Alex Ruben
How To Speed Up Windows 11 Startup After an Update
If your Windows 11 machine is suddenly taking forever to boot up after a recent update, you’re definitely not alone. It’s kinda annoying, and honestly, sometimes it seems like some update just throws a wrench in the start process. The good news? There are a handful of things that typically help speed things back up, especially if your PC was fine beforehand. Doing these steps can help you get a snappier startup and avoid waiting around forever just to get to your desktop.
Steps to Resolve Slow Startup Issues
Disable unnecessary startup applications
This is usually the first stop because a bunch of apps launching at startup can seriously drag things down. Windows 11’s Task Manager makes it pretty easy to get rid of the bloat.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager (sometimes it’s faster than digging through Settings).
- Click over to the Startup tab. If you don’t see it, hit the More details button at the bottom.
- Right-click on apps that aren’t critical and hit Disable. Things like chat managers, update tools, or random background apps that aren’t needed right away.
Disabling these can cut down startup time quite a bit. Sometimes, on some setups, this step alone makes the biggest difference, especially after an update adds a bunch of background apps. Just a warning though—some apps are sneaky and might restart if you don’t manually disable them again later.
Update your drivers — especially graphics and chipset
Outdated drivers are infamous for causing boot delays. Because of course Windows has to make it harder than necessary, sometimes drivers just don’t play nicely with recent updates. Checking for updates helps Windows get the latest fixes and improvements.
- Hit the Windows key + X and select Device Manager.
- Find your main device categories — Display adapters for graphics, Network adapters, and System devices (your chipset), are the usual suspects.
- Right-click the device, choose Update driver, then pick Search automatically for updated driver software. If Windows can’t find anything, consider visiting your PC/motherboard manufacturer’s website for the latest drivers—especially if your hardware is a bit older.
This process can be time-consuming if you have a lot of devices, but it’s worth it. Sometimes new drivers resolve bugs that slow down startup. On one setup it worked perfectly after updating a graphics driver—while on another, no change, but it’s still worth trying.
Check for Windows updates — keep your OS fresh
Microsoft often releases patches that fix bugs and improve system performance, including startup speed. If your machine is lagging, it’s good practice to ensure it’s fully updated.
- Go to Settings and click on Windows Update.
- Hit Check for updates. If there’s anything pending, definitely install it.
- Restart your PC once all updates are done. Sometimes, the update process itself can temporarily slow things, but the improvements are worth it.
This is like the baseline step—because, again, updates often fix what’s causing the slowdown in the first place. Typically, on some machines, this fixes things immediately; on others, it’s just part of the puzzle.
Disable Fast Startup — sometimes it’s the villain
Fast Startup is supposed to make your PC boot faster, but it’s kinda weird that it can also cause issues—like the system not really shutting down properly or messing with drivers during startup. If things are still slow, turning it off might help.
- Open Control Panel by searching it in the Start menu.
- Select Power Options.
- On the left, click Choose what the power buttons do.
- Select Change settings that are currently unavailable to unlock more options.
- Scroll down to Turn on fast startup (recommended) and uncheck it.
- Save your changes.
Why it helps: disabling Fast Startup means Windows goes through a full shutdown instead of hibernating parts of the system, which sometimes corrupts the startup process after updates. On some machines, this simple toggle can make a noticeable difference.
Run System File Checker (SFC) to fix corrupted files
Not sure why, but sometimes system file corruption causes slow startup, especially after big updates. Running SFC can help fix corrupted Windows files.
- Press the Windows key, type
cmd. Right-click the Command Prompt icon and choose Run as administrator. - Type
SFC /scannowin the command prompt and press Enter. - The scan takes a few minutes. It’ll identify and fix corrupted files automatically.
Once done, reboot and see if it’s improved. Sometimes it’s a miracle worker — or just a way to fix broken system files that slow things down.
Manage background apps — kill the ones you don’t need
Another sneaky thing is background apps that keep running without you noticing. They might not directly slow down startup, but they can affect overall performance and make your PC feel sluggish if they start up in the background.
- Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
- Look through the list and toggle off background permission for apps you don’t need running all the time.
- Also, within Privacy settings, check Background apps and turn off permissions for apps that aren’t essential.
Less background activity means a leaner startup, and it can also help prevent system slowdown over time.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
Other things to keep in mind: clean out your disk regularly, especially if you’re still spinning a traditional HDD — a good cleanup can shave a few seconds, if not minutes. Upgrading to an SSD is a game-changer if you haven’t already. Also, malware or outdated antivirus software can slow things down, so keep all that up to date.
Conclusion
Following these steps should help put some pep back into your Windows 11 startup times. No guarantees — because Windows can be pretty unpredictable on occasion — but these are the usual suspects. Regular updates, managing startup apps, and a bit of system cleaning can go a long way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my PC is still slow after all this?
Then it might be time to dig deeper, maybe check your hardware health or even consider a clean install of Windows. Sometimes, hardware issues or corrupted data are beyond simple fixes.
Can I undo these changes if I see no improvement?
Definitely. Just go back into Task Manager or the settings you changed and re-enable what’s necessary. No harm in testing, after all.
How often should I update drivers or Windows?
On average, check for driver updates every few months. Windows updates should be checked at least once a month, especially if you’re experiencing bugs or slowdown.
- Double-check your startup programs periodically.
- Keep your system and drivers up to date.
- Maintain a clean and optimized storage environment.
Hopefully, this shaves off a few hours for someone. Sometimes, just a couple tweaks can bring back the speed and make peeling out of the startup more bearable — fingers crossed this helps.