Microsoft is introducing a new feature called Startup Boost aimed at making launching Office apps significantly faster and smoother. According to Windows Latest, this enhancement works by automatically opening relevant Office applications in the background the moment you start your PC. Once opened, these apps enter a paused state where they consume minimal system resources, allowing them to be ready almost instantly when you decide to use them.
Startup Boost is designed to run only on PCs with sufficient resources, specifically requiring at least 5GB of free storage and 8GB of RAM to function properly. This ensures that the feature won’t bog down machines that are already resource-constrained. Additionally, if your PC detects that it needs to free up resources or switches to power-saving mode, Startup Boost will automatically disable itself to prioritize system performance and battery life.
For users who prefer not to have apps auto-launching in the background, Microsoft provides the option to completely turn off Startup Boost through the Office settings menu. This gives you full control over how your system behaves during startup.
While auto-launching apps during system boot isn’t new technology—this concept has been around for decades—Microsoft’s approach of keeping these apps in a paused yet ready-to-go state is a smart innovation. It balances convenience with efficiency, allowing Office apps to load faster without a heavy impact on performance or power usage.
Startup Boost began rolling out in June, initially supporting Microsoft Word. Over the coming months, support will expand to include Excel, PowerPoint, and other Office apps, with the full rollout expected to complete by September.