Microsoft is planning to improve the startup speed of its Office apps, starting with Word in May. The launch times of Office apps will improve thanks to a new scheduled task that will run silently when you boot your PC to make sure Word and eventually other Office apps open quickly.

"Microsoft is introducing a new Startup Boost task to optimize Office applications' performance and load-time. It will roll out in May 2025, initially for Microsoft Word. The task is optional, visible in Windows Task Scheduler, and can be disabled via in-app settings. No admin action is required for the rollout."

The announcement comes from the Microsoft 365 Message Center. The feature works by preloading parts of Office apps into memory after Windows startup and keeping them