Start Windows in Less Time

One of the sure signs of a PC that's been used for more than a few weeks is that it takes a lot longer to start up than when it was new. The longer load time isn't fatigue, nor is it a sign that the PC needs a faster processor; it's a casualty of all the junk that Windows accumulates on a day-to-day basis.
One of the best ways to shorten startup times is to not shut down. Rather, if you put your PC to sleep, as described in "Start Windows Instantly (Almost)" in this tutorial, you can power it back up in just a few seconds.

Several factors can impact the amount of time it takes for your computer to load Windows and display the desktop so you can start working, not the least of which is anything left over from the previous version of Windows. Since Windows 7 can't be installed over any operating system other than Vista this is much less of an issue than with any of its predecessors. That said, even the accumulation of drivers and applications on a one-virgin Windows 7 installation can eventually slow it down.

If you did install Windows 7 as an in-place upgrade from Vista, some of the old operating system files may've been left behind. While they're isolated and shouldn't cause any problems, they may be consuming several gigabytes of disk space. Run the Disk Cleanup tool (cleanmgr.exe) and place a checkmark next to Files discarded by Windows upgrade to delete them.

Naturally, wiping your hard disk and reinstalling Windows from scratch is a whole lot easier said than done, so here are some other things you can do to reduce Windows' boot time.