Managing Startup Programs and Services: Optimize Windows Boot Performance

• Startup Apps (UWP + classic): Visible in Task Manager → Startup tab.
• Startup Folders: Per-user and All-users shortcuts that launch at sign-in.
• Registry “Run” Keys: `Run`, `RunOnce`, and “Policies\Explorer\Run” for both HKCU and HKLM.
• Services: System background processes (some auto-start at boot/sign-in).
• Scheduled Tasks: Time-based or logon-triggered tasks that launch apps or scripts.
• Third-party updaters/telemetry: Adobe, Google, game launchers, hardware utilities, etc.

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc → Startup tab → note Startup impact (High/Medium/Low) and Last BIOS time (rough indicator on some systems).

• Event Viewer → Applications and Services Logs → Microsoft → Windows → Diagnostics-Performance → Operational.
• Look for:
  • Event ID 100: Boot performance summary (Boot Time, MainPathBootTime).
  • Event ID 101–110: Degraded operations (slow startup apps/services are named).

• Run
  Code:

  WPRUI.exe

  → select Boot → Start → Reboot → Save trace → analyze with Windows Performance Analyzer (WPA).

Tip: Record Event ID 100 boot time before and after tuning to quantify gains.

Click to expand...

• Right-click items with High impact you don’t need at boot (e.g., Discord auto-start, OneDrive auto-launch if unused, game launchers).
• Click Disable. This stops them launching at sign-in (you can still run the app manually).
• Leave Security software, input drivers, cloud backup agents enabled.

• Per-user:
  Code:

  %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

• All users:
  Code:

  %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp

• Remove shortcuts you don’t need. Keep them somewhere safe if you want to restore later.

• Logon-triggered updaters (Google, Adobe, game launchers, printer utilities).
• Telemetry or “background service managers” set to run at every logon.
• Tasks with Wake the computer enabled unnecessarily.

• Right-click a non-essential task → Disable (don’t delete).
• For tasks that are useful but chatty, change Triggers to “At startup” → add Delay task for: 2–5 minutes to decongest logon.

services.msc

• Don’t disable services you don’t recognize—prefer Manual or Automatic (Delayed Start) over Disabled.
• If a vendor service only supports updates or tray icons, consider setting it to Manual or Delayed Start.
• Keep these enabled (or at default): Windows Update, Security Center, Windows Defender services, Cryptographic Services, DHCP Client, DNS Client, Plug and Play, Workstation, Task Scheduler, COM+ Event System.

• Third-party updaters (e.g., “Update Service” from vendors).
• Printer helper services not required at boot.
• Cloud drive helpers if you rarely sync immediately at logon.

Tip: Right-click a service → Properties → set Startup type to Automatic (Delayed Start) to move workload out of the critical boot path.

Click to expand...

• Code:

  HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

• Code:

  HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

• Code:

  HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

• Code:

  HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

• Policies override:
  Code:

  ...\Policies\Explorer\Run

• Export the key (backup) → remove obviously non-essential entries (leave AV and drivers alone).
• Prefer disabling via the app’s settings first (so it doesn’t re-add itself).

Get-ChildItem "$env:APPDATA\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup","$env:ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp" -Force |
Select-Object FullName, LastWriteTime

Get-CimInstance Win32_StartupCommand |
Select-Object Name, Command, Location, User, Caption | Sort-Object Name

$paths = @(
'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run',
'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run',
'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce',
'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce'
)
foreach ($p in $paths) {
if (Test-Path $p) {
Write-Host "`n=== $p ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Get-ItemProperty $p | Select-Object * | Format-List
}
}

Get-Service | Where-Object {
$*.StartType -eq 'Automatic' -and $*.Name -notmatch '^Win|^Wd|^W32|^Mps|^Lanman|^Dhcp|^Dnscache|^PlugPlay|^Schedule'
} | Select-Object Name, DisplayName, Status, StartType | Sort-Object DisplayName

Get-ScheduledTask | Where-Object {
($*.Triggers | Where-Object {$*.TriggerType -eq 'Logon'}) -ne $null
} | Select-Object TaskName, TaskPath, State

• Run as admin → Options: check Hide Microsoft Entries, Verify Code Signatures.
• Review tabs: Logon, Scheduled Tasks, Services, Drivers, Explorer, AppInit, Winsock Providers.
• Uncheck entries to disable (non-destructive). Delete only when you’re sure.

Remember: Hiding Microsoft entries reduces risk of disabling core OS components.

Click to expand...

• Switch to manual update checks (weekly) for apps that don’t need real-time updates.
• Consolidate launchers: disable “start with Windows” for Steam/Epic/Battle.net unless required.
• For cloud drives (OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive), keep one primary and disable the rest at startup.

• Large desktop/profile contents → move big files out of Desktop/Documents to non-profile folders.
• Network drives/printers that are offline → remove or set to reconnect later.
• Too many shell extensions → use Autoruns → Explorer tab to disable non-essential shell add-ons.
• Security software scanning everything at logon → ensure real-time AV is installed once (avoid doubles).

• Windows Update (wuauserv), Cryptographic Services (CryptSvc), Windows Security/Defender (WinDefend + subservices)
• Background Tasks Infrastructure (BrokerInfrastructure), Task Scheduler (Schedule)
• Workstation (LanmanWorkstation), Server (LanmanServer) if you share files
• DHCP Client (Dhcp), DNS Client (Dnscache), Network Location Awareness (NlaSvc)
• Plug and Play (PlugPlay), Windows Event Log (EventLog)
• COM+ Event System (EventSystem), RPC (RpcSs)

• Task Manager → Startup: Re-disable anything that re-enabled itself after updates.
• Task Scheduler: Review Logon triggered tasks; disable noisy ones.
• Services: Switch any newly added vendor services to Automatic (Delayed Start) if appropriate.
• Event Viewer: Check Diagnostics-Performance Event ID 100/101–110 for new degradations.
• Browser extensions: Remove what you no longer use (faster startup and lower RAM).

• Re-enable its Startup entry in Task Manager or restore its shortcut to the Startup folder.
• If it needs delayed launch, create a Scheduled Task: Trigger = At log on, Delay = 3 minutes.

• services.msc → Right-click the failing service → Dependencies. Ensure required services are started/Automatic.

• Revisit Event IDs 101–110 to see which component degraded.
• Undo the last few changes or re-enable entries in Autoruns/Task Manager.

• Disable the app’s own “Launch at startup” option in its settings.
• Remove/update the app; some bundles reinstall tasks. Consider a lightweight alternative.

• Enabled at startup: Security suite (Defender or third-party), input/keyboard utility (if needed), GPU control panel (optional).
• Delayed start: Cloud sync client, printer helper, vendor update service.
• Disabled: Game launchers, chat apps, auto-updaters, media servers—unless you actually need them at boot.

• Reboot twice (first boot may rebuild caches).
• Compare Event Viewer Diagnostics-Performance → Event ID 100 times before/after.
• Confirm usability: can you print, sync, game, and video call without manual fixes?

• See Logon, Services, Drivers, Scheduled Tasks, Explorer shell extensions, AppInit DLLs, Browser Helper Objects, and more in one place.
• Usage: Run as admin → Options → check Hide Microsoft Entries + Verify Code Signatures → go tab by tab and uncheck non-essentials (non-destructive).
• Why it helps: Finds hidden or obscure auto-starts (including leftovers after uninstalls) that Task Manager misses.

• Startup tab shows “Startup impact” (High/Medium/Low) and lets you Disable with a right-click.
• Why it helps: Easiest way to trim obvious offenders without extra software.

• Press Win + R → type
  Code:

  msconfig

  → Services tab → check Hide all Microsoft services → review third-party entries.
• Why it helps: Quick snapshot of non-Microsoft services; pairs well with Autoruns.

• Lists all services/drivers with start type, status, description, and company name; lets you change Startup Type or Start/Stop quickly.
• Why it helps: Easier scanning than the stock Services console; good for flipping seldom-used vendor services to Manual or Automatic (Delayed Start).
• Note: Some AVs flag NirSoft tools as “PUA” due to power, not malware. Download only from the official site if you choose to use it.

• Audit Task Scheduler Library and vendor folders. Right-click → Disable, or open Properties → Triggers to add a Delay (e.g., 2–5 minutes after logon).
• Why it helps: Decongests logon while keeping utilities available.

• Shows estimated boot impact and allows delayed start for selected entries.
• Why it helps: If you prefer a GUI that focuses on “delay instead of disable,” this is friendly and effective.

• Start
  Code:

  WPRUI.exe

  → select Boot → record → reboot → open the trace in WPA to see which services/apps block the critical path.
• Why it helps: Definitive answer to “what actually slowed my boot”—ideal before/after tuning.

• Event Viewer → Microsoft → Windows → Diagnostics-Performance → Operational. Check Event ID 100 (summary) and 101–110 (degraded components).
• Why it helps: Lightweight measurement you can track monthly—no installs needed.

• Perform standard uninstall, then scan for leftovers (folders, registry, scheduled tasks, services).
• Why it helps: Startup clutter often returns because partial uninstalls leave behind auto-starts. Clean removals reduce re-inflation over time.

• Quickly update browsers, runtimes, and utilities in one run.
• Why it helps: Old updaters constantly run at boot to check for patches. If you update weekly in one session, you can safely disable many auto-checkers.

• See parent/child relationships and verify signatures; right-click a process → Properties to inspect Autostart Location via Image and Strings.
• Why it helps: Confirms which startup mechanism launched a process.

• Filter for RegOpenKey on
  Code:

  \Run

  keys or CreateFile in Startup folders to watch apps that re-add themselves.
• Why it helps: Catch “sticky” apps that keep respawning startup entries after you disable them.

• Prefer portable builds when available; run as Administrator for full visibility.
• Create a System Restore Point before heavy changes (search “Create a restore point”).
• Avoid “optimizer” suites that promise one-click miracles; many bundle extras you don’t want.
• Keep Windows Defender/SmartScreen enabled; do not disable security to run a tool.

• Autoruns (Microsoft): Audit and disable non-essential auto-starts.
• Task Scheduler (Windows): Add delays to chatty tasks.
• WPR/WPA (Microsoft): Measure boot path before/after changes.
• Revo/Geek Uninstaller: Remove apps that re-add themselves at startup.

explorer "%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup"
explorer "%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp"

wmic startup get Caption,Command

powershell -NoProfile -Command "Get-Service | ? {$*.StartType -eq 'Automatic' -and $*.Name -notmatch '^(Win|Wd|W32|Mps|Lanman|Dhcp|Dnscache|PlugPlay|Schedule)'} | ft Name,DisplayName,Status,StartType -Auto"

powershell -NoProfile -Command "Get-ScheduledTask | ? { ($*.Triggers | ? {$*.TriggerType -eq 'Logon'}) } | select TaskName,TaskPath,State | ft -Auto"