Balancing which apps launch automatically when you open Windows is more of an art than a science. You’ll want to disable heavyweight apps that can slow down your PC’s boot time, but you may also want to enable useful utilities like LocalSend, your default browser, or a screenshot tool like ShareX to ensure they’re ready to go the moment you turn on your PC.
Disable startup programs in Windows 10
Windows 11 also forces new users to install hidden services and apps, so check out our guide on using the Autoruns app for a more complete picture of your options.
The easiest way to determine which apps are opening at startup is to use Task Manager. Here you can also check if an app is significantly slowing down your computer's startup speed.
Right-click an empty part of the taskbar and choose Task Manager. In Windows 11, choose Startup Apps from the sidebar (in Windows 10, go to the Startup tab). You’ll see a list of all the apps that open automatically when you turn on your PC, and an estimate of how much processing power they’re using. You’ll also see Windows processes—only disable these if you really know what you’re doing. To enable or disable an app from automatically opening when you turn on your PC, right-click it and choose the Enable or Disable option. That’s it.
