// STARTUP PROGRAMS
Stop programs starting with Windows
Every program that starts with Windows makes the PC slower to be ready and keeps running in the background. Switching off the ones you don’t need is free, safe and easy to undo. Here’s where to find them in Windows 11 and 10, and which to leave alone. Rated 4.9 on Google.
- ● Free and reversible
- ● Free startup check app
- ● Windows specialists since 1995
/01 — WINDOWS 11
Turn off startup apps in Settings
- Open Settings (Start, then the gear), then Apps, then Startup.
- Use Sort by to put the ones with the biggest Startup impact at the top.
- Switch off the ones you don’t need starting by themselves. You can still open them whenever you want.
- Restart to feel the difference.
These are Microsoft’s own steps: Configure startup applications in Windows.
Watch: switch off start-up programs
Settings, Apps, Startup: sort by impact, switch off what you don’t need, and leave the important ones on.
1 min 11 s · a spoken guide with captions · filmed on a clean copy of Windows 11 · Watch on YouTube
Free tools in the film: 365 PC Manager (free, for Windows)
What the video says
PC slow to be ready when you switch it on? Programs starting by themselves could be why. Here’s how to switch them off, free. Press the Windows key and I, to open Settings. Choose Apps, then Startup. Every switch is a program that starts by itself. Sort by startup impact, so the heaviest come first. Switch off the ones you don’t need. Here, Microsoft Edge. You can still open it whenever you like. Leave your antivirus, drivers and OneDrive on. Here, Windows Security stays on. On Windows 10, it’s in Task Manager. Press Control, Shift and Escape, then open Startup. Then restart, and see how much quicker it’s ready. Changed your mind? Switch it back on in the same place. Our free app, 365 PC Manager, lists everything that starts with Windows too. It warns you before you switch off OneDrive, because that’s often your only backup. Download it free at 365techies.co.uk.
// FIX IT WITH ME · STEP BY STEP
Switch them off, step by step
The steps from this guide, one at a time, in the order that fixes the most cases fastest. Tell it what happened and it shows the next step. Nothing here leaves your device.Last reviewed 18 October 2026
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01Open the startup list
On Windows 11: Settings, then Apps, then Startup. On Windows 10: press Ctrl + Shift + Esc and open the Startup tab.
Is that step done? -
02Sort by impact
Put the ones with the highest Startup impact at the top.
Is that step done? -
03Switch off what you don’t need
Switch off game launchers and apps you open yourself. Leave your antivirus, drivers and OneDrive on.
Is that step done? -
04Restart
Restart the PC. Switch anything back on if it stops working the way you expect.
Is that step done?
Rather have it done for you? Remote help from £20, or in person across Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, Ringwood and the New Forest, with no call-out fee.
Sorted{mins}. Nice work.
Switch off one or two at a time, restart, and see how it feels.
Still slow to start after all four steps? That is a remote job.
With your permission we connect to your screen and sort it in one session. Usually the same day, remote help from £20, and no fix, no fee.
Stop programs starting with Windows - the fix order (365techies.co.uk/stop-programs-starting-with-windows/) 1. Open the startup list: On Windows 11: Settings, then Apps, then Startup. On Windows 10: press Ctrl + Shift + Esc and open the Startup tab. 2. Sort by impact: Put the ones with the highest Startup impact at the top. 3. Switch off what you don’t need: Switch off game launchers and apps you open yourself. Leave your antivirus, drivers and OneDrive on. 4. Restart: Restart the PC. Switch anything back on if it stops working the way you expect. Still stuck? 365 Techies fix it remotely: 01202 775566 - https://365techies.co.uk/remote-support/At a glance
| Windows 11 | Settings, then Apps, then Startup. Switch off what you don’t need. |
|---|---|
| Windows 10 (and 11) | Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), the Startup apps tab, then Disable. |
| Startup impact | Windows rates each one High, Medium or Low by how much it slows the start. |
| Leave on | Your antivirus, drivers for the touchpad, sound and graphics, and OneDrive if it backs up your files. |
| Undo it | Switching one off doesn’t uninstall it. Switch it back on any time. |
| Free check | Our free 365 PC Manager app lists everything that starts with Windows by its real name. |
/02 — TASK MANAGER
Or use Task Manager (Windows 11 and 10)
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, or right-click Start and choose Task Manager. If it opens small, click More details.
- Open Startup apps (on Windows 10, the Startup tab).
- Click a program, then Disable.
The Startup impact column rates each one. Microsoft counts Low as under 300 milliseconds of processor time and under 292 KB read from the drive at start-up; High ones are the ones worth switching off first.
/03 — WHICH ONES?
Which ones can you switch off?
Usually fine to switch off:
- Game launchers, such as Steam and Epic Games Launcher.
- Music, chat and meeting apps you open yourself when you need them.
- Update helpers for programs you rarely use; the program still checks for updates when you open it.
Leave these on:
- Your antivirus or security program.
- Drivers and helpers for the touchpad, sound and graphics (names such as Realtek, Synaptics, Intel, AMD or NVIDIA).
- OneDrive, if it backs up your Desktop, Documents or photos.
- Printer or scanner software you use.
- Anything you don’t recognise: look it up first, or ask us.
Switching a program off doesn’t uninstall it or delete anything. If something stops working, switch it back on.
/04 — NOT IN THE LIST?
Programs that aren’t in the list
- The Startup folder: press Windows + R, type shell:startup and press Enter. Deleting a shortcut from that folder stops the program starting; it doesn’t remove the program.
- Programs that switch themselves back on: some turn their own “start with Windows” option on again after an update. Look in that program’s own settings for an option such as Open at login and untick it.
- Some start from the Windows registry. Leave those to us: a wrong change there can stop Windows starting properly.
/05 — WILL IT HELP?
Will it make my PC faster?
It makes the PC quicker to be ready after you switch it on, and frees memory that background programs were holding. It won’t fix a PC that’s slow because of an old hard drive, a drive that’s nearly full or too little memory: see why is my computer slow? and how to speed up a slow computer.
/06 — THE QUICK WAY
See everything that starts with your PC
FREE · WINDOWS 10 & 11 · NO SIGN-UP
Startup: everything that starts with your PC, by its real name
Our free app lists every program that starts with Windows, including the ones set up for every user of the PC, by a name you’ll recognise. In the free version the list is to look at, and you switch things off in Settings as above, which is free. Switching them off from inside the app comes with the paid version.
In the app: My PC, then Startup.
Download 365 PC Manager free ↓What else it checks
Made by us, a family IT firm in Bournemouth since 1995, and digitally signed by 365 Techies Ltd.
/07 — WHEN TO CALL US
When to call us
If the PC is still slow to start, or something you don’t recognise keeps starting by itself, we’ll find out what it is. Ring 01202 775566 or text 07520 615332, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. With your permission we connect to your Windows PC and sort it while you watch: usually the same day, remote help from £20, and no fix, no fee.
FAMILY-RUN SINCE 1995 · ★ 4.9 ON GOOGLE · 200+ COMPUTERS UNDER OUR CARE · NO FIX, NO FEE · SAME-DAY REMOTE SUPPORT
// GOOD QUESTIONS
Frequently asked
How do I stop programs starting with Windows 11?
Open Settings, then Apps, then Startup, and switch off the ones you don’t need. Task Manager’s Startup apps tab (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) does the same.
Is it safe to disable startup programs?
Yes, for programs you open yourself: switching one off doesn’t uninstall it, and you can switch it back on. Leave your antivirus, drivers for the touchpad, sound and graphics, and OneDrive (if it backs up your files) switched on.
What does Startup impact mean?
Windows’ rating of how much a program slows the start. Microsoft counts Low as under 300 milliseconds of processor time and under 292 KB read from the drive; High ones are worth switching off first.
Will disabling startup programs speed up my PC?
It makes the PC quicker to be ready and frees memory. It won’t fix slowness caused by an old hard drive, a full drive or too little memory.
A program keeps starting even though I switched it off. Why?
Some programs turn their own “start with Windows” option back on after an update. Untick it in the program’s own settings, or check the Startup folder (Windows + R, then shell:startup).
Can you sort it out for me?
Yes. With your permission we connect to your Windows PC, go through what starts with it and why it’s slow, and sort it while you watch: remote help from £20, and no fix, no fee.
// Still stuck?
PC still slow to start?
We look at what starts with your PC and why it’s slow, and sort it while you watch. Call 01202 775566 or text 07520 615332.
We’ll fix it with you
- Checking the problem is free
- Fixes from £20, agreed before we start
- We phone first, and you watch every step
Stop it happening again
- A full service every six weeks, written up
- Every program kept up to date
- Unlimited remote help when you need it
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Mon–Fri 9–5 · family-run since 1995 · rated 4.9 on GoogleSwitch them off in Settings →