Trying to speed up start time on Windows 10 (Dynabook)

[Deleted User]

I have been following instructions on Google to try to speed up the start time on Windows 10 on my Dynabook (Toshiba) laptop.

I unticked 'Turn on fast start up' in the Control Panel, as suggested, and I can hardly believe that the start up time seems to be as slow as ever.  I'm anxious about doing too much which is beyond me in case I make things worse.  This laptop has always been much slower to start up than my much older Toshiba Windows 8.1.  Although it has gone now, there was a box to tick recently to upgrade to Windows 11 but I was not sure about it in case it makes things even slower.

If anyone thinks I may be able to do more to speed up the start up I'll do everything possible to do it, thank you.

Crimson

neilmcl

Does it have a standard HDD? If so the best way to speed your laptop up, especially start times, is to replace it with an SSD.

[Deleted User]

It has an SSD, thanks neilmcl, and is quite a new laptop - earlier this year.  Even from brand new, this Dynabook laptop has always been much slower to start-up than my old Toshiba laptop.  My old Toshiba's HDD was replaced with an SSD but, eventually, it was dying and this is why I chose this similar Windows 10 Dynabook as a replacement.

Although I got used to this Dynabook, I have never felt that it was as quick to start-up as the older laptop and this one has always seemed to be, generally, a bit slower/sluggish.  If there were things that I could safely remove to improve it, I would definitely be willing to try.  I'm a bit anxious about removing something important as, although I have had a lot of much appreciated help on this forum in the past, I have never been really good with technology.

Crimson

GDB2222

Perhaps, you could explain a bit more:

1. What's the spec of this machine? The model number?

2. How do you close it down in the first place? Just close the lid? 

3. If you are just closing the lid, can you have a look at the link below, then report back what closing the link is currently doing? (Don't change anything, just see which option is selected.)

https://www.hellotech.com/guide/for/how-to-keep-laptop-on-when-closed

[Deleted User]

Thank you for replying, GDB2222.  When closing down I always close 'everything' then click on the icon in the Taskbar to close down.  I don't close down by only closing the lid.  When opening I key in my Microsoft password.

Here is the information from when I bought my Dynabook in June this year:

Toshiba Dynabook Portégé 13inch A30-E-18E Core i5-8250U 8GB 256GB SSD Full HD
(Toshiba Dynabook Portégé A30-E-18E Core i5-8250U 8GB 256GB SSD 13.3 Inch Full HD Windows 10 Pro Laptop)Brand new sealed. Full manufacture warranty.I clicked on the link you gave and I see the power options are 'Dynabook Standard,. I (as picked up from Google search) unticked the fast start-up box.

If there is any other information please let me know and thank you for helping.

molerat

I suspect there will be tons of bloat on start up.  Open Task Manager and look under the Startup tab.  My 10 year i3 opens in under 30 seconds on a cold start.

[Deleted User]

Thanks molerat.  There are ten 'things' on the list from Cortana to Windows Security Notifications and all are already ticked to disable.  Does that sound O.K?

I have not timed it in seconds but my Dynabook, I am sure, takes a lot more than 30 seconds to start-up.

Crimson

GDB2222

Your machine has a perfectly respectable spec, and it ought to start up quite quickly.  I think the problem may be that you are closing it down completely, which is unnecessary.

When you click on the taskbar icon, you can select the option to 'sleep', rather than 'shut down'. You'll get a very, very fast startup, although the laptop will use a bit of battery power in sleep mode.

If you do that, there's no need to close all your programmes, either.

Why not try it, and then you can decide? You can't harm anything.

I'm assuming, by the way, that you use the laptop fairly frequently. You need to 'shut down' if you are not going to use the machine for a couple of weeks, but otherwise most people prefer 'sleep' mode. 

[Deleted User]

That is interesting and helpful, thanks GDB2222.   I always assumed that it was 'safer' to close down completely and that is what I have been doing all along - every time. I'll do as you suggest  and select 'sleep' to see the difference.

I use my laptop every day and I'm always in and out of it for some reason - even just to browse at times.  I'll report back with the result, thanks.

UPDATE - I can hardly believe it, GDB2222.  The start-up was virtually instant.  You are 100 per cent right.  I have never used the 'sleep' option before.

When I am going to bed for the night, and not opening my laptop again until morning, should I leave my laptop plugged in and charging or is it still O.K. to leave it on 'sleep' without being connected to the mains without the battery running too low overnight?

Crimson

Jenni_D

Comparing startup from sleep vs shutdown is apples and oranges; you really need to address why it takes so long from shutdown to start back up - as mentioned previously, check what's set to automatically start up.

[Deleted User]

Thanks Jenni_D.  I checked what is under 'startup' in the Task Manager.  There are ten items under the 'startup' heading and all are ticked 'disabled.'  I think that means that nothing is set to start up automatically.

The difference, now using 'sleep,' is remarkable - start-up is now virtually instant.  I apologize if this is a stupid question but - could there be other 'things' starting automatically on start-up which are not under the startup heading in the Task Manager?  Of the ten items there all say start-up impact is low or none.  Under 'status' they are all set to disabled.

Thank you for replying.

Crimson