The more software you install on your computer, the longer it may
seem to take to start up Windows. Many programs add themselves to the
list of programs started when you boot your computer, and that list can
get long.
Disabling Start-up Programs in Windows using Msconfig
For some programs, it’s smart to have them start with Windows, such
as anti-virus and firewall software. However, for most programs,
starting them at boot-up just wastes resources and extends start-up time.
There is a tool installed with Windows, called Msconfig, that allows
you to quickly and easily see what’s running at start up and disable the
programs you prefer to run on our own after start up as needed. This tool
is available and can be used to disable start-up programs in Windows XP,
Vista, Win7 & Win8
Important Note: MSConfig can be used to configure several things other than
just startup programs, so be careful what you do with it. If you’re not
sure about using it, just follow the steps in this article and you
should be fine.
If you are using
Windows XP, open the Run dialog box from the
Start menu, type “msconfig.exe” in the Open edit box, and click OK.
If you are using
Vista or Windows 7 click the Start Orb in the menu search box type “msconfig” (without
the quotes). As you type, results display. When you
see “msconfig.exe,” click on it or press Enter, if it is highlighted.
If you are using
Windows 8, just type “msconfig” straight into the metro (start-up screen) and you will see msconfig.exe appear in the results, click on it
In
XP, Vista and Windows 7 click the
Startup tab on the System Configuration main window. A list of
all the startup programs displays with a check box next to each one. To
prevent a program from starting up with Windows, select the check box
next to the desired program so there is NO check mark in the box. Click Apply once you have made your choices.
In
Windows 8 clicked on the
Startup tab select the link Open task Manager here you will see a list of programs however no check box. Under status you can see whether the program is disabled or enabled. to change whether the program starts up or not right click on the program in question and click disable if its enabled or vice versa.
In
XP, Vista and Windows 7 To
prevent a program from starting up with Windows, select the check box
next to the desired program after unchecking a program box you will have to select apply and a dialog box will display telling you that you may need to restart your
computer for the changes to take affect. Click Restart to restart your
computer immediately. If are not ready to restart your computer, click
Exit without restart.
Disabling Start-up Programs in Windows using Ccleaner
The free PC-cleaning utility
CCleaner
also has a tool that allows you to disable startup programs. In
CCleaner, click the Tools button on the left side of the dialog box and
click Startup to see the list of startup programs. The Enabled column
indicates whether each program is set to start with Windows. To disable a
program that is enabled, select the program in the list and click
Disable. You can also enable programs that have been disabled.
