How to access the Startup file in Windows 7
Hi, I would like to know the following;
1 How do you access the Startup Folder to see what programs are automatically loaded on startup
2 If I see programs that I seldom use, can I exclude them and if so, would it unclutter the operating system in a significant way
3 If I exclude them, would I still be able to open them if I needed them
My purpose is to speed up the rebooting proses and to minimize programs that are not used on regular basis
Thank you
1 How do you access the Startup Folder to see what programs are automatically loaded on startup
2 If I see programs that I seldom use, can I exclude them and if so, would it unclutter the operating system in a significant way
3 If I exclude them, would I still be able to open them if I needed them
My purpose is to speed up the rebooting proses and to minimize programs that are not used on regular basis
Thank you
Gabriel Clifton
Two things you can safely use are Microsoft's Sysinternals Autoruns. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx. Go into filter and hide Microsoft programs and uncheck anything you do not want to run, or you can use msconfig http://netsquirrel.com/msconfig/msconfig_win7.html
For Windows 7, MSConfig is a very good tool for both stopping programs from starting and for selective startups. I recommend MSConfig as I have used it a number of times.
Programs in the Startup folder can be removed (either way described above will do). Since it's just a link (and usually a copy from another item in the All Programs folders), removing them has no influence on functionality (i.e. it's the same as if you start it later).
Since I almost always know what I'm doing, I just remove it from the Start> All Programs > Startup (rightmouseclick) > Open / Open All Users and delete it from there (2 locations, 2 behaviours, one is personal, one is systemwide, needs admin access).
Since I almost always know what I'm doing, I just remove it from the Start> All Programs > Startup (rightmouseclick) > Open / Open All Users and delete it from there (2 locations, 2 behaviours, one is personal, one is systemwide, needs admin access).
camtz --
You have already gotten good answers, but here are my comments.
1) As you can see, msconfig is perhaps the closest thing to a Startup folder in Windows. But there are lots of other programs that start automatically at boot. You have little control over some of them--specifically Windows programs (explorer.exe, winlogon.exe, etc.). There are very few third party programs (most of the ones you see in msconfig) that you really need to have start at boot. This would be things like your antivirus, router, keyboard/ mouse controls, etc. You can see what is running by looking at TaskManager (Control+Shift+Esc) or from Autoruns as already suggested.
2) and 3) Yes, you can certainly disable the start of a program you seldom use. You can always start it manually when you need it. You can always re-enable it in msconfig if you find you do need it at boot. Note you are NOT disabling the program when you disable the start using msconfig.
The time it takes to reach Desktop should be faster the fewer programs you have start at boot. How significant that time will be depends on how bloated msconfig is now. And the more programs you have running during a day's operation can slow things down, too.
You can also delay the start of a Service which will further speed up boot. But Windows is pretty good about choosing what Service should start at boot and what can be delayed or wait to be started until a program calls on that Service. It is probably best to not fool around with Services until you know exactly what you are doing.
Windows loves to confuse things. Here is the location of the Start Menu in Win 7.
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\W
But this the list of programs you have installed. They do not "start" at boot. They are what you see when you click Start|All Programs and what you can start manually.
You have already gotten good answers, but here are my comments.
1) As you can see, msconfig is perhaps the closest thing to a Startup folder in Windows. But there are lots of other programs that start automatically at boot. You have little control over some of them--specifically Windows programs (explorer.exe, winlogon.exe, etc.). There are very few third party programs (most of the ones you see in msconfig) that you really need to have start at boot. This would be things like your antivirus, router, keyboard/ mouse controls, etc. You can see what is running by looking at TaskManager (Control+Shift+Esc) or from Autoruns as already suggested.
2) and 3) Yes, you can certainly disable the start of a program you seldom use. You can always start it manually when you need it. You can always re-enable it in msconfig if you find you do need it at boot. Note you are NOT disabling the program when you disable the start using msconfig.
The time it takes to reach Desktop should be faster the fewer programs you have start at boot. How significant that time will be depends on how bloated msconfig is now. And the more programs you have running during a day's operation can slow things down, too.
You can also delay the start of a Service which will further speed up boot. But Windows is pretty good about choosing what Service should start at boot and what can be delayed or wait to be started until a program calls on that Service. It is probably best to not fool around with Services until you know exactly what you are doing.
Windows loves to confuse things. Here is the location of the Start Menu in Win 7.
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\W
But this the list of programs you have installed. They do not "start" at boot. They are what you see when you click Start|All Programs and what you can start manually.
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Many thanks
Cheers :)