How to Control Which Applications Automatically Open When Your Computer Boots
Balancing which apps automatically launch when you open Windows is more of an art than a science. You’ll want to disable heavy apps that are slowing down your computer, but you can also enable useful utilities like LocalSend , your default browser, or a screenshot tool like ShareX to make sure they’re ready to go. go from the moment you turn on the computer.
There are also hidden services and apps that Windows 11 forces on new users, so check out our guide to using the Autoruns app to get a better idea of your options.
How to enable or disable startup applications using Task Manager
The easiest way to determine which applications open at startup is the Task Manager. Here you can also check whether the application is significantly slowing down your computer’s boot speed.
Right-click on an empty part of the taskbar and select Task Manager . In Windows 11, select the Startup apps option in the sidebar (in Windows 10, go to the Startup tab). You’ll see a list of all the apps that automatically open when you turn on your computer, and an estimate of how much processing power they consume. You’ll also see Windows processes – only disable them if you really know what you’re doing. To disable or enable an application to automatically open when you turn on your computer, right-click and select the Enable or Disable option. That’s all.
How to enable or disable startup apps using the Windows Settings app
You can do the same from the Windows Settings app. In both Windows 10 and Windows 11, go to Settings > Apps > Launch to see a list of all supported apps. At the top, you can sort apps by status or impact on launch. There’s a toggle next to each app, so you can simply turn an app on or off to change its launch status.
The changes will take effect the next time you boot.