Every app that launches by itself when you sign in to Windows 11 or Windows 10 gets a startup impact rating in Task Manager, and Microsoft’s support guide says anything marked High is using more than one second of processor time or more than 3MB of disk activity during startup. Turning off the startup apps in Windows you don’t actually need is the quickest free fix for a laptop that crawls for the first few minutes after you switch it on, and it takes less time than waiting for a slow boot to finish.
Plenty of programs set themselves to start with Windows when you install them. Chat apps, cloud storage tools, game launchers, printer utilities and software update helpers are common examples, and on a laptop with a hard drive or limited RAM, several of them loading at once can leave the desktop slow to respond. If you switch your laptop off whenever the power goes and boot it again when it’s back, you sit through that slow start several times a day, so the fix pays off quickly.
| High | Over 1 second of CPU time or over 3MB of disk activity |
|---|---|
| Medium | 300ms to 1 second of CPU time, or 292KB to 3MB of disk activity |
| Low | Under 300ms of CPU time and under 292KB of disk activity |
| Not measured | Enabled, but Windows has no data on it yet |
| None | The app is disabled and doesn't start at sign-in |
Find the startup apps in Windows that are slowing you down
Task Manager gives you the clearest view because it shows the impact rating next to each app. Right-click the Start button, choose Task Manager, then open the Startup apps tab. Click the Startup impact column heading to sort the list so the heaviest apps sit at the top, then select an app you don’t need at sign-in and click Disable. Microsoft’s startup apps guide covers both Windows 11 and Windows 10, so the steps are the same on either version.
Settings offers a simpler list if you’d rather flip switches. Go to Start > Settings > Apps > Startup and set each toggle to Off for the apps you want to stop. Disabling an app here doesn’t uninstall it. It only stops it launching on its own, so you can still open it from the Start menu whenever you need it.
Switch off the extras, but leave your protection running
Good candidates to disable are apps you open only now and then, such as game launchers, music players, video editors and the companion apps for phones or printers you rarely connect. If you don’t recognise a name, search for it before you touch it, because some entries belong to your laptop’s touchpad, audio or keyboard drivers and switching those off can make features stop working until you turn them back on.
Don’t disable your antivirus or the Windows Security entry, because protection that only starts when you remember to open it isn’t much protection at all. Be careful with cloud backup tools too. Turning off OneDrive or Google Drive at startup means your files stop syncing until you open the app, which is fine if you know that, and a nasty surprise if you assumed your documents were backed up.
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| An app starts with Windows but isn't in the list | It launches from the Startup folder instead | Remove its shortcut from the Startup folder in File Explorer, as Microsoft's guide describes |
| Task Manager shows "We couldn't find this app" | The app sits on a removable or network drive, its path is missing, or it was uninstalled | Reconnect the drive or reinstall the app, then check the list again |
| A tweak guide tells you to edit the registry | Startup entries also live in the registry | Use Task Manager or Settings instead, since Microsoft warns registry edits can cause problems if done wrongly |
Tethering from your phone? Tell Windows the connection is metered
A slow start can also be Windows quietly downloading in the background, which hurts more when your laptop runs on a hotspot from your MTN, Airtel or Glo line. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi, select the network you’re connected to and turn on Metered connection. Microsoft’s metered connections page says that with this on, Windows Update will only download priority updates, Microsoft Store downloads might pause and offline files might not sync automatically.
Don’t leave updates off forever, though. When you’re on a fixed connection or a cheap night plan, go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options and either switch off metered mode or turn on Download updates over metered connections so security fixes still arrive. Our guide to getting the Windows 11 2026 update explains why staying current matters, and if your data still vanishes faster than your usage explains, check what’s eating your data on MTN, Airtel or Glo.
Start with the apps rated High in Task Manager that you recognise and don’t need the moment you sign in, disable them, then restart and see how long it takes before the desktop responds. If it’s still sluggish after that, the problem is more likely the hardware than the software, and a laptop that also refuses to hold a charge may need the checks in our laptop not charging guide before you spend money on a new one.
