How to turn off startup programs in Windows – When you install additional software on your computer, Windows may take a longer amount of time to start up. There are a lot of programs out there, and some of them add themselves to the list of applications that run when your computer boots up. Note from the Editor: It goes without saying that some of our more technically savvy readers are already familiar with this topic; however, this article is intended for those who are not. Feel free to pass it along to your friends who aren’t into technology!
Turn off programs that load when Windows 7, Vista, or XP starts up.
There are some applications, such as anti-virus and firewall software, in which it makes sense to launch the program after Windows. However, for the vast majority of programs, starting them at boot does nothing but waste resources and slow down the startup process. You can disable programs that you’d prefer to run on their own after Windows has started by using a tool called MSConfig, which comes pre-installed with Windows. This tool gives you a quick and easy way to see what’s running at startup and disable programs that are doing so. It is possible to disable startup programs in Windows 7, Vista, and XP by using this tool, which is available for use.
NOTE: MSConfig can be used to configure a wide variety of things in addition to just the programs that run at startup. Take caution in everything that you do with it. If you are confused about how to use it, all you need to do is follow the instructions in this article, and you should be good to go.
Simply open the Start menu and then type “msconfig.exe” (without the quotation marks) into the search box to launch MSConfig. The results will be displayed as you continue to type. You can either click on the msconfig.exe icon or press Enter when the icon is highlighted.
NOTE: If you are running Windows XP, open the Run dialogue box by clicking the Start menu’s Run command, then type msconfig.exe into the Open edit box, and then click the OK button
To access the Boot tab, you must first open the main System Configuration window. There will be a checkbox next to each program on the list of all startup programs that will appear. To prevent a program from starting up automatically with Windows, deselect the check box that is located next to the program that you do not want to start up automatically. When you are finished making your selection, click the OK button.
You are presented with a dialogue box that advises you that it is possible that you will need to restart your computer in order for the changes to take effect. Simply clicking the “Restart” button will instantly restart your computer. To exit the program without restarting your computer, click the button labeled “Quit without restarting.”
After installing the April 2018 Update for Windows 10, disable programs that start automatically.
If you are using the most recent version of Windows 10, there is a new startup app management panel that will make it extremely simple for you to disable programs that run at system startup. Simply open the Settings window, search for Startup, and then open the Start Apps panel to make changes. If you do not see this, you are not using the most recent version of Windows and should use Task Manager to manage the applications that run at startup (continue reading this next section).
When you have the Startup Apps panel open, it is simple to toggle the things that you do not want to run when the computer starts up.
In Windows 10, 8, or 8.1, you can disable programs that run at startup.
Windows 8, 8.1, and 10 make it very simple to disable applications that run at system startup. To disable an application, open the Task Manager by right-clicking on the taskbar or by using the keyboard shortcut CTRL + SHIFT + ESC, then click the More Details button. Next, select the Start tab, and then click the Disable button.
It really is as simple as that. If you do not see these options, you can access them by clicking More Details, which can be found in the same location as Fewer details, as shown in this screenshot.
Using CCleaner, turn off programs that run at startup.
CCleaner, a free program that cleans your computer, also includes a tool that you can use to disable programs that run at startup. To view the list of programs that are run at startup when CCleaner is run, click the Tools button that is located on the left side of the dialogue box and then click Start. The Enabled column provides information regarding whether or not each program is configured to launch when Windows does. To disable a program that is currently active, select the program from the list and then click the Disable button. You can also enable disabled programs.
NOTE: It appears that CCleaner will not prompt you to restart your computer; therefore, you must ensure that you do so manually.
There is a version of CCleaner known as the Professional edition that can be purchased for $24.95 and features priority technical support. On the other hand, a free version that is both installable and portable can be downloaded and used instead.
It is important to take note that certain applications either need to be configured to stop starting themselves automatically when the computer boots or they will simply add themselves back to the list of programs that start automatically. In this scenario, the program’s options typically include a setting that can prevent it from starting up automatically when Windows boots up.
Advertisement