# Slow PC at startup: how to stop programs that start on their own > How to see which programs start together with Windows and turn off the ones you don't need, from Settings or from Task Manager. The program isn't deleted: it just stops starting on its own. Source: https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/programmi-avvio-automatico-windows Author: SimpleBuild, Build simple. Deliver value. Category: Windows PCs Procedure verified on: 2026-09-29 When you turn on the PC, many programs start along with Windows: chat apps, updaters, printer programs, music players. Each one makes startup longer and takes up memory all day. You can turn them off from **Settings** > **Apps** > **Startup**, or from **Task Manager**, which also tells you how heavy each one is. Turning off a program at startup **doesn't uninstall it**: it stays on the PC and you open it when you need it. ## Before you start - You don't need to install anything: everything is done with tools already in Windows 11 and Windows 10. - Keep your **antivirus** and **backup** programs on: they need to work even when you're not thinking about them. - If you don't recognize a program's name, **don't turn it off at random**. First try to find out what it's for. - Changes take effect at the next startup: to see the difference you'll need to restart the PC. ## On Windows 11: from Settings This is the simplest method, with a switch for each program. 1. Open **Start** and then **Settings**. 2. Choose **Apps** and then **Startup**. 3. Scroll through the list. Next to each program there's a switch: - **On**: the program starts on its own when you sign in to Windows; - **Off**: the program no longer starts on its own. 4. Turn off the switch for the programs you don't need as soon as the PC starts. ![Diagram of Apps, Startup: a list of programs, each labeled On or Off with a switch on the right.](https://simplebuild.it/assets/img/tutorial/programmi-avvio-automatico-windows-impostazioni-en.svg) 5. Restart the PC and see whether it starts faster. ## On Windows 11 and 10: from Task Manager Task Manager shows the same list, but adds a useful column: each program's **impact** on startup. 1. Press **Ctrl + Shift + Esc** together. Alternatively, right-click the **Start** button and choose **Task Manager**. 2. Open **Startup apps**. 3. Look at the impact column. Microsoft uses these entries: - **None**: the program is already disabled; - **Not measured**: Windows doesn't have data on that program yet; - **Low impact**, **Medium impact**, **High impact**: from almost nothing to very heavy. 4. Select a program with high impact that you don't need right away. 5. Choose **Disable** (or right-click the program and choose **Disable**). ![Diagram of Task Manager, Startup apps: the impact column with High impact at the top and the Disable button at the top right.](https://simplebuild.it/assets/img/tutorial/programmi-avvio-automatico-windows-gestione-attivita-en.svg) 6. Repeat for the other programs, then restart the PC. To turn a program back on, go back to the same list, select it and choose **Enable**. ### How to choose what to turn off Start with the entries marked **High impact**. You can usually turn these off without problems: - chat and video call programs you only open when you need them; - music and video players; - programs that only exist to update other programs, if you update those by opening them. Leave on, instead, your antivirus, backup programs and the ones that sync files (for example OneDrive), if you use them. ## A program starts on its own but isn't in the list Some programs don't register with Windows as "startup apps": they start because there's a shortcut to them in a special Windows folder. You can remove them from there. 1. Right-click **Start** and choose **Run**. 2. Type this text and press **Enter**: ``` shell:startup ``` 3. A folder opens with the shortcuts of the programs that start when you sign in with your user account. 4. Delete the shortcut of the program you no longer want at startup. You're only deleting the shortcut, not the program. For programs that start for **all** users of the PC, the folder opens the same way by typing `shell:common startup`. Only touch this folder if the PC is yours and you know what you're removing. ## If "We couldn't find this app" appears Sometimes in the list under **Settings** > **Apps** > **Startup** an entry with this name appears instead of the program. According to Microsoft this happens when the program has been uninstalled, or was on a USB stick, an external drive or a network location that's no longer connected. If you need that program, try reinstalling it; otherwise you can simply turn the entry off. ## If it still doesn't work - **Is startup still slow?** Startup programs are only one of the causes. A nearly full disk weighs a lot: see [how to free up disk space in Windows 11](https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/liberare-spazio-disco-windows). - **Is the PC slow even after startup?** Try all the checks in the guide on [how to speed up a slow PC](https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/velocizzare-pc-windows): updates, antivirus, visual effects. - **Does a program turn itself back on?** Some programs, when they update, put themselves back among the startup apps. Check the list now and then. Often the program's own settings have an option to stop it starting with Windows. - **Want it to turn on and off at set times?** For shutting down there's the guide on [how to schedule an automatic PC shutdown](https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/spegnimento-automatico-pc). - **When to call a technician:** if startup takes several minutes even with almost all programs turned off, the problem may be the disk (perhaps an old hard drive that's wearing out) or a malicious program. In that case it's worth having the PC checked before you lose data. ## Frequently asked questions ### If I turn off a program at startup, do I lose it? No. The program stays installed and you can open it whenever you want from the Start menu. It just stops opening on its own when the PC starts, and you can turn it back on at any time with the same switch. ### Which programs should I leave on? Leave on your antivirus, your backup programs and the ones that sync files, such as OneDrive, if you use them. If you're unsure about a name you don't recognize, leave it on and ask before turning it off. ### What does "High impact" mean? It's the estimate of how much that program slows down startup. According to Microsoft, an app has high impact when it uses the processor for more than one second or reads and writes more than 3 megabytes on the disk during startup. ## Sources - [Configure Startup applications in Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/startup-boot/configure-startup-applications-in-windows) - [Tips to improve PC performance in Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/performance-optimization/tips-to-improve-pc-performance-in-windows)