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How to fix Windows 11开机慢 or slow boot times caused by background services and startup delays

Performance & Troubleshooting KB-388

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to fix Windows 11开机慢 or slow boot times caused by background services and startup delays. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

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Common Causes

If your Windows 11 PC takes a long time to reach the desktop or feels sluggish immediately after sign-in, the culprit is usually one of three things: too many startup programs, background services fighting for resources, or firmware-level delays in your BIOS/UEFI. This guide walks you through diagnosing each layer and applying targeted fixes to bring your boot time back to a reasonable level.

Quick Fix Steps

Try these in order before moving to the detailed section:

  1. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc and disable non-essential items on the Startup apps tab.
  2. Run the built-in Windows Startup Repair from Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced options.
  3. Check for pending Windows updates and install them — Microsoft frequently ships boot-time improvements.
  4. Disable Fast Startup temporarily to see if it is causing the delay (see below).
  5. Enable Fast Boot in your BIOS/UEFI if it is currently disabled.

Detailed Instructions

1. Audit Your Startup Programs

The single biggest cause of slow sign-in on Windows 11 machines is bloatware and chat apps launching at boot.

  1. Right-click the Start button and choose Task Manager.
  2. Click More details if the compact view appears.
  3. Select the Startup apps tab.
  4. Click the Status column header to sort by enabled items, then review the Startup impact column.
  5. Select any app marked High impact that you do not need at sign-in (for example, Spotify, Discord, Steam, Adobe Creative Cloud, OneDrive if you do not use it).
  6. Click Disable in the bottom-right.
Disabling a startup app does not uninstall it. You can still launch it manually from the Start menu whenever you need it.

2. Disable Unnecessary Background Services

Some services start automatically even if no app triggers them. Trimming these safely can shave seconds off your boot.

  1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
  2. Sort the list by Startup Type so all Automatic entries group together.
  3. Review services you recognise, such as Fax, Print Spooler (only if you do not print), Remote Registry, Windows Error Reporting Service, and Connected User Experiences and Telemetry.
  4. Double-click the service, change Startup type to Manual or Disabled, then click Stop.
  5. Reboot and confirm Windows still behaves normally.
Do not disable services you cannot identify. If you are unsure, leave the service on Manual rather than Disabled. A misconfigured service can break features like networking, printing, or Windows Update.

3. Check Fast Startup and Hibernation Settings

Fast Startup is a hybrid hibernate feature that should make boot faster, but on some hardware it does the opposite.

  1. Open Control Panel > Power Options.
  2. Click Choose what the power buttons do in the left pane.
  3. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable at the top.
  4. Under Shutdown settings, tick or untick Turn on fast startup (recommended) depending on your test.
  5. Click Save changes and reboot.

If Fast Startup causes problems, you can also clear the hibernation file completely:

  1. Open Command Prompt (Admin) or Terminal (Admin) from the Start menu.
  2. Run: powercfg /h off
  3. Restart your PC.

4. Update Drivers and Firmware

Outdated storage, chipset, and BIOS drivers are a common cause of slow boots, particularly after a major Windows feature update.

  1. Open Settings > Windows Update.
  2. Click Advanced options > Optional updates.
  3. Install any Driver updates listed.
  4. Visit your PC or motherboard manufacturer's website and download the latest BIOS/UEFI and chipset drivers for your specific model.
If your machine is a branded laptop (Lenovo, HP, Dell, ASUS), use the vendor's support assistant app — it will scan and apply the correct firmware automatically.

5. Adjust BIOS/UEFI Settings

Firmware settings can add noticeable delay before Windows even begins loading.

  1. Restart your PC and press Del, F2, or F10 (depending on your manufacturer) to enter BIOS/UEFI.
  2. Enable Fast Boot if available.
  3. Disable Full Screen Logo or Startup Delay options.
  4. Set your storage controller to AHCI rather than RAID if you are not using a RAID array.
  5. Disable Network Boot (PXE) and Wake on LAN unless you specifically need them.
  6. Save and exit.
Incorrect BIOS changes can prevent your PC from booting. If you are not confident, photograph each screen before changing anything so you can revert if needed.

6. Measure Your Actual Boot Time

Before and after making changes, it helps to know your real numbers.

  1. Open Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc).
  2. Navigate to Windows Logs > System.
  3. Filter the log for sources Diagnostics-Performance and event IDs 100 (boot) and 101 (shutdown).
  4. Compare the Boot Duration and Shutdown Duration values after each change.

Troubleshooting

Boot is still slow after disabling startup apps

Sign-in itself is slow, not the boot

If the desktop appears quickly but the screen stays on the lock screen or spinning dots for a long time, the issue is profile-related:

Boot hangs on a black screen or manufacturer logo

This points to firmware or driver issues rather than Windows itself:

Boot is fast but apps take forever to load

Still Having Issues?

Need more help? If the issue persists after trying these steps, please open a support ticket and our team will assist you.

💻 Open a Ticket

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