How To Reduce Windows Boot-up Time
You’ve done this all before. And got the t-shirt. You have to do something right now on your PC but it’s switched off. You curse under your breath. You’re in for a long wait whilst Windows decides what it needs to do to get your computer to run. I mean, it’s not like it’s got other things to do.
So how can you make your Windows PC boot up quicker?
It seems like the older your PC is, the longer it takes for it to boot up. You begin to think that Microsoft has shares in your energy company as they appear to want you to leave your computer running 24 hours a day.
Fortunately, there are some things you can do to reduce the time it takes your computer to run through its boot sequence.
When it starts, Windows double checks all the programs that run every time you start your PC. All the essential stuff like Windows itself. Plus all the other software that absolutely must run on your system. Windows Messenger. Apple’s iTunes music program. Your anti-virus software. Maybe a spyware checker. Skype so you can make cheap phone calls. The list goes on. In case anything’s changed since you closed your PC, Windows will go off and check all these programs that run when it starts up.
You can find out what all these programs are. But you should be careful - whilst you may not recognize a program by name, that doesn’t mean you can safely remove it. Some essential Windows services that run in the background have quite obscure names that don’t mean anything to you. But removing them, you’ll be in trouble. The rule with startup programs should be if you’re in doubt, leave it running. It won’t do you any good if you remove a program, only to spend hours (or dollars) fixing the trouble. Unless you’re brave, I’d suggest leaving start-up programs to your computer support person.
The next thing you can do is clean up the Windows registry. This is the dark place where Windows stores information about your PC and the programs on it. A lot of this is either needed or at least useful. Trouble is, every time you remove or delete a program it can leave debris in the registry. Over time, this will mean your computer slows down while it checks all this out of date stuff. Occasionally it could even crash your computer altogether.
The good news is that you can fix this yourself using a purpose designed Registry checking program. This will wizz through your registry, looking for errors, inconsistencies and out of date information. After the scan, you’ll get a simple report and if you’re happy to let it, the software will trot off and fix the reported errors. This is simple, quick and effective. I recommend this registry cleaner software - it’s the one I personally use.
Check here for more ways to speed up your Windows boot time.