Windows 10 Slow Boot Time Issue

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Windows 10 is a popular operating system that was first introduced in 2015. If you recently bought a laptop then chances are it is running on this system. When compared to the older versions of Windows it is more secure and comes with several extra features. Although this is a solid performing software there are instances when certain issues can occur. In this latest installment of our troubleshooting series we will tackle the windows 10 slow boot time problem.

Fix the slow boot time in Windows 10

Before performing any of the recommended troubleshooting steps listed below it’s best to restart your computer first. This action refreshes the operating system and remove any corrupt temporary data that could be causing the problem.

Disable fast startup

Fast startup is enabled by default and works by reducing the startup time as it pre-loads the boot information before your computer shuts down. It works most of the time however there are instances when it can in fact cause the computer to start slow, which is why you should try to disable this feature first.

  • Type Control Panel in the search bar and hit Enter on your keyboard.
  • Click on Power options
  • Click Choose what the Power Buttons do.
  • Click Change settings that are currently unavailable.
  • Click Turn on fast startup (recommended) so that the check mark disappears.
  • Click Save changes.

Restart your computer then check if the slow boot time issue still occurs.

Disable the startup programs

When you start Windows 10 there will be certain third party programs that will also load up during startup. This makes the program open quickly when you need it later on. If there are a lot of programs that automatically loads up during startup then this can cause this particular problem.

  • Right click on the Start button
  • Click on Task Manager
  • Go to the Startup tab
  • You will see a list of everything that loads when you turn on your PC.
  • Check the status column for any enabled app.
  • Right click on the App Name that is enabled then click on Disable. Perform this for the remaining enabled apps.

Restart your computer then check if Windows 10 slow startup time problem still occurs.

Adjust Virtual Memory Settings

Virtual memory is a feature that allows your computer to use a part of your hard drive as RAM. The more RAM you have, the more tasks your system can handle at once. If Windows uses up your true RAM then it uses the virtual memory. Adjusting this setting can usually fix this problem.

  • Type Performance into the search bar and choose Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows.
  • Under the Advanced tab, you’ll see the size of the paging file , click Change to edit it.
  • You’ll see a Recommended amount of memory and a Currently Allocated number. Some having this issue find that their current allocation is way over the recommended number.
  • Uncheck Automatically manage paging file size for all drives to make changes. Then choose Custom Size and set Initial Size and Maximum Size. For minimum try using 16MB and for maximum try using 2935MB.

Restart your computer then check if the slow startup in Windows 10 issue still occurs.

Update your graphics drivers

An old or corrupted graphics driver can cause your computer to boot slowly. You should therefore make sure that you have the latest drivers installed.

If you have an NVIDIA graphics card

then follow the steps listed below.

  • Press Win+R (Windows logo key and R key) at the same time to invoke the Run box.
  • Type msconfig and click OK. Then the System Configurations will open.
  • When System Configuration opens, click the Boot tab. Under Boot options, check Safe boot then click OK.
  • When you’re prompted to restart your computer to apply these changes, click Restart then you will boot into Safe Mode.
  • Go to your local hard disk by clicking on This PC then Local Disk C. You should be able to see the NVIDIA folder right there. Right-click on it and choose Delete.
  • Click Start and type Run. Select Run, the Run dialog box will appear.
  • Type “devmgmt.msc” in the run box and click the OK button which should open the Device Manager Window.
  • Expand the “Display Adapters” field. This will list all network adapters that the machine has installed. Right click on the Nvidia adapter you want to uninstall and select “Uninstall”.
  • Click “OK” when prompted to uninstall the device. This will remove the adapter from the list and uninstall the driver.
  • Press Win+R (Windows logo key and R key) at the same time to invoke the Run box.
  • Type msconfig and click OK. Then the System Configurations will open.
  • When System Configuration opens, click the Boot tab. Under Boot options, uncheck Safe boot then click OK.
  • When you’re prompted to restart your computer to apply these changes, click Restart.
  • Download the latest NVIDIA driver for your computer from here https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx.
  • Run the setup file and follow the instructions which appear on screen. Choose the Custom installation option and check all the boxes in the custom install options windows. Also check the box which states “perform clean install”.
  • Restart your computer

If you have an AMD graphics card

then follow the steps listed below.

  • Download the AMD Cleanup Utility from here https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/faq/gpu-601.
  • Locate the file where it was saved and double-click on the “AMDCleanupUtility.exe’ file.
  • A dialogue box should appear stating AMD Cleanup Utility has detected the system is not in safe mode and provide an option to reboot the system to run the Utility in safe mode:
  • Click “Yes” the system will be rebooted and AMD Cleanup Utility will run in safe mode.
  • The next dialogue box provides a warning message stating that the AMD Cleanup Utility will remove all AMD driver and application components.
  • Click “OK” to continue
  • After clicking “OK” the Utility will be minimized to the notification area (system tray) and the progress will be displayed as a tool tip.
  • The cleanup process will continue to run in the background.  To check the progress, hover the mouse over the AMD icon in the notification area.
  • Once the cleanup process is finished, a message is displayed stating it has successfully completed. Click “View Report” to see the list of components that were uninstalled, otherwise click “Finish” to exit the Utility.
  • Reboot your computer.

Once the drivers have been uninstalled it’s time to install the latest driver update. You can do this with the help of the AMD Driver Auto-detect tool  which you can download from https://www.amd.com/en/support.

  • Visit the AMD Driver and Support page and see section Auto-Detect and Install Radeon Graphics Drivers for Windows.
  • Click the DOWNLOAD NOW button to begin downloading the executable file for the tool.
  • Once download is complete, run the file to launch the Installer.
  • Click Install to extract the needed files.
  • After file extraction is complete the tool should automatically launch.
  • Review the End User License Agreement and information about the User Experience Improvement Program.
  • Click Accept and Install to continue or close the window to exit the AMD Driver Auto-detect tool.
  • After clicking Accept and Install, the tool will attempt to detect the installed AMD graphics product and operating system.
  • Upon successful detection of your system configuration, the tool will display the latest Recommended and Optional driver packages that are compatible with your graphics product, as well as the currently installed driver version
  • Select the desired version and choose Express installation.
  • After the driver package has been downloaded, installation should begin automatically.
  • Restart your computer

If you have an integrated graphics (Intel)

  • Press the Windows Logo key + R to launch a Run
  • Type devmgmt.msc into the Run dialog and press Enter to launch the Device Manager.
  • In the Device Manager, expand the Display adapters
  • Right-click on your graphics drivers, click on Uninstall and then go through the uninstallation wizard to uninstall the drivers.
  • Restart your computer. Once your computer boots up, it should automatically reinstall the same version of the graphics drivers.

Restart your computer then check if the Windows 10 slow boot time issue still occurs.

Check for malware

One factor that can cause this problem is the possibility of a malware infection in your computer. To eliminate this possibility you should scan your computer using Malwarebytes.

  • Go to https://www.malwarebytes.com/antimalware/.
  • Download the free version.
  • Save the installation file to your computer.
  • After the download is complete, double-click the file to begin installing Malwarebytes.
  • Follow the instructions on the installation screen. Make sure Enable free trial of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware PRO is unchecked.
  • Make sure the computer is connected to the Internet.
  • Open Malwarebytes.
  • Malwarebytes will generally prompt you to download and install any available updates when you open the program. To check for and install updates manually, click the Update tab, then click Check for Updates.
  • On Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware screen, click the Scanner tab. The Scanner window will open.
  • On the Scanner window, select one of the first two options: Perform quick scan which is  recommended in most cases or Perform full scan which is selected if a quick scan has not solved your problem.
  • If Malwarebytes detects a threat, it will place the suspicious file in quarantine. After the scan is complete, click the Quarantine tab and review the threats Malwarebytes detected: To permanently delete a malware program, select its name and click Delete.
  • After the scan is complete and you have addressed any threats placed in quarantine, click Exit to close Malwarebytes.

Restart your computer then check if the problem is fixed.

Turn off the Linux terminal

If you have the Windows subsystem for Linux feature enabled on your computer then you should try to disable this as this has been known to cause issues on certain hardware configurations.

  • Type Windows features into the search bar.
  • Open the Turn Windows features on or off menu.
  • Scroll down to Windows Subsystem for Linux uncheck it.
  • Restart your computer.

Check if the Windows 10 slow boot time issue still occurs.

Try using an SSD

If the problem still persists and If your Windows 10 operating system is installed in a HDD then you should consider replacing this with an SSD. It has a much faster read and write speed when compared to a typical hard drive thus reducing the amount of time for Windows 10 to boot up.