How to Change Startup Programs on Windows 11/10

Optimizing your startup programs is an essential practice, particularly for frequently used applications. This approach alleviates the hassle of locating these programs each time and, in some instances, eliminates the need for manual setup. Certain programs even come with this capability pre-configured upon installation.

However, an excess of startup programs can significantly impede the boot process, particularly on systems with limited capabilities or lower processing power. This slowdown detrimentally impacts overall system performance.

Modifying your startup programs presents a straightforward method to enhance your computer's loading time while streamlining unnecessary programs. Regardless of your operating system, there exist simple methods to accomplish this task.

This article will delve into how to change startup programs, as well as show how to transfer redundant programs from the C drive in Windows without reinstalling.

Why do some need to change startup programs on Windows?

The needs of users who wish to change startup programs in Windows are various. Some may wish a faster boot, while some just want to modify the settings. But, generally, there are some common reasons:

🚀▌ Computer Performance Enhancement

Users may wish to change startup programs to improve the overall performance of their Windows system. By reducing the number of programs that launch at startup, they can streamline system resources and enhance speed and responsiveness.
Introducing this change can lead to a noticeable improvement in the system's boot time and overall efficiency, ensuring a smoother computing experience.

🔩▌ Resource Management

Another reason for altering startup programs is to better manage system resources. Some programs consume a significant amount of memory or processing power upon startup, potentially causing slowdowns or conflicts with other applications.
By selectively controlling which programs launch at startup, users can allocate resources more efficiently, preventing resource contention and optimizing system stability.

✨▌ Personalization and Customization

Users may desire to tailor their computing environment to suit their specific needs and preferences. Changing startup programs allows for a personalized startup experience, ensuring that only essential or frequently used applications launch automatically.
This customization empowers users to create a computing environment that aligns with their workflow, enhancing productivity and convenience.

🔐▌ Security and Privacy

Security-conscious users may seek to modify startup programs to bolster their system's defenses against malware or unauthorized access. Some malicious programs disguise themselves as legitimate startup items, potentially compromising system security.
By reviewing and adjusting startup programs, users can mitigate security risks and safeguard their personal data and sensitive information from unauthorized access or exploitation.

How to change startup programs [2 ways]

After you choose programs you need to manage, now, let’s see how to change which programs run on startup.

Way 1. Change startup programs in Settings

Step 1. Click on the Start button at the bottom left corner of the screen and select "Settings."

Step 2. Search Apps and select "Startup."

Step 3. Windows will arrange the apps by effect. Turn on or off any apps you want to launch on startup. If you wish to execute some programs automatically upon Windows starting, set the "On" status, and they will be included as a startup program.

Way 2. Enable or disable startup programs in Task Manager

Step 1. Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl +Shift + Esc. You can also right-click on the taskbar and select "Task Manager" to open the window.

Step 2. Click on the startup tab to see all your startup programs here.

Step 3. Right-click the app you wish to change. You will see the operations you can take.

Step 4. Select "Enable" or "Disable" to enable or disable the startup program.

How to change program location on Windows

After you change startup programs, your computer will improve boot speed when you turn on computer next time. But, there is another potential issue you need to pay attention to.

When you turn on your computer, the system will still load all needed data and files on C drive. So, if you install too many programs to run out of C drive space, your computer may still need a long time to boot, especially large programs like games, working tools, etc.

If your computer has another partition or you have an external drive/disk always connecting on your machine, you can move some large apps to it to lease more space on your C drive and keep your system on nice status.

Here we recommend you to AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, a disk and drive issue expert for Windows 11/10/8/7 users. The “APP Mover” function in this tool allows users to move installed programs and folders from one drive to another without reinstalling or path issues.

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7

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After you install and launch Partition assistant, let's see details of how to move programs from one drive to another.

Step 1. Enter "App Mover" function.

Click “Free up”, then select the “App Mover” feature.

Step 2. Confirm move subject.

In the new window, click “App Mover”. If you want to move folders, you can choose "Move Folders".

Step 3. Select one partition that you want to move applications.

In the new window, you will see all partitions, and the number and size of installed programs on every partition will also be displayed. Select one partition where the target programs are stored and click "Next".

Step 4. Tick Apps you want to move.

Choose the applications you want to move and select the target location, then click "Move".

Step 5. Confirm the moving task.

In the pop-up window, you need to confirm forcibly closing running applications when moving starts. Click "OK" to begin the process.

Warning: To ensure the apps run properly during the moving, please don't move or delete files by yourself in the source and target directories. Just leave it all to the software.

Tips: Startup programs that slow down your PC

If your Windows PC takes a long time to boot up, it's often due to many apps attempting to start simultaneously. Please be aware of software that might slow down your computer and prevent it from starting up fast. Several of them are listed below:

1. Browser Extensions: Browser extensions, especially those with heavy resource requirements, can add overhead during startup, slowing down the launch of web browsers like Chrome or Firefox.

2. Antivirus Software: While essential for security, antivirus programs often perform extensive scans during startup, consuming system resources and causing delays.

3. Cloud Storage Sync Clients: Sync clients like Dropbox or Google Drive may initiate large file transfers upon startup, leading to increased disk activity and slower boot times.

4. Instant Messaging Apps: Instant messaging applications such as Skype or Slack may load multiple processes at startup, consuming memory and prolonging boot times.

5. Media Players: Media players like iTunes or Spotify may attempt to connect to online services or load large libraries upon startup, resulting in increased CPU and disk usage.

6. Adobe Creative Cloud: Adobe Creative Cloud applications may load multiple background processes during startup, consuming memory and CPU resources.

7. Gaming Platforms: Gaming platforms such as Steam or Origin may check for updates or sync game libraries during startup, leading to increased disk and network activity.

8. PC Optimization Tools: Some optimization tools may initiate background processes or scans during startup, potentially conflicting with system processes and causing delays.

9. Printer Software: Printer software often loads multiple background processes at startup, consuming system resources and potentially causing delays, especially if the printer is not used frequently.

10. Taskbar Utilities: Utilities that add additional functionality to the Windows taskbar, such as weather widgets or system monitors, may load additional processes at startup, increasing resource usage and prolonging boot times.

To sum up

Now you know how to change startup programs on Windows. Hope this post can help you speed up your computer. AOMEI Partition Assistant has various helpful functions. Besides app mover, if you wish to improve PC performance via upgrading to a new disk but don't want to lose all data and settings, you can clone old disk to a new better one by the "Disk Clone" function without reinstalling. Or you can use PC cleaner tool to scan your disk and drive to get rid of useless files to reclaim available space.

Suppose you want to efficiently manage your Windows Server devices or need to organize multiple devices. In that case, you can check the Server edition and Unlimited edition to unlock more services of this handy tool.