Recently I needed to use Matlab for experiments, but after downloading it I found the software took forever to start—averaging four to five minutes, long enough to start a game or browse Tieba. When you suddenly need experimental data, this is pretty inconvenient. I found this method online that can greatly speed up the launch.
- First locate Matlab’s license file, the .lic file. It sits in the licenses folder under the Matlab root directory and looks like this:

license file
- Copy the path of this file, then open the properties of the Matlab shortcut and find the “Target” field.

“Target” field
- After the path in the Target field, append
-c "{paste the .lic file path here}". For example:
"D:\MATLAB R2020a\bin\matlab.exe" -c "D:\MATLAB R2020a\licenses\license_Vinking_123456_R2020a.lic"
Finally click Save.
Testing shows this reduces startup time from 4 minutes 36 seconds to 7 seconds.