---
title: "StartupDelayInMSec 0: removing the startup app delay in Windows 10 and 11"
description: "After you sign in, Windows waits before it launches your startup apps so the desktop appears first, by default about ten seconds."
url: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/startup-delay
author: Frost LIVE, Founder of Frozen Tweaks
published: 2026-10-08
updated: 2026-10-08
category: "Windows"
source: Frozen Tweaks (https://frozentweaks.com)
---

# StartupDelayInMSec 0: removing the startup app delay in Windows 10 and 11

**Short answer:** After you sign in, Windows waits before it launches your startup apps so the desktop appears first, by default about ten seconds. StartupDelayInMSec set to 0 under the Explorer Serialize key removes that wait. In the registry it sets StartupDelayInMSec to 0 under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Serialize.

## In the app

- Switch: Disable Startup Delay (Windows, Free, Standard)
- Undo: Yes. Switching it off sets a standard Windows value, which may not be exactly how you had it.
- Catalog row: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks#t-1124

## What it does

After you sign in, Windows waits before it launches your startup apps so the desktop appears first, by default about ten seconds. StartupDelayInMSec set to 0 under the Explorer Serialize key removes that wait.

In the app the switch is called "Disable Startup Delay", described there as: Removes the hidden 10-second delay Windows adds before launching startup apps.

## When it helps

- Getting to a usable desktop with everything loaded sooner, mainly on an SSD.

## When it hurts

- On a hard disk or a slow processor, everything starting at once can make the first seconds after sign-in feel slower.
- It changes when startup apps load, not how fast the PC is afterwards.

## What it writes

Read from the app's source. "Switching it off" is what the app writes when you turn the tweak off again.

Registry values:

| Key | Value | With the tweak | Switching it off |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Serialize` | `StartupDelayInMSec` | `0` | Not set (the value is deleted; Windows decides) |

Source: Tweaks/startup_delay_off.hpp in the app's source, app 2.0.0, checked 2026-10-08.

## The same change by hand

Run in a Command Prompt opened as administrator. Make a restore point first.

```bat
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Serialize" /v "StartupDelayInMSec" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
```

Put it back:

```bat
reg delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Serialize" /v "StartupDelayInMSec" /f
```

See what it is set to now:

```bat
reg query "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Serialize" /v "StartupDelayInMSec"
```

## How to undo it

Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. It deletes StartupDelayInMSec, so Windows uses its built-in behavior again.

## Verdict

A nice quality of life change on an SSD. It does nothing for frame rates.

## Questions

### What does the "Disable Startup Delay" tweak change in Windows?

In the registry it sets StartupDelayInMSec to 0 under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Serialize.

### Is "Disable Startup Delay" safe to switch on?

A nice quality of life change on an SSD. It does nothing for frame rates. The main cost: On a hard disk or a slow processor, everything starting at once can make the first seconds after sign-in feel slower.

### How do I undo it?

Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. Switching it off sets a standard Windows value, which may not be exactly how you had it.

### Is "Disable Startup Delay" free in Frozen Tweaks?

Yes. It is one of the free tweaks, with no time limit.

## Related guides

- [Windows 11 Gaming Optimization: What Still Works in 2026](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/windows-11-gaming-optimization)
- [How to Increase FPS on PC: The Complete 2026 Guide](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/how-to-increase-fps-on-pc)

## More tweak explainers

- [Driver updates through Windows Update](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/stop-windows-update-installing-drivers)
- [Sticky Keys popup](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-sticky-keys-popup)
- [MenuShowDelay](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/menushowdelay)

---
Written by Frost LIVE, founder of Frozen Tweaks. Canonical version: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/startup-delay