How to disable programs that start automatically in Windows 10

Reducing the time it takes for Windows to get ready to work is possible. Sometimes, it is not necessary to make changes in the hardware, but in the number of programs that start automatically every time we turn on the computer. This process is simple, actually, and speeds up booting considerably.

The computer is a tool for work, leisure and much more, which has become almost indispensable in every home. However, unlike other smart devices, such as mobile or tablet, it has a boot that takes longer than we would like. Especially if it is a Windows computer. If you have ever stated something like “my PC takes a long time to boot Windows 10”, this post is for you, as such problem can be solved, to a certain extent, and the way to do it will not take too much time or complicated to perform..

Here’s how to remove startup programs. This could make a difference in your experience using your computer and help speed up Windows startup.

Alternatives

There are three ways to prevent automatic programs from affecting startup, specifically, in Windows 10. We describe what each of them consists of. Thus, you can choose the way that is easiest for you to improve the start of Windows 10 on desktops or laptops.

1) Task Manager

You have probably worked with this wizard before. It is an application that has been part of Windows for several versions and cannot be uninstalled. It is the interface that allows us to know what is running, the amount of CPU and memory you are using and some other information of interest. In this case, we can know if a program is associated with the start of Windows.

To open it, you can press the key combination Ctrl + Alt + Delete. After doing so, you will see a window like the following.

As can be seen in the image, this manager has several tabs, including HOME. This is where we can see the programs that are related to startup.

By right-clicking on any of the Windows 10 startup applications on the list, we can make changes to its configuration, such as preventing it from running when Windows 10 starts up. You only have to choose the Disable option.

This action will be very useful if at any time you asked yourself the question: how to remove Spotify from starting when you turn on your PC?

2) Associated folders

There is another way to disable the programs associated with the automatic startup of Windows. This is through modifying the Windows startup programs folder that are related to our user account and that of all users .

The easiest way to access these folders is by using the shell:startup commands for our user account and shell:common startup . You can type these commands directly in the Run window.

Doing so will open another window where you can see several program shortcuts (you can identify them by the arrow inside the box, next to the logo). To remove programs from the startup configuration, all you have to do is delete the direct access to those that you don’t want to run every time you start the system. In fact, if you’ve ever wondered how to make a program run when you start Windows 10, the easiest answer is to include its shortcut here.

3) From the configuration option

This alternative is available only in the latest version of Windows 10 and is very easy to use. You just need to open the settings option, in the main menu, and access the Start option . As in the image shown, a window will appear with the programs and a button that will be used to activate or deactivate them during startup. Some options are disabled, because they are necessary for the system, but you can change some others, which are not related to Windows. This simple change will allow you to speed up the setup of the computer every time you turn it on. 

General concepts

Now that we have already analyzed some options that allow you to remove startup programs in Windows 10, you may be wondering what they are for? Especially, what’s the point of putting them there if we’ll end up removing them? The simplest answer is this: they are executed so that they are ready at the moment you want to use them.

What does it benefit? 

Imagine that whenever you turn on the computer you work in Word. It is probably very convenient that it opens automatically. That is basically the main function of the Windows 10 startup programs: to save us effort and get everything ready so that we can work.

This option is also very useful for antivirus programs, which must always be ready to detect any interference in our computer and protect it. However, unless you have a very powerful computer (comes with lots of memory, a solid-state drive for booting, and a state-of-the-art processor), your computer’s performance can be compromised if there are too many applications on this list. startup programs. This leads it to work slower, because it is constantly allocating resources like memory and processor to those applications. Consequently, the tool that we are interested in opening competes with these processes and its agility is reduced. This is why most users, at some point, turn to the option to remove startup programs or consider removing them.

Can all autostart programs be removed?

The answer is no. Some programs, when starting Windows, are required to perform verification actions and check the stability of the system. The good news is that, for security reasons, they are generally not shown in the lists of alternatives to modify. However, there are some cases in which it is not the best option to remove startup programs in Windows 10. For example, antiviruses are programs that should preferably be active from startup, since otherwise they can leave the computer (by clicking this link you can find some purchase options) unprotected and allow it to be easy prey for malware.