot Order
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When you first turn on your computer it will try to load your operating system from a few different places. This order varies from computer to computer. For example, your computer could try to load your operating system first from your CD-ROM drive, then from a USB, then from a floppy disk, and then on your hard drive, where you OS is most likely located. You can change this setting in your BIOS so that your computer doesn't always search those other places first, but instead goes straight to your hard drive.
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References
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