How to Do a Clean Boot on Windows 11 Without Losing Your Mind
Honestly, figuring out how to do a clean boot on Windows 11 turned out to be a bit more tricky than I expected. I kept running into the usual headaches—services greyed out, startup apps missing or not disabling properly, and the misconception that flicking a switch would do the job. It’s not quite as straightforward, especially if you’re not familiar with tweaking system settings or BIOS options. After a bit of trial and error, here’s what finally worked for me—and what might help you do the same without pulling your hair out.
Getting to the System Configuration Tool (msconfig)
The first step is to access the System Configuration utility. If you’re like me, you probably just type msconfig into the Start menu or the Run box (Windows key + R) and hope for the best. Sometimes it’s buried in Settings, but honestly, the quickest way is just pressing Win + R, typing msconfig, and hitting Enter. A window will pop up that looks fairly simple but packs some important options.
Once in, you’ll see five tabs along the top. The one to focus on is Services. Make sure to check the box for Hide all Microsoft services. Many guides forget to mention this, but it’s crucial—otherwise, you risk disabling essential Windows core services, which can cause strange crashes or even prevent Windows from booting properly. Checking this box ensures you only disable third-party services that might be causing issues, not essential Windows functions. I tried unchecking everything first, but that’s a bad idea unless you know exactly what you’re doing. Trust me on this.
After hiding Microsoft services, click Disable all. This will turn off all third-party services, leaving only the core Windows services running. It’s the minimum setup you need to troubleshoot most issues. Sometimes, I also toggle off Load system services—but that’s optional, depending on how deep you want to go. The goal is a stripped-back environment, and this method gets you there pretty efficiently.
Shutting Down Startup Apps (The Hard Part)
This caught me out—there isn’t a dedicated “Startup” tab in msconfig anymore. Instead, you’ll see a link that says Open Task Manager. Clicking it opens the Task Manager directly in the Startup section. Yep, Microsoft’s way of hiding certain functions just for fun.
In the Startup tab of Task Manager, you’ll see a list of apps with their status. Here, you want to disable everything that’s enabled—right-click each app marked as Enabled and select Disable. This really clears out background clutter and prevents unnecessary apps from launching at startup. I often disable things I don’t recognise—especially on older laptops with pre-installed junk. Once done, close out of Task Manager.
Back in the msconfig window, make sure to click Apply and then OK. That’s what saves your adjustments. When you’re ready, reboot your PC. Windows will then start with only the essentials, which can help make problems more obvious or fix performance issues caused by background apps.
Rebooting & Testing
When your system restarts, it’s running in that minimal setup—no extra apps, only the core services. Sometimes it feels more responsive; other times, it’s just a different experience. If you’re troubleshooting, like I do, it’s best to re-enable apps or services one at a time—starting with the ones you actually need—so you can pinpoint what was causing the problem. Just take your time. Re-enable a few at a time, reboot to test, then proceed. It’s a bit tedious, but it pays off.
Getting Back to Normal (Re-enabling Everything)
Once you’ve identified the culprit—or if you decide the minimal setup isn’t worth it anymore—you’ll want to restore your environment. Open Task Manager again (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), go to the Startup tab, and re-enable the apps you previously disabled. Then, launch msconfig (Win + R, type msconfig), select the Services tab, and choose Normal Startup under the General menu. Don’t forget to click Apply and OK. This will put everything back in place. Sometimes, you need to go through the process a couple of times to get everything re-enabled correctly—especially if you toggled things around during troubleshooting. Double-check everything before rebooting the last time.
Pro Tips & Warnings (Because No One Tells You This)
Heads up: disabling all non-Microsoft services and startup apps can cause issues if you’re not careful. Critical drivers or apps necessary for your hardware might get turned off, which could lead to a system that refuses to boot properly. If that happens, just run msconfig again, switch back to Normal Startup, and reboot. You may need to manually re-enable some services or apps. Always back up your data first—if you have encrypted drives (like with BitLocker), disabling certain services or turning off TPM/Secure Boot features could risk losing access or keys. Save your work regularly and do some research if you’re unsure before making tweaks.
If some options are greyed out or missing, it might be due to OEM restrictions or BIOS settings like Secure Boot, TPM, Intel PTT, AMD fTPM, or virtualization features being disabled. Sometimes, updating your BIOS or using manufacturer-specific tools can unlock these options. Be cautious, especially with laptops—OEMs often lock down certain settings to prevent tampering.
Finally, if these steps aren’t enough, consider checking for BIOS or UEFI firmware updates. Some brands customise Windows recovery features, making certain options hard to find or restrict. As a last resort, rolling back to Windows 10 might be a temporary fix if Windows 11 just refuses to play ball with these tweaks.
TL;DR
- Use
msconfigto hide Microsoft services and disable all other third-party services. - Open Task Manager via the Startup tab to turn off unnecessary startup apps.
- Remember to click Apply and OK, then reboot.
- Re-enable apps and services gradually to troubleshoot or return your setup to normal.
- Back up your data before adjusting TPM, Secure Boot, or BIOS settings, in case security keys get wiped.
Hope this helps — it definitely took me ages to figure out during a late-night troubleshooting session. Patience and small steps are key. Good luck, and here’s hoping your system stays stable afterwards!