How to Perform a Clean Boot on Your PC
Complexity: Intermediate | Time: 10 min
A clean boot starts Windows with only essential services and drivers. This helps identify whether background programs or third-party services are causing crashes, slow performance, or software conflicts.
This guide will walk you through performing a clean boot to troubleshoot system stability issues.
Why Should I Perform a Clean Boot?
You may need to perform a clean boot if you experience:
• Random crashes or freezing
• Slow performance without clear cause
• Programs not launching or working correctly
• Errors after installing new software
• System instability during normal use
These issues are often caused by conflicting background applications or services.
Important Notes
• A clean boot does not delete any files or programs
• Some features or apps may not function during clean boot
• Always re-enable services after testing
• This process is for troubleshooting only
Steps to Perform a Clean Boot
Open System Configuration
• Press Windows Key + R, type msconfig, and press Enter
• Click on the services tab
Hide Microsoft Services
• Tick Hide all Microsoft services at the bottom
• Click Disable all to turn off third-party services
Open Startup Settings
• Go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager
• In Task Manager, disable all listed startup applications
Close Task Manager
• Click Apply, then OK in System Configuration
• Restart your PC
What to Do After a Clean Boot
Test your system after a reboot to see if the issue still occurs.
If the Issue is Resolved:
• Re-enable services and startup programs gradually to identify the cause.
If the Issue Persists
• The problem may not be caused by third-party software
How to Return to Normal Startup
• Open msconfig again
• Go to the General tab
• Select Normal startup
• Click Apply and restart your PC
What's Next?
After performing a clean boot, your issues should hopefully be resolved.
If you need further assistance or have any questions, feel free to reach out for additional support - we're always happy to help!
