How to Reduce the Startup Delay Time for Desktop Apps in Windows 8 and 8.1

When Windows 8 starts up and/or you sign in, any desktop apps that have been set to run at startup are delayed by a few (5-10) seconds by default now. Previous Windows did not have this delay for startup programs.
While you cannot completely eliminate this startup delay, you can adjust to either reduce or increase the delay.
This tutorial will show you how to change the startup delay time of your desktop apps that run at startup to what you want instead in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT 8.1.
While you cannot completely eliminate this startup delay, you can adjust to either reduce or increase the delay.
This tutorial will show you how to change the startup delay time of your desktop apps that run at startup to what you want instead in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT 8.1.
OPTION ONE
To Set Startup Delay Time to Zero using a REG File
1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .reg file below.
NOTE: This .reg file will set the Startupdelayinmsec DWORD in OPTION TWO below to 0 (zero) for almost no startup delay.
Windows_8_Zero_Startup_Delay.reg
2. Save the .reg file to your desktop.
3. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
4. If prompted, click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
5. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
OPTION TWO
To Set a Custom Startup Delay Time in Registry Editor
1. Press the :winkey: + R keys to open the Run dialog, type regedit, and click/tap on OK.
2. If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.
3. In regedit, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)

If you do not have a Serialize key, then right click or press and hold on the Explorer key, click/tap on New and Key, type Serialize for the name, and press Enter.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Serialize
4. In the right pane of Serialize, double/click tap on the Startupdelayinmsec DWORD to modify it. (see screenshot above)

If you do not have a Startupdelayinmsec DWORD, then right click or press and hold on an empty space in the right pane of Serialize, click/tap on New and DWORD (32-bit) Value , type Startupdelayinmsec for the name, and press Enter.

5. Type in a number for how many milliseconds you want to have for a startup delay time for desktop apps that run at startup, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

0 = almost no startup delay

1000 milliseconds = 1 second
60000 milliseconds = 60 seconds (1 minute)
6. When finished, you can close Registry Editor if you like.
That's it,
Shawn
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