If your Windows 10 computer takes a long time to boot when you turn it on, we have prepared some tips to help you solve this problem.
As you know, Microsoft regularly releases new Windows 10 updates. One of the latest is the Anniversary Update (AU). The update brings a host of new features, including new Cortana voice assistant capabilities and system optimizations across the board.
However, not everything is perfect. Many users complain that after the update, the Windows 10 computer takes a long time to boot when turned on. If you are one of those "lucky ones", then let's look at a few solutions to this problem together.
Note: This article provides general solutions to this problem, but is not a complete list. If you followed all the tips in our article and your Windows 10 computer is still taking a long time to boot when you turn it on, you may have more serious problems with your computer.
1. Turn off the quick launch feature
This feature is one of the most problematic when it comes to Windows 10 computer boot time. The feature is enabled by default, and in theory it should reduce the boot time of the computer when turned on, but for many users it works in the opposite direction. If you notice that your Windows 10 computer takes a very long time to boot when you turn it on, the first thing you should do is disable the fast startup feature.
1. Open the "Start" menu and type "Power Options" to go to the appropriate section.
3. Here, uncheck the box next to the "Enable fast startup" option.
Note: you will need to grant administrator permission to change the settings in this section, so click on "Change settings that are currently unavailable" at the top of the window.
Once you've turned off the Quick Launch feature, click Save Changes.
If you don't see the "Turn on fast startup" option, then you don't have sleep (hibernation) enabled. To enable it, open a command prompt as an administrator and enter the following command:
- Powercfg/hibernate on
2. Adjust virtual memory settings
Virtual memory is a feature that Windows uses to allocate a portion of a hard drive as RAM. Of course, the more RAM, the more tasks your system can handle at the same time, so if Windows gets close to its maximum RAM usage, the computer goes into virtual memory storage.
Some users say that Windows 10 changes virtual memory settings on its own, causing problems with the boot speed of a Windows 10 computer when turned on. You should check your virtual memory settings and change them if necessary.
1. Type "System" in the "Start" menu to open the "View information about your computer" window.
3. Open the "Advanced" tab, and in the "Performance" category, click the "Options" button.
4. Here, select the "Ensure the best performance" option, or you can choose the effects yourself.
5. Then open the "Advanced" tab and click the "Edit" button.
7. Users who take a long time to boot their windows 10 computer at startup report that the recommended size matched the current memory size. If you have the same, then uncheck the box at the top of the screen "Automatically choose the size of the paging file."
9. Restart your computer.
3. Disable the new Linux terminal
Windows 10 comes with a completely new Linux BASH terminal. This is an interesting addition for developers, but it will not bring any benefit to ordinary users.
Note: this feature is not enabled by default, so if you don't know what BASH is, you should probably skip this step.
1. To disable the Linux terminal, open the Start menu and type the word "components".
3. Scroll down to "Windows Subsystem for Linux (Beta)", and uncheck the box.
4. Restart your computer.
4. Update your graphics drivers
Many users have reported that updating the graphics drivers solves the problem of Windows 10 PC taking a long time to boot when turned on.
1. Right-click on the "Start" button and select "Device Manager".
2. Here, click on the arrow next to "Display adapters" to find out which video card you are using.
3. Then go to the official website of your graphics card (or your laptop manufacturer's website), and download the latest graphics drivers.
5. If all else fails, reinstall Windows
If you have followed all the steps above and your windows 10 computer is still taking a long time to boot when you turn it on, then reinstall Windows 10 with the latest update.
Conclusion
The problem that the windows 10 computer takes a long time to boot when turned on is quite popular among users, especially after the release of the latest Anniversary Update. We hope our tips have helped speed up your computer's startup when you turn it on.
This article collects the most common startup errors in Windows 10 and how to fix them. We hope this information will make life a little easier for those who switched to the new version of the system and suddenly found themselves between a rock and a hard place.
1. Windows 10: "The computer did not start correctly"
The first common problem when starting Windows 10 is that the system reports some kind of critical error ( CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED, INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE) and then displays a blue screen of "Automatic Repair" with the text .
Automatic Repair: The computer did not start correctly The reason for this error, in most cases, is damage and deletion of system files or registry entries. This may be caused by installing and removing programs, or by the actions of antiviruses or utilities for cleaning the Windows registry.
The solution to the problem is to restore files and registry entries that are damaged:
- Click on the button Extra options on the blue screen, select Troubleshooting> Extra options > Download Options.
- Click Reload.
- In the window Download Options press the F6 key or the number 6 on the numeric keypad to start Safe Mode with command line support.
- The computer will restart in safe mode and a command prompt will open automatically. In it enter:
The computer will restart and after that Windows will start in normal mode.
2. Windows 10 won't load past the logo
Another known issue is that the system boots up to the Windows logo, after which the computer randomly shuts down. The reason for this error is also the corruption of system files, however, unlike the first case, the damage is so severe that the system cannot start the recovery itself.
In this case, you will have to create a Windows Rescue Disk on another Windows 10 PC:
- In the Windows 10 Control Panel, find and select Recovery > Create a recovery drive.
- In the window that appears, set the parameter Back up system files to a recovery drive and press Dalley.
- Connect an empty USB drive to your computer. Select it in the Create Recovery Drive window and click Next > Create.Wait for the files to finish copying and press Ready.
- Remove the USB drive from your computer, plug it into one that won't run Windows 10, and enable BIOS to boot from it.
- The Windows Recovery Environment will start. It has to choose Restoring a system image, or item Command line, and then enter the commands from the instructions for solving the first problem in it.
Windows Recovery Environment You can also start the System Restore Environment from the disc that you installed Windows from. To do this, you need to boot from the installation disk, in the bootloader instead of Install press System Restore. In the menu that appears, select Troubleshooting> Extra options. The same options window shown above will open.
After recovery, the computer will restart. Set the BIOS back to boot from the hard drive and the system should start correctly.
3. "Boot Failure" and "An operating system wasn't found" errors
In some cases, when starting Windows 10, instead of loading the operating system, a black screen occurs with one of two errors:
- boot failure. Reboot and Select Proper Boot device or insert boot media in selected boot device.
- An operating system wasn't found. Try disconnecting any drives that don't contain an operating system. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart.
There can be two reasons for this error:
- Wrong boot device order in BIOS or UEFI. Make sure you are booting from the drive where Windows 10 is installed.
- Damage to the system loader. In this case, you will also need an installation disk or an emergency recovery disk for Windows 10. After booting from it, in the recovery environment, select the item Boot recovery and let the bootloader files be overwritten.
Also, the problem may be hardware damage to the hard drive from which you are booting.
Boot failure error 4. Windows 10 won't start: black screen
A common error when starting Windows 10 is a black screen with no signs of loading the desktop, with or without a frozen cursor on the screen. This often happens as a result of incorrect installation of any drivers: after a reboot, the computer works, but the OS does not boot.
In most cases, the solution to the problem lies in the rollback of the system. To do this, you will also need an installation disk or a Windows 10 emergency recovery disk. After booting from it, in the recovery environment, you can try to select the item System Restore.
This will allow you to roll back the system to the state before the problem occurred. The system will prompt you to select a restore point to which the rollback will be performed, and after confirmation it will perform it. As a rule, after a reboot, the black screen disappears.
5. Windows 10 takes a long time to boot on startup
There is a situation when Windows 10 does not load, the waiting icon is spinning, and that's it. In fact, most likely, nothing bad is happening - the system simply installs the updates that it downloaded the last time you used the computer.
In this situation, it's best to just wait. This state can last for several hours, depending on the number and volume of downloaded updates. It is recommended not to turn off the computer, but to leave it in the boot state for 1-2 hours.
To prevent this error when starting Windows 10 again, you can set up a scheduled computer update so that the system does not download updates without your knowledge. To learn how to edit update policies, read our.
The Windows 10 operating system usually does not eat up a lot of computer resources and has approximately the same requirements as its predecessors. However, after installation, there are often problems with a drop in performance and unstable computer operation. The causes of such problems do not always lie in the operating system itself and arise both from the hardware side and from the software side. Consider possible problems and ways to solve them.
Software problems
The reason for the incorrect operation of Windows 10 is not always the weak hardware of the computer. It is enough to remove part of the load so that the brakes and freezes stop without replacing components.
Most of the processes that eat up computer resources run in the background and are hidden from the user. If you clean out viruses, stale programs and unnecessary services, you can significantly improve performance.
Unnecessary programs in the autorun list
All versions of Windows have a list of programs that are loaded after the system is turned on. In some cases, this function is useful, for example, to run an antivirus. However, this list includes most of the unnecessary programs that will appear in the tray.
Programs in the startup list slow down the computer and take up space in RAM. Usually the operation of such programs is the main problem of lack of resources.
Viruses
The built-in antivirus in Windows 10 is far from ideal. If the user is poorly oriented on the Internet, then there is a high probability that he will catch the virus. Most of them slow down your computer.
Installing and keeping third-party antiviruses on your computer is not worth it: they eat up resources themselves. Just run a computer check every few months. Most antivirus companies provide free virus scanning utilities.
- Download from the official website and run the Dr. Web Carelt. Without unchecking the box, click Continue.
Click "Continue", but do not uncheck
- Run a general computer scan.
Run a general computer scan to find threats
- When the scan is over, neutralize the found threats.
Click on the yellow button to neutralize the found threats
Video: working with Dr.Web Curelt
Unnecessary Services
Windows 10 uses a huge number of services of different needs. Some of them are completely useless, while others work to the detriment of the user. The latter include adware and spyware. Some of them are disguised as other system processes, so their impact on performance is not always obvious.
The main problem with such services is the difficulty of shutting down. Fortunately, there are many programs on the Internet that specialize in eliminating them. Let's use one of them.
- Download and run the Destroy Windows 10 Spying utility. Go directly to the "Settings" tab.
Go to the "Settings" tab before starting work
- Check "Turn on professional mode" and uncheck "Turn off Windows Defender".
Check "Turn on professional mode" and uncheck "Turn off Windows Defender"
- Return to the main tab and click the big button.
Click the Destroy Windows 10 Spying button on the main tab
Video: Working with Destroy Windows 10 Spying
Slow performance while downloading a Windows update
Updates for Windows 10 come out often, but rarely bring something important. This usually includes fixes for minor bugs and changes to rarely used features. The system finds the update and downloads it immediately, resulting in slower performance. The user only finds out about this when the update is already downloading or when the computer is restarted.
You should not refuse updates: just disable the automatic check for their availability and carry it out yourself when it is convenient.
- Open the Start menu, type Services and download the utility you found.
Open the Start menu, type Services in the search box and download the found utility
- Scroll to the bottom of the list, find the Windows Update service and open it.
Open the Windows Update service at the very bottom of the list
- In the startup type, select "Disabled" and click OK.
In the startup type, select "Disabled" and click OK
Registry errors
The system registry is a complex hierarchical database that contains all the settings and changes made to the system. As a result of incorrect computer operation, registry errors may occur. They have different consequences: from an unremovable shortcut to a system crash.
Windows 10 does not have built-in tools to fix registry errors. However, you can download the free CCleaner program, which specializes in such problems.
- Download, install and download CCleaner. Go to the "Registry" section and run a search for problems.
Go to the "Registry" section and run a search for problems
- Click "Fix Selected...".
Click "Fix Selected..." to start the process
- Just in case, save backup copies of the corrected files. They can be deleted after restarting the computer.
Keep backup copies of repaired files so as not to lose them forever
- Fix the found errors.
Fix any bugs you find
Video: working with CCleaner
Unnecessary visual effects
Windows 10 has a simple and unobtrusive style, but even here there are visual decorations that strain the computer's resources. Disabling them will not improve the performance of the computer much, but there will be no noticeable difference in design.
- Open the control panel. It can be found through search.
Open the Control Panel from the Start Menu
- Open the System and Security category.
- Go to the "System" section.
Go to the "System" section
- Click on "Advanced system settings".
Click on "Advanced system settings"
- Next to "Performance", click on the "Settings" button.
Near the inscription "Performance" click on the "Settings" button
- Uncheck all items except "Display thumbnails instead of icons" and "Smooth jagged screen fonts." Click OK.
Uncheck all items except "Display thumbnails instead of icons" and "Smooth jagged screen fonts"
Hardware problems
If none of the above methods helped, then the reason lies in the lack of resources. This applies only to weak computers. In this case, only updating the components will help to completely solve the problem. However, the lack of resources can be "disguised".
How to identify the problem
It is not necessary to correct the lack of performance for all components at once. It is better to decide what exactly the computer is missing. A weak point can be detected by signs of a performance drawdown. For each component, the problems manifest themselves in different ways:
- lack of RAM: the computer freezes or glitches when opening a large number of programs;
- weak processor: the computer runs very slowly or heats up, sometimes freezes for no apparent reason;
- problems with the hard disk: the system and programs take a long time to start, sometimes the startup is accompanied by freezes (regardless of the number of programs already open).
You can also find the cause of the problem through the computer performance graphs that are in the task manager. It's best to do this when the performance hit is most noticeable.
Launch Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and go to the Performance tab. The problem is where the load goes off scale.
The weak point of the computer is where the load goes off scale
Lack of RAM
Lack of RAM is a common cause of performance degradation. RAM differs from the main memory by a high exchange rate. It contains information that is processed by the processor.
RAM determines the number and complexity of processes that can function simultaneously.
If the computer simultaneously processes more information than the amount of RAM allows, it is “queued up” for it. Processes that are in the "queue" appear to be hung.
If it is not possible to purchase new RAM, you can “simulate” it with the paging file extension. The paging file is a special section of memory on a hard drive that is used as a random one. Since the hard drive has a much lower data transfer rate, there will be no worthy replacement for the swap file. But by expanding it, you can get rid of the "queues".
- Right-click on the "This PC" icon and select "Properties".
Right-click on the "This PC" icon and select "Properties"
- Click on the inscription "Advanced system settings".
Click on the inscription "Advanced system settings"
- Go to performance settings.
Click the "Settings..." button to go to performance options
- Open the "Advanced" tab and click "Edit...".
Open the "Advanced" tab and click on the "Edit ..." button
- Uncheck the automatic file size selection and select Specify Size. Set the initial size to twice the recommended size and the maximum size to three. Click OK and restart your computer.
Set the initial size to twice the recommended size and the maximum size to three
Incorrect use of processor power
Windows 10 is characterized by incorrect use of processor power. The processor may be overloaded with power for which it was not designed. This is manifested by a strong buzzing of coolers and constant overheating of the computer. Sometimes the processor power is limited by the system itself, causing the computer to run too slowly.
Especially often such problems are found on old Chinese laptops, which Microsoft developers do not know about, which leads to incorrect determination of the capabilities of some components.
First of all, update your drivers. Notebook owners should pay special attention to the Chipset driver, if there is one on the manufacturer's website. If this does not help, it remains only to change the used processor power. This is usually not a good idea and does not always help, but there are no other options.
- Expand "Processor Power Management", then "Maximum Processor State". If values are too low, set to 100%. If it's already 100%, set it to 95%. Restart your computer.
Incorrect placement of information on the hard disk
All data written to the hard disk is divided into small fragments. They are placed in free space so that they can be quickly put back together. However, as a result of constant deletions and rewriting, this order is violated, which greatly slows down the reading of information. Since the operating system and all programs are located on the hard disk, the disorder greatly slows down their opening. Defragmentation, that is, updating and optimizing the logical structure, will help to cope with this problem.
Among other things, bad sectors may appear on the hard drive. When you try to read a fragment located in this sector, the computer freezes. This is often the cause of brakes when starting the system or opening programs.
- In File Explorer, right-click on one of the drives and select "Properties".
Video: hard drive defragmentation
Problems with programs and games
All the described methods affect not only the performance of the operating system, but also programs with games. By doing them, you will improve the overall performance of your computer. But if there are problems with a separate program, this case must be considered in a separate order.
Do not download special programs that promise to improve the performance of games: they do nothing particularly useful, but they climb into the tray and eat up resources.
The only way that will actually work is by enabling Game Mode. It only applies to games. If this mode is enabled, some system services and background processes will stop when starting games. However, if you have already done everything described above, nothing new will happen.
Windows 10 is a pretty smart operating system, but it can't always take care of itself. Most of the described methods are enough to carry out once. A periodic search for viruses and registry errors will be the key to stable computer operation.
In many cases, including when upgrading from an older version of Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10, users experience increased operating system boot times.
The symptoms of the error usually include a black screen after watching the Windows boot animation with the ability to move the cursor on the screen, and the inability to do anything else during this time. In some cases, this situation can last more than a minute.
Two laptops with this issue were used in our testing: Dell Inspiron 17 2013, and Acer Aspire V5 2013. After installing Windows 10, Acer added more than a minute to the initial boot time, and Dell 25 seconds.
Fix Acer Aspire V5 boot speed by disabling fast system startup.
Reference! Fast Startup is a feature included by default in Windows 10, which should reduce the startup time of the system (OS) when it starts not from the hard disk (HDD), but from the hiberfile.sys file. However, according to many users, this feature causes OS boot issues.
These steps on the Acer Aspire V5 laptop reduced the OS boot time at this stage by 80 seconds.
Disabling processes with a high impact on OS startup
Some processes that have a high impact on OS startup can be disabled (with the exception of security software) so as not to interfere with Windows 10 booting.
Step 1. On the keyboard, press Atl + Ctrl + Del at the same time. A functional menu will appear, where you need to select "Task Manager" with the mouse.
Step 2 The Task Manager dialog box will appear. Click on the "Startup" tab and find out if there are unnecessary processes with a high "startup impact" (High) in the operating system.
Step 3 Right-click the process you want to disable, and click Disable. Carry out this procedure with all the processes that affect the startup of the system. After close (cross at the top) window.
Disabling said processes should also reduce OS boot time.
Read also useful information with practical tips in our new article -
Video card drivers
On a Dell Inspiron 17 laptop, it was not possible to speed up the launch of Windows 10 using the methods listed above. Even though the methods below worked, it still did not completely fix the problem with the laptop.
The black screen that occurs during the boot phase of Windows 10 is believed to be a graphics driver issue that is especially severe on laptops switching between an integrated (integrated) Intel HD GPU and a dedicated card from Nvidia or AMD.
An easy way to check this is to disable your AMD or Nvidia graphics driver and restart your computer.
Step 1. Click on the magnifying glass icon to the right of the Start button. Enter in the line that appears: "Device Manager" and click on the icon that appears at the top with the inscription "Device Manager".
Step 2 Select "Display Adapters" with the mouse and identify the dedicated graphics card. It will be labeled as Nvidia, AMD Radeon or ATI Radeon. Right-click on the graphics card and click "Disable" (this may cause the screen to go blank for a while).
Turn off (not reboot, just turn off) the computer and turn it on again to make sure the problem is fixed.
Important! If you are using only the Intel HD Display Adapter, you do not need to complete the above steps.
If the graphics adapter is causing the problem, you must re-enable the disabled graphics card using the steps above, and then download the latest graphics card driver from the graphics card manufacturer's website: amd.com/drivers or nvidia.com/drivers by installing it in the OS.
After downloading and installing the driver, turn off and turn on the computer to see if the problem is resolved.
Reference! If booting is still slow, it's worth checking if it's an effective solution to disable fast startup along with new graphics card drivers.
AMD Power Saving
If your laptop has an AMD graphics card, there is one more step you can try. To do this, you need to open the registry editor.
Step 1. Right click on the Start icon and left click on Run.
Step 2 In the window that appears, type regedit and click OK.
Step 3 In the "Registry Editor" window that opens, select "Edit" - "Find" with the mouse. Type EnableULPS into the search box and click Find Next. After a short search procedure, EnableULPS will become visible in the list of registry settings.
Step 4 Double click it and change the value from 1 to 0 in Value Data by clicking OK.
This will disable the power saving feature, which turns off the dedicated graphics card when not needed. As a result, the laptop will consume more battery power, so you need to do this only if the laptop has been plugged into the 220V network for a longer time.
If the above solutions don't work
If none of the above solutions work, you can try to reset Windows 10 to its original state by deleting all files and programs. The advantage of this solution over reinstalling the OS is the ability to keep personal files.
Step 1. Open the "Start" menu and click on the "Settings" button.
Step 2 In the window that appears, select "Updates and Security".
Step 3 In the next pop-up window, select "Recovery". In the "Reset your computer to its original state" subsection, click the "Start" button.
Step 4 You will be prompted to save your personal files or delete them. Select the desired option.
Step 5
The “Reset” of Windows 10 will begin. The PC will (perhaps several times) restart, and after completing the procedure, you will get a “clean” OS.
In the case of the Dell Inspiron 17 laptop, a full “Reset” of the OS was the only way to solve the problem with slow booting Windows 10. Booting problems persist, but as long as fast startup is turned off, the black screen is no longer visible.
If your Windows 10 PC has old or corrupted drivers, your computer may also boot slowly. To correct the situation, you can update the device drivers.
Reference! In this case, you can save a significant amount of time if you use dedicated driver update programs such as Driver Easy.
Step 1. Download and install Driver Easy. Launch the program and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will scan your computer and find "faulty" drivers.
Step 2 After finding the drivers you need to update, click the Update button next to the driver you need, or the Update All button for all found drivers.
Step 3 Restart Windows 10 and see if it loads faster.
If the computer on which Windows 10 is installed is rather weak, you should also pay attention to the antivirus used in the system. If several such programs are used, it is recommended to choose the most productive one and leave only it.
You can also use only the “Windows Defender” built into the OS, which in Windows 10, unlike Windows 7 and 8, has become a valuable assistant for everyday use, generally reliably protecting the PC.
You can also perform a "clean" installation of the OS to permanently solve the indicated problem.
Loading the Windows 10 operating system is like a road - if there are too many machines, sooner or later a traffic jam will form. Therefore, you need to know how to speed up the loading of Windows 10.
Autoload
When installing programs on Windows 10, you don't even pay attention at what point they start to load. Messengers, drivers and much more are loaded with your operating system without you even noticing it. And you only feel how time increases - and this is annoying. You need to get used to controlling autoload and learn how to clean it:
Quick Start
How to speed up windows 10 boot when you turn on your PC? Activate fast start:
Disk Cleanup
To speed up the loading of Windows 10 on a laptop or on a personal computer, you need to regularly clean the system disk. A huge amount of garbage that accumulates in folders significantly slows down the work. So, to speed up the process, follow these steps:
- Locate the "My Computer" ("This Computer") icon on your desktop. If it's not there, add it using personalization:
Right mouse button on the desktop - personalization 
Themes section and scroll to Working parameters became
Click on change desktop icons and check the box. 
defragmentation
Another way to speed up the loading of Windows 10 on a laptop or PC. All files are written to the hard disk not entirely, but in parts. And these pieces can be scattered all over the hard drive. This also takes time. Defragmentation allows you to streamline the recording scheme, this will speed up Windows.
Replacing HDD with SSD
Another way to speed up the loading of Windows 10 on a laptop is to replace a regular HDD hard drive with an SSD. 
Solid state drives SSD work much faster than a regular hard drive. So far, they are not very common, but everyone already knows that the download speed from such a hard drive increases significantly.