How to stop programs from starting when Windows turns on
A PC that takes ages to be ready is often busy opening programs you never asked for. Here is how to turn them off by hand, and how to ask Key to do it.
You press the power button, the desktop appears, and then you wait. The mouse moves, but nothing opens quickly. Very often the reason is a pile of programs that start by themselves the moment Windows does: chat apps, music players, update helpers and more.
You do not need all of them. Turning them off does not uninstall anything. The program is still there, and you can open it yourself whenever you want. It just stops jumping in line at startup.
Before you start: which ones are safe to turn off?
Most startup apps are optional. Good ones to switch off are things you only use now and then: music apps, game launchers, chat programs, printer helpers and software updaters for programs you rarely use.
Leave on anything that protects your PC, such as your antivirus or security program, and anything your hardware needs, such as touchpad or graphics tools. If you are not sure what an item is, leave it alone for now. You can always come back and turn it off later.
Nothing here deletes anything. Every change in this guide can be undone by switching the same item back on.
Disable startup apps in Windows 11 with Settings
This is the easiest way, and it works the same on most PCs.
- Open the Start menu and choose Settings. You can also press Windows + I.
- Go to Settings › Apps › Startup.
- You will see a list of apps, each with a switch. A switch set to On means the app starts automatically when you sign in.
- Click the switch next to an app to set it to Off. That app will no longer start by itself.
- Repeat for any other apps you do not need at startup.
You do not have to restart right away. The change applies the next time you sign in or restart.
Disable startup apps with Task Manager
Task Manager gives you one extra piece of help: it shows how much each app slows down startup.
- Right-click the Start button and choose Task Manager.
- Open the Startup apps tab.
- Look at the Startup impact column. It says High, Medium, Low or Not measured. Apps marked High slow your start the most.
- Click an app you do not need, then choose Disable at the top of the window (or right-click the app and choose Disable).
To turn one back on, select it in the same list and choose Enable.
What if an app is not in the list?
Some older programs start another way, for example from the Startup folder. To look there, press Windows + R, type shell:startup and press Enter. A folder opens with shortcuts for the current user. Programs that start with Windows because of a shortcut in this folder can be stopped by removing that shortcut. Removing a shortcut does not remove the program itself.
On a Mac: stop apps opening when you log in
Macs have the same idea, under a different name: login items.
- Click the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Click General in the sidebar.
- Choose Login Items & Extensions. You may need to scroll down.
- Click an item in the Open at Login list that you do not want.
- Click the minus button (−) under the list to remove it.
Further down the same page is a list of apps that are allowed to do work in the background even when they are not open. Switch off the ones you do not want.
If you only want to skip the startup apps once, hold down Shift while you click Log In, and let go when the Dock appears.
Ask Key to do it for you
If you would rather not hunt through menus, you can ask Key. Key is a free assistant that lives on your computer. You can speak to it or type to it, and both give the same result.
Key works in the real windows you already use. It opens the real Settings window and presses the real switch, then tells you what it did. A small panel shows what it is doing while it works, and you can stop it at any point.
KeyVoiceStop Spotify starting when Windows turns on
Spotify will no longer start by itself when you sign in to Windows.
Half a sentence is enough. Key works out what you meant, does it in the real app, and checks the result before it tells you. If it could not check, it says so, and if something failed, it comes back as a failure.
Key also changes other settings the same way. For more of that, see how to change brightness, dark mode and other settings by voice.
How to tell if it worked
Restart your PC and see how long it takes before you can start working. If it feels faster, you are done. If it is still slow, go back to the Startup list and look for more items marked High impact.
Startup apps are only one cause of a slow PC. A full Downloads folder will not slow your start, but it is worth tidying while you are in a cleaning mood: see how to clean up your Downloads folder without losing anything.
If you turned off something you needed
Go back to Settings › Apps › Startup on Windows, or System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions on a Mac, and switch it back on. On Windows you can also use Task Manager and choose Enable. Nothing is lost, and you can change your mind as often as you like.
Try Key free
Speak to it or type to it. It opens your apps, finds your files and changes your settings, then tells you what it did.
Free, no card. Windows 10 or 11, macOS 11 or newer.