How To Enable or Disable Windows Startup Programs?
If your Windows computer is taking time to boot, it’s time to disable Windows startup programs and boost start up time.
Windows boot time is gradually getting better with every new version of Windows. From booting up within a couple of minutes (Windows XP) to booting up in seconds. Windows 10 boot time is better than ever. Windows boot time not only depends on the hardware but also on the programs that are set to load during Windows boot. If you have a lot of items added to startup programs, the Windows booting gets slower. Removing unwanted startup programs is an excellent way to reduce boot time.
What are startup Programs?
Startup programs are the apps, softwares, shortcuts, folders, drivers, etc… that are set to run or open automatically when you start Windows computer. These startup programs are added by either the programs or drivers installed, or manually by you.
The more software you install on your computer, chances are you might have long list of startup programs. As a result Windows boot time increase and it takes longer to start up Windows. If you want to boost Windows boot time, disable Windows startup programs.
It is common for most of third-party programs to add themselves to the startup list as a result your computer boot time increases. Not everything that adds itself into startup items is really necessary.
While some of the startup programs are useful and disabling them effects functioning of your computer. Some of the important apps are sound card, network adapter, security firewall, touch pad or cloud syncing. Here’s is how you can enable or disable startup programs in Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10.
Enable or Disable Startup Programs in Windows 7
If you are using Windows 7 computer then you can use the System Configuration Utility or MSCONFIG to manage start up applications. With the help of System Configuration Utility you can easily enable or disable startup items. Here’s how.
Use caution when disabling startup items in MSConfig. Many programs have names that aren’t self-explanatory. Be careful not to disable anything important like sound card or network adapter software or security firewall. When in doubt, leave it alone or search online for that entry.
- On your Keyboard press Windows Key + R
- In the Run window type msconfig then press OK
- Click on Continue for User Account Control window prompt.
- Now, in System Configuration Window, click on Startup Tab and you will see list of all the startup programs.
This is the list of every program that starts when your Windows computer is loaded. To disable startup programs, simply uncheck the box next to the applications. When you are done, click Apply then OK to make changes. After you click OK, click on Restart when asked. That’s all.
If you want to enable a program, simply check the box next to that application and then click on Apply and then OK. Now click on restart when prompted.
Enable or Disable Startup Programs in Windows 10 & 8
It’s the same step to follow for changing startup programs in Windows 10 & 8. The easiest way is by using Task Manager. There are many ways by which you can open task manager in Windows 10 & 8. Some of the easiest one are mentioned below.
- On your keyboard press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and select Task Manager.
- Press Windows Key + R, and in the run Window type taskmgr and press OK.
- Right click on Task Bar and select Task Manager.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard and Task Manager will pop up.
If you see small window of task manager with a fewer details click on More Details, as shown in picture below.
Click on Startup tab in Task Manager Window. That will bring all the startup programs of your computer. In the list you can see the programs which are enable and disabled. Now, select the startup program which you want to enable or disable and click on Enable or Disable at the bottom right.
In the startup window you can check the last BIOS time (Boot time) at the top right. You can also see the Startup Impact of the programs installed there. Remember that you’ll need to reboot your machine for these processes to take effect.
Disabling Startup Programs in Windows Using Applications
There are many third party applications which you can use to disable Windows startup programs. I will talk about two of the best tools you can use. One is CCleaner and other is StartupLite from Malwarebytes. StartupLite from Malwarebytes is a free tool which you can easily install from their website and use it. You can also install CCleaner professional to manage startup programs in all version of Windows.
After installing navigate to Tools > Startup. Apart from disabling startup programs, CCleaner is also a very good tool to clean and optimize your computer from Junks, cache, cookies, browsing history, temp files etc. And it’s very easy to use. Click here to download. It is used for both Windows PC and Apple Mac.
NOTE: CCleaner does not seem to prompt you to restart your computer, so be sure to do so yourself.
Conclusion
So that was about how to enable or disable Windows startup programs manually as well as by using a third party software. By choosing lesser application for startup surely decreases the boot time. “Enjoyed this article? Click the 💚 to help other people find it and do Subscribe to my Medium Profile.” Like Us On Facebook.
More To Read:
• How To Change Windows 10 Default Apps?
• Important Microsoft Edge Security Features
• How To Enable or Disable Microsoft SmartScreen Filter?
• How To Enable Chrome’s Do Not Track Option?
Originally published at www.techblogout.com on May 6, 2017.
