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Change the Boot Menu Timeout with bcdedit /timeout

Shorten or lengthen how long Windows shows the dual-boot / recovery menu at startup using bcdedit /timeout.

WindowsbootcmdbcdeditMedium risk
Run `bcdedit /timeout 5` in an administrator terminal to make the boot menu wait only 5 seconds before starting Windows.

01Command

Command
$ bcdedit /timeout 5

02What it does

If your PC shows a boot menu (two Windows installs, a Linux entry, or a recovery option), it waits 30 seconds by default before picking the default entry — an eternity when you are in a hurry. The Boot Configuration Data store keeps this value, and bcdedit /timeout sets it to any number of seconds. A short timeout still leaves a window to choose, and you can always hold a key to keep the menu up.

03Risk

RiskMedium risk
RequirementsRequires an elevated (administrator) terminal. Applies to dual-boot or recovery boot menus.
!Warning: bcdedit edits boot configuration. Do not change other bcdedit options unless you know what they do — wrong changes can make Windows unbootable.

04Undo

Undo
$ bcdedit /timeout 30

05Sources

Last verified: 2026-09-19 · Category: System & Settings

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