When you turn on your Windows 11 computer, some programs start automatically. These are called startup apps. Sometimes, too many apps running at startup can slow your computer down.

Windows 11 lets you see how much each startup app affects your computer’s speed and performance. This way, you can decide which apps to keep running at startup and which ones to turn off.

How to Check Startup App Impact in Windows 11

There are two easy ways to check which startup apps use the most resources on your computer:

1. Using Task Manager

The Task Manager is a built-in tool that shows what’s running on your PC, including startup apps.

1. Press the keys CTRL + SHIFT + Esc together on your keyboard to open Task Manager.
2. At the top, click the Startup tab.
3. You’ll see a list of apps that start with Windows. Next to each app is its “Startup impact” — this shows how much it slows down your computer when it starts.

Task Manager shows startup apps and their impact on Windows 11.

Impact levels explained:

• High impact: Uses a lot of your computer’s power when starting.
• Medium impact: Uses some power but not too much.
• Low impact: Uses very little power at startup.

2. Using the Settings App

You can also check startup apps and their impact through Windows Settings.

1. Click the Start menu (the Windows icon) at the bottom-left of your screen.
2. Select Settings. Or press Windows key + I on your keyboard to open Settings quickly.
3. On the left side, click Apps.
4. On the right, click Startup.
5. You will see a list of apps that run at startup along with their impact on your computer.

Open Settings from the Start menu.

Click “Apps” in the Settings menu.

Click “Startup” to see startup apps and their impact.

Startup apps and their impact shown in Settings.

What Can You Do With This Information?

If you see apps with a High impact, you might want to turn them off at startup to make your computer start faster. You can do this by right-clicking the app in Task Manager or toggling it off in the Settings app under Startup.

Learn more about enabling or disabling startup apps here: How to Enable or Disable Startup Apps in Windows 11

Summary

• Windows 11 helps you see how much each startup app affects your computer’s speed and performance.
• You can check this info using either Task Manager or the Settings app.
• Knowing which apps use more resources lets you decide which ones to keep or turn off at startup.
• This can make your computer start faster and work better.

Reference: Microsoft official guide on Startup Apps