Microsoft Announces Faster Launch for Office App (MS Word) on Windows 11

Microsoft has announced an exciting upgrade for Windows 11, introducing a new feature designed to enhance the startup speed of Office applications. This rollout commenced in late June, with widespread availability projected by the end of September. While the initial focus will be on Microsoft Word, additional applications like Excel and PowerPoint will follow suit.

Windows has long wrestled with issues of sluggish performance, particularly noticeable during boot-up, app launches, and closures. For users without technical expertise, these delays can be frustrating. Consequently, Microsoft is actively implementing innovations aimed at improving user experience and performance.

The new Startup Boost feature is particularly beneficial for enterprise users, as indicated by Microsoft’s initial announcements via the Microsoft 365 Message Center targeted at IT administrators. Nevertheless, it will also be accessible to consumer edition users, who will have the option to enable or disable it through Office settings.

According to the updated schedule shared by Windows Latest, the gradual rollout of Startup Boost was initially planned for late May to July 2025, but now has an official launch window starting from June 2025 and concluding by September 2025.

Enhancing Launch Speed of Office Applications

The Startup Boost feature, according to Microsoft, operates through the Office installer and optimizes both performance and load times for Office apps. Essentially, it maintains the applications in a paused state until the user decides to launch them, theoretically enabling quicker access. Rigorous testing will confirm its effectiveness once fully implemented.

Currently, Microsoft Word is the first application to receive this enhancement. If you want to check for updates to see if the feature is available, navigate to Word > Options > General > Startup Options. There, you should find the Startup Boost option, which you can manage with a simple checkbox.

This feature is activated by default, but users need to ensure their PCs meet minimum requirements: at least 8GB of RAM, 5GB of available internal storage, and the Energy Saver mode disabled.

However, Microsoft has not yet clarified a timeline for when other Office applications will adopt similar enhancements.

Understanding Startup Boost for Organizations

Startup Boost utilizes Windows Task Scheduler, a built-in utility that enables automatic task execution in Windows. A common example includes GoogleUpdateTaskMachineCore, which manages Chrome application updates at the system level.

Within this framework, two new tasks—Office Startup Boost and Office Startup Boost Logon—will be integrated into the Task Scheduler.

These tasks collaborate to ensure Office applications can efficiently take advantage of performance optimization techniques. Notably, the scheduled task will not activate immediately upon user login; it will instead wait for 10 minutes, allowing the system to stabilize, thus preventing performance lags.

Importantly, Startup Boost will activate only if the application has been used recently. If it hasn’t, the feature will disable itself for that specific application. Microsoft assures users that no administrative input is needed to enable this feature, and its integration into the Office installation process is designed to be smooth and uncomplicated.

In the event of an Office update, the installer will automatically recreate these tasks. If users have manually disabled Startup Boost, they will need to re-disable it post-update. However, admins can entirely disable this feature via Group Policy to prevent it from restarting even after updates.

Is It Safe to Disable Startup Boost?

While Startup Boost is designed to enhance performance, it is ultimately an optional feature that users can safely disable. Microsoft cautions that doing so may result in slower load times for Office applications, though no specific AI technology has been introduced yet to intelligently adjust its functionality based on user behavior.

Ultimately, while Startup Boost is primarily targeted at enterprise environments, its full release is now underway globally, impacting users within GCC, GCC High, and DoD sectors as well.

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