How to Turn Off Startup Programs on Windows 11

Too many apps load at sign-in and the PC takes a minute to become usable. Turn off the ones you do not need from Settings, Task Manager, or the Startup folder.

Open the Startup page in Settings

Press Windows + I, then go to Apps, Startup. Every app that launches at sign-in is listed with a toggle and an impact rating (No impact, Low impact, Medium impact, High impact). Windows 10 has the same page under Settings, Apps, Startup.

Turn off the apps you do not need

Use the Sort by dropdown and choose Startup impact so the heaviest apps come first. Switch off the toggle for anything you do not need running the moment you sign in: chat apps, game launchers, updaters, printer utilities. The app still works when you open it yourself.

Use Task Manager for more detail

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc and click Startup apps in the left pane (in Windows 10 it is the Startup tab). This view adds the publisher and a Status column. Select an app and click Disable at the top right, or right-click it and choose Disable. Right-click and choose Open file location if you do not recognize an entry.

Check the Startup folder

Press Windows + R, type shell:startup, and press Enter. Any shortcut in this folder runs at sign-in and does not always show up in Settings. Delete the shortcuts you do not want. There is a second folder for all user accounts at:

shell:common startup

Restart and check

Restart the PC, sign in, and open Task Manager again. Anything still marked Enabled that you did not expect was likely re-added by the app itself.

If an app keeps coming back. Some apps re-enable themselves after an update. Open the app's own settings and look for an option such as Launch at startup or Start with Windows and turn it off there.

What to leave on. Keep security software, OneDrive if you use it for file sync, and small driver utilities for audio, touchpad, or graphics. Disabling those can break features rather than speed anything up.