The Windows 10 startup programs are apps that launch automatically when you turn on your computer or device. When you install a new app, it might be added to the startup programs without your knowledge and run in the background on your operating system. While you want some apps to start together with Windows 10, having too many apps launch when you open your PC can slow things down considerably. This tutorial illustrates how to change startup programs in Windows 10 and shows how to stop apps from opening at startup the easy way, with the Settings app:

NOTE: The features presented are available in Windows 10 May 2020 Update or newer. If you are using an older version of Windows 10, you might not have access to all the features. Check your Windows 10 build and, if necessary, get the latest Windows 10 update available.

How to access Startup Apps from Windows 10's Settings

While, in the past, you had to use the Task Manager to disable startup programs, you can change startup apps in Windows 10 more easily from the Settings app. Open the Windows 10 Settings by pressing Windows + I on your keyboard, and then click or tap on Apps.

On the left-hand side, access the Startup tab, and you can see a list of the Startup Apps on the right.

Alternatively, you can also type "startup apps" in your taskbar's search field and then press on the appropriate result to view the Windows 10 startup programs.

How to stop programs from running at startup in Windows 10

At this point, it might be obvious to experienced users how to stop apps from opening on startup in Windows 10. The list of Startup Apps has all the programs that can be set to launch at the same time as your operating system. The publisher's name is shown underneath, together with its Startup impact - if your computer is taking a long time to start, consider disabling the apps with High impact first to solve the issue. To disable startup programs in Windows 10, turn the switch next to them Off.

If you change your mind later and decide you want some apps to launch at the same time as your operating system, you can turn the switch On or check out other methods to do this in 4 ways to enable an app to run at the Windows 10 startup.

If you know the name of the app you want to disable, you can also access the Apps & features tab on the left-hand side. Then, on the right, scroll through the Apps & features section until you find the program you're looking for, and click or tap on it.

This reveals the Advanced options for that specific app. Click or tap on the link to access them.

TIP: Keep in mind that not all apps in this list have Advanced options. If that is the case for your program, use the first method presented in this section instead.

On the next screen, you can see specifications and options for the app you selected. Scroll down until you find the "Runs at log-in" section and turn Off the corresponding switch.

If you decide to disable more startup programs at this point, you can click or tap on the "Configure startup tasks" link to access the Startup Apps list and manage the programs you want to launch with Windows 10.

The next time you start your computer, you can see your changes take effect.

TIP: While most startup apps can be changed using the methods above, some of them, like Skype, might require additional steps. If that's one of the apps you want to disable, check out our tutorial on How to stop Skype from starting automatically in Windows 10.

What startup apps did you change in Windows 10 and why?

Every now and then, we check the list of Startup Apps and remove any non-essential applications from starting with Windows 10. Even while writing this tutorial, we came across a couple of "rogue" apps that added themselves to the boot process and proceeded to disable them. What about you? What startup apps did you change in Windows 10? Was a particular app annoying, or were you trying to improve your startup time? Let us know in the comments section below.