If you want your computer to boot faster, you must disable all the unnecessary startup apps in Windows 11. By default, most apps and programs you install automatically add themselves to the startup list so that they launch automatically as soon as you start your computer and log into your user account.
While this is a useful feature, having too many startup applications slows down your system, especially when you turn it on. For example, if you don’t use OneDrive regularly, there is no reason to have it start with Windows. To fix it, you can simply disable the startup apps you don’t need.
In this quick and easy tutorial, I will show you two methods to turn off startup programs in Windows 11. Let’s get started.
Disable Startup Apps Using Task Manager in Windows 11
You can manage all the startup programs using the Task Manager. Follow the below steps to turn off startup programs in Windows 11.
- Right-click the Start button on the taskbar.
- Choose the “Task Manager” option.
- Go to the “Startup apps” tab on the sidebar.
- Select the program you want to disable.
- Click the “Disable” button at the top.
- Do this for all the startup apps you want to disable.
- With that, you have disabled startup apps in Windows 11.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, we need to open the Task Manager. You can do that in many different ways. The easiest way is to right-click the Start button on your taskbar and the select “Task Manager” option. You can also search for it in the Start menu.
In the Task Manager window, go to the “Startup apps” tab on the left sidebar. This is where you can manage all the startup programs in Windows 11.
Note: If you don’t see the tab names in the Task Manager window, click the hamburger icon (three horizontal lines) on the title bar.
Here, select the startup program you want to disable and click the “Disable” button at the top. This action disables the selected app from running at startup. Do the same thing for all the apps you don’t want running at startup.
Once done, close the Task Manager window by clicking the “X” icon on the title bar.
Disable Startup Programs in Windows 11 Using the Settings App
On Windows 11, you can also turn off startup apps you don’t need using the Settings app. Here’s how.
- Use the “Windows key + I” shortcut to open Settings.
- Select “Apps” on the sidebar.
- Click the “Startup” option on the right page.
- Find the app and turn OFF the toggle.
- Do this for all the startup programs you want to disable.
- Close the Settings app.
- With that, you have disabled startup apps using Settings.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, launch the Settings window by pressing the “Windows key + I” shortcut. Alternatively, right-click the Start button and select the “Settings” option.
In the Settings window, go to the “Apps” tab on the sidebar and click the “Startup” option on the right page.
On this page, you will see a list of apps. Find the startup app you want to disable and turn OFF the toggle next to it. Do the same thing for all the startup apps you want to disable.
That is it. With that, you’ve disabled startup programs in Windows 11 using the Settings app.
Wrapping Up — Disable Startup Programs in Windows11
Thanks to the Task Manager and Settings app, you have two ways to manage startup apps in Windows 11 and disable the ones you don’t need. Disabling unnecessary apps not only improves your system performance but also reduces the startup clutter.
That being said, there might be apps that are good to have running in the background but are not that important to be on the startup list. In that case, you can use the Task Scheduler to delay startup apps in Windows. That way, you get the best of both worlds.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
