Faster Windows Startup - Hardware & Software

If you only have one user account, Windows should start running all of your startup stuff before you've logged in. For example, it's annoying leaving Windows updating, coming back to see that it has restarted and is at the Login screen, logging in, and [i]then[/i] having to wait while it chugs through your startup stuff. If it's just sitting at the login screen waiting for your password, and there are no other possible accounts that could log in, it might as well get a head start on loading things. That is all.

[QUOTE=Larikang;19883437]If you only have one user account, Windows should start running all of your startup stuff before you've logged in. For example, it's annoying leaving Windows updating, coming back to see that it has restarted and is at the Login screen, logging in, and [i]then[/i] having to wait while it chugs through your startup stuff. If it's just sitting at the login screen [B]waiting for your password[/B], and there are no other possible accounts that could log in, it might as well get a head start on loading things. That is all.[/QUOTE] Read the bolded part. Maybe don't set a password?

Disable the login screen?

Well obviously I could do that, but what if I want to keep my password [i]and[/i] have it start up faster?

What do you have to hide?

[QUOTE=Larikang;19970711]Well obviously I could do that, but what if I want to keep my password [i]and[/i] have it start up faster?[/QUOTE] You're asking to set a password but not have windows require it? [editline]11:53AM[/editline] If you're just saying start up faster in general, don't install so much crap that starts at boot, or disable them from starting at boot.

I find that placing two blue cathodes at each side of my case speeds up the booting time of Windows for me.

[QUOTE=Larikang;19970711]Well obviously I could do that, but what if I want to keep my password [i]and[/i] have it start up faster?[/QUOTE] BIOS Password :science:

[QUOTE=Specter;19977835]You're asking to set a password but not have windows require it? [editline]11:53AM[/editline] If you're just saying start up faster in general, don't install so much crap that starts at boot, or disable them from starting at boot.[/QUOTE] No... read. Here's what I mean: I want my computer to have a password but for all of my windows startup things to start running before I type it in. Since I'm the only user for my laptop it doesn't make sense for them to wait for me to log in before they run. Removing startup things isn't an option - everything that runs at startup I actually want to run at startup. There are no extra applications in there to remove. Just to make this clear - I'm almost positive that this is not something that Windows can do right now. I'm just ranting.

[QUOTE=Larikang;19988665]No... read. Here's what I mean: I want my computer to have a password but for all of my windows startup things to start running before I type it in. Since I'm the only user for my laptop it doesn't make sense for them to wait for me to log in before they run. Removing startup things isn't an option - everything that runs at startup I actually want to run at startup. There are no extra applications in there to remove. Just to make this clear - I'm almost positive that this is not something that Windows can do right now. I'm just ranting.[/QUOTE] It does make sense because not all programs are installed for every account. It's a dumb way of handling things I know but that's how they ended up doing it. And if you're the only user of that laptop why have a password for Windows to begin with? Why not just use a BIOS password as an earlier post suggested?

I think the closest thing to what you want is to have it auto-log in using your password (registry stuff), then have a switch user (or lock screen win+L) script run on startup to lock you out again with all of your programs in the background running. That'd be the easiest way as far as I can see... This obviously won't speed up initial boot time, but it will let you log in faster if you leave your laptop while it's booting.

Save this into a batch file (anything.bat) [code]rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation[/code] Then put it into your startup folder and make your windows log on automatically on startup. I think that should work, it should continue loading all of your stuff but lock the workstation. Although there's a little security issue with this, what if someone disables the script or starts up in safe mode?

There we go. That's more what I'm looking for. But is it possible to have Windows automatically log in and then to have a password later when you lock it? I didn't think it was.

[QUOTE=Larikang;20089257]But is it possible to have Windows automatically log in and then to have a password later when you lock it? I didn't think it was.[/QUOTE] Sure, that's how I have mine setup. When you set Windows to log in automatically you have to give it your password. After that it will log in automatically at startup, but still require a password to log in if you lock it manually.

[QUOTE=Larikang;20089257]There we go. That's more what I'm looking for. But is it possible to have Windows automatically log in and then to have a password later when you lock it? I didn't think it was.[/QUOTE] I know you can use TweakUI in XP to auto-log on using a password, not sure how to do it in 7 but I know it's possible. [editline]07:01PM[/editline] [url]http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/make-windows-vista-log-on-automatically/[/url] There

[QUOTE=benjgvps;19984818]BIOS Password :science:[/QUOTE] I did this, much faster.