How long does it take for Windows 11 to load?
How long does it take for Windows 11 to load?
Motherboard: ROG Strix B650-A Gaming WiFi
CPU: Ryzen 7800X3D
I've noticed many discussions about AM5 platform boot times, mostly about POST delays, but I haven't encountered this problem. My boot times are generally under 4-5 seconds, which is fine. The main concern is the Windows 11 loading process (the spinning circle below the ROG logo). On my old system (i5 8600k), it appears in about 3-4 seconds, whereas on Windows 11 it takes around 20 seconds to load the login screen. All other aspects seem normal, but this slower startup feels a bit slow to me. It usually takes roughly 31-32 seconds to reach the desktop after turning on the PC. That’s quite long in my view.
Memory Context Restore and Power Down features are both active in my BIOS settings. Fast Boot is turned off since I don’t see any performance difference, and it seems safer to keep it disabled for improved system stability.
Any advice? Windows 11 fast boot is enabled in the Windows Energy settings.
Do you have any startup programs installed? Which type of c: drive are you currently using?
Windows 11 is running on a Corsair MP600 GS 500GB nvme drive. It's primarily used for the operating system and a few programs. No games are installed there.
Right now I'm away from home, but nothing too demanding is running at startup. I have Steam, GOG, Armoury Crate, a lian li fan control app, Msi Afterburner, and a couple more apps. I've removed many unused items like OneDrive and others.
There was a time when Windows 11 loaded very quickly—about 5 to 6 seconds. After some updates (chipset to the latest, Nvidia drivers, BIOS version 2412 on my ROG Strix b650-a gaming Wi-Fi), I restored the original BIOS settings. Since then, boot times have increased noticeably. While POST times are normal, the screen that spins before the login takes around 25 seconds to appear.
Do you experience your computer restarting around 30 times each day, and does that concern you? I don’t mind if it’s 5 or 30 seconds; my system might restart once a month at most. In any case, 30 seconds is completely fine. Five seconds likely means it was just waking up from sleep, not a full restart.
The 5-6 second time wasn't achieved through a genuine cold start. Reaching that speed requires significant effort and fine-tuning.
It was about 5-6 seconds during the spinning wheel loading icon. This isn't due to a cold boot. Right now it takes around 20-25 seconds. The wheel spins that long before the W11 login screen shows up. That's definitely unusual since it used to be 5-7 seconds.
My post takes roughly 10 seconds, followed by 3-4 seconds for Windows to launch from the spinning wheel. The posting time is when the computer performs its self-check before opening. Do you have the M2 drive's trim cleaned? Also, consider running sfc /scannow. I’d also try uninstalling Armoury crate, as it seems more of a problem than a help.
I had Armoury Crate when my W11 load time was significantly faster, so it’s unlikely that’s the reason for the slowdown. I also use the app to handle my fans and other tasks.
I plan to run sfc /scannow, though I’m unsure what changes could have caused the login screen to take about 25 seconds to load after a cold boot.
PD: I ran sfc /scannow but Windows 11 still loads in around 25 seconds. It usually takes 36-37 seconds from a cold start to the login screen. It’s not a major issue, but I’m not sure what changed to make it three times slower.
Ethernet.
I started the system in safe mode and noticed the Windows 11 startup was significantly faster. It seems a particular service might be hindering the boot process. I attempted to turn off all non-Microsoft applications, but the issue persisted with a load time of about 20 seconds. It appears a Microsoft service could be affecting the OS startup speed. I also disabled all startup programs, yet the time remained unchanged. Perhaps this is related to the recent W11 update? It’s not critical since my login experience remains smooth. However, my boot duration has increased from around 13 seconds to 30-32 seconds without major system changes.