Startup programs are stored in a special folder on the hard drive, and run automatically when Windows boots. In Windows 7, startup program settings are similar to previous versions of Windows. Here's how to add or disable startup programs.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Adding or Removing Files from the Startup Folder
Step 1. Open the Startup folder in the Windows start menu
Click the Windows "Start" button and select "All Programs." Scroll down the list to find the startup folder.
- Right-click the "Startup" folder in the menu and select "Open All Users" to open the folder for all users on the computer.
- Select "Explore" to open the folder for the currently logged in user only.
Step 2. Create a shortcut for the program or file that you want to run at startup
Right-click on the file or program icon, and select "create shortcut."
- This shortcut will be created in the same folder as the original program.
- Startup items can be programs or other files. For example, you can set a word processing document to open at startup.
Step 3. Drag, or cut and paste the shortcut icon to the Startup Folder
The program will open the next time you start your computer.
- To cut and paste: Right-click on the shortcut item in the original folder and select "cut" from the menu. Then, in the Startup folder, right-click anywhere in the window and select "paste."
- Alternatively, highlight the shortcut icon and press ctrl+x. Then, with the startup folder still active, press ctrl+v.
Method 2 of 4: Changing an Existing Startup via MSConfig
Step 1. Click the Windows "Start" button and type "msconfig" in the search text box
Click MSConfig which appears in the search results. This will open the System Configuration console.
Step 2. Click the "Startup" tab
You will see programs installed as startup options on your computer.
- Note that not all startup items will be displayed.
- You are not given the option to add startup items to the list in MSConfig.
- To add items that are not in the MSConfig list, use the Startup Folder method.
Step 3. Check the boxes of the applications you want to run when the computer boots up
For programs that you no longer want to run at start, uncheck them.
Step 4. Click "Apply
This will change the changes you made to the startup items.
Step 5. Reboot computer to complete the startup item changes. A pop-up window will ask if you want to reboot the computer. Click "Restart" to reboot the computer and save the changes.
- If you do not restart your computer, your startup programs will return to their original settings.
- If you uncheck an item in MSConfig, you will start "Selective startup" mode. This can be seen under the "general" tab in MSconfig.
- If you later decide to select "Normal Startup", all disabled items will be re-enabled.
Method 3 of 4: Using Other Ways to Change Startup Items
Step 1. Change the settings directly from the program to manage the startup options of the program
Settings are different for each program, and you should look for startup settings by looking through menus such as "options," "preferences," "settings," or "tools," the icon in the system tray, and so on.
- To find out how to change the startup settings of a particular program, look in the program's "help" section, or do an internet search.
- For example, Skype, a telephone/internet chat program, can be disabled via Tools → Options → General Settings → then disable "Start Skype when I start Windows".
- As another example, Dropbox, a file sharing and storage program, can be disabled by right-clicking the icon in the system tray (the icon in the windows toolbar near the clock), clicking the gear-shaped icon, then selecting “Preferences…”
Step 2. Use your computer's registry to remove startup items
Startup items can be removed manually through the "regedit" program on your computer.
- See an overview of the process here.
- Editing the computer registry should only be done as a last resort and only if you know exactly what you are doing.
Method 4 of 4: Using Programs and Databases to Recognize Startup Items
Step 1. Avoid deleting files and programs carelessly
Removing startup programs without knowing what they are for can cause certain applications to not function properly.
- Before making changes that you're unsure of yourself, use System Restore to create "restore points" that you can revert to if something goes wrong.
- Many startup items have slightly descriptive names, but others can be vague abbreviations, and their functions are difficult to identify.
Step 2. Use an online list of programs and processes, or do an internet search to identify the function of each program
- This can be time consuming, as you will have to find the function of each file or process one by one.
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Some useful lists include:
- Process Library: winner of PCMAG's 100 Best Classic Sites, 195k+ entries.
- Pacman's Portal: an online startup database program containing over 35K entries
Step 3. Use the program to clean startup items automatically
There are many free and popular programs that can clean up startup items for you, including items in the system registry.
- These programs often contain updated databases to include unnecessary items that appear frequently, as well as other tools to improve your computer's performance.
- As always, do enough research to find a reputable program to prevent damage to your computer.
- Some of the popular programs include:
- ccleaner
- Virtuoza In Control
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