Specify which programs start at boot time via some Windows utility?

[msnews.microsoft.com]

I'm attempting to reduce the number of programs that automatically start at
PC boot time. I've tried StartUp Cop from PC Magazine but I was unhappy
that it kept allowing various nuisance (e.g. Quicktime) programs to
reconfigure themselves to automatically start at boot time.

Now I'm trialing RegRun from GreatIS. Pretty complicated, but it seems to
do the trick. After all this, I hear that I can accomplish this with an XP
utility. Might anyone know what that utility is, and how to properly (and
safely) use it?

I'm running Windows XP Pro with SP2 installed.
-
Regards,
Peter

 

[Guest]

Start>Run>type MSCONFIG and press OK
Click the Startup tab. Now you can uncheck/disable any or all programs
of your choice. Recommend you do not disable your anti-virus program.
Click Apply and Close. Reboot.

 

[Maurice N ~ MVP]

I'm attempting to reduce the number of programs that automatically
start at PC boot time. I've tried StartUp Cop from PC Magazine but I
was unhappy that it kept allowing various nuisance (e.g. Quicktime)
programs to reconfigure themselves to automatically start at boot
time.

Now I'm trialing RegRun from GreatIS. Pretty complicated, but it
seems to do the trick. After all this, I hear that I can accomplish
this with an XP utility. Might anyone know what that utility is, and
how to properly (and safely) use it?

I'm running Windows XP Pro with SP2 installed.
-
Regards,
Peter

The Windows utility is MSCONFIG.
Go to Start menu >Run > MSCONFIG <enter>
Click on the "Startup" Tab. Review the programs listed there. However, this will not show every single potential startup.
For a more thorough utility, see Autoruns (checks & shows what's set to auto-load at Windows startup)
http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/autoruns.shtml

 

[Curt]

Go here: www.windowsstartup.com . It's a free app and gives you the control
you want.

 

[Richard Urban]

If a program reconfigures itself to run, even after you have removed its
entry from any of the many areas where it can start from, it is not the
fault of StartUp Cop. I have used this utility (StartUp Cop ) since its
inception and have been thoroughly happy with it.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Ed]

I'm attempting to reduce the number of programs that automatically start at
PC boot time. I've tried StartUp Cop from PC Magazine but I was unhappy
that it kept allowing various nuisance (e.g. Quicktime) programs to
reconfigure themselves to automatically start at boot time.

Now I'm trialing RegRun from GreatIS. Pretty complicated, but it seems to
do the trick. After all this, I hear that I can accomplish this with an XP
utility. Might anyone know what that utility is, and how to properly (and
safely) use it?

I'm running Windows XP Pro with SP2 installed.
-
Regards,
Peter

Try running MSCONFIG from the Run.. option in START menu. However, some
programs stay resident after you use them once (Quicktime, WinAmp,
Acrobat for example) only way to get rid of them is to terminate the
running tasks (Ctrl-Alt-Del and choose from running 'Processes' - be
careful not to close system processes).

Good Luck.

Also some programs have options/settings/preferences to stop autoloading
(right-click on the system tray icon for the program (next to the
clock!)) Alternatively double-click the icon and see if there are
options available.

 

[Plato]

I'm attempting to reduce the number of programs that automatically start at
PC boot time. I've tried StartUp Cop from PC Magazine but I was unhappy
that it kept allowing various nuisance (e.g. Quicktime) programs to
reconfigure themselves to automatically start at boot time.

Startupcop is not responsible for apps like quicktime to set themselves
up in startup again, its a feature of quicktime, not startupcop.

 

[Kelly]

Hi Peter,

Check for an option to not having the icon load in the System Tray via the
program(s) in question.

Other options for removal:

Go to Start/Run and type in: msconfig. Go to the Startup Tab and uncheck
accordingly. Then run this script to remove the disabled items from the
registry.

Clear Disabled Items from Msconfig Startup and Selective Startup (Line 148)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Or...remove the runkeys from here: Start/Run/Regedit

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Troubleshooting, Removing and/or Cleaning Add or Remove Programs
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_a.htm#addremove

Troubleshooting the Notification Area
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_n.htm#na

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com