Do you ever feel like your PC is taking longer to boot up than you’d like? It might not be your imagination; it might actually be taking longer than it should. Today, we’ll go over how you can use the Event Viewer app to get an idea of how long it’s taking your computer to boot up, as well as what numbers you should aim for.
How to Test Boot Time
One way to test your computer’s boot time is to simply use a stopwatch, but you’ll first have to decide how you want to define boot time. For example, you could start tracking right after you hit the power button, then stop after the desktop is available for use. In any case, you’ll want to keep things consistent for your tests across each iteration.
And yes, you’ll be testing multiple times. After all, computers are complex pieces of machinery, and one isolated incident is not enough to make an informed decision about the status of your computer. We recommend you run the test 3-5 times and average them together to see how you fare.
If all this sounds like too much, however, you can use the Event Viewer for a more straightforward and more objective way to measure boot duration.
Using the Windows Event Viewer
Windows comes with a built-in utility that can help you measure boot duration. Here’s how you access it:
- Go to the search bar and type in Event Viewer
- Select Applications and Services Logs
- Select Microsoft > Windows
- Find the option for Diagnostics-Performance > Operational
- Filter events by Event ID 100
This will show your boot duration in milliseconds. Take the average of the last five events and consider that an accurate measure of boot duration. Ideally, you want this number as low as possible. For reference, the average PC boot time is about 15 seconds.
How do you decrease this time?
How to Decrease Boot Time
The easiest way to decrease boot time without messing with your PC too much is to disable certain startup apps on your device. Sometimes when you download an application, it will automatically run on startup, even if it doesn’t need to. This can slow down your PC’s boot time. We recommend you go through your startup apps and see which ones you can remove—especially if they’re not used frequently enough to justify a run on startup.
We recommend you work with your IT provider on this, though, as certain software might run on startup for a reason. If you have any questions about how to boost your business’ IT to decrease boot times, our technicians are available for consultations at 978-798-6805.
