Startup Improvements

[Bob]

Have any improvements been made to vista that relate to system startups? I
think the biggest problem I have with windows is that almost every
application you install trys to start a process when windows starts. Most
of them takes hours of research to figure out how to remove permanently.
Why can't windows have a boot option where none of this junk gets started?

Here are some examples...

ActiveSync Icon -> Haven't used my PDA in a year but can't figure how to
stop this from staring without removing it.
iPodService.exe -> Don' thave an IPod
iTunesHelper.exe -> Don't use itunes ever.
aolsoftware.exe -> Don't use aol or any of there software.

And these are just the ones I noticed today. I could go on and on with all
the ones I already removed.

 

[DCR]

You can try Spybot Search and Destroy (free -- but not certain of it's
compatability with Vista) that has a neat Tool that lets you selectively
stop start up programs from various locations (Windows Registry, StartUp. etc.)



| Have any improvements been made to vista that relate to system startups? I
| think the biggest problem I have with windows is that almost every
| application you install trys to start a process when windows starts. Most
| of them takes hours of research to figure out how to remove permanently.
| Why can't windows have a boot option where none of this junk gets started?
|
| Here are some examples...
|
| ActiveSync Icon -> Haven't used my PDA in a year but can't figure how to
| stop this from staring without removing it.
| iPodService.exe -> Don' thave an IPod
| iTunesHelper.exe -> Don't use itunes ever.
| aolsoftware.exe -> Don't use aol or any of there software.
|
| And these are just the ones I noticed today. I could go on and on with all
| the ones I already removed.
|
|
|

 

[Jeff]

Bob,

Was this an upgrade?
bet it is;
cuz those services just don't come pre-installed.
Itunes hadta be on your machine at some point; to get the execute
same with aol, and ipod.

For your issue,
try msconfig>startup tab
Defender also has a gui to manage startup stuff.

Jeff

 

[Robert Moir]

Have any improvements been made to vista that relate to system
startups? I think the biggest problem I have with windows is that
almost every application you install trys to start a process when
windows starts. Most of them takes hours of research to figure out
how to remove permanently. Why can't windows have a boot option where
none of this junk gets started?
Here are some examples...

ActiveSync Icon -> Haven't used my PDA in a year but can't figure how
to stop this from staring without removing it.
iPodService.exe -> Don' thave an IPod
iTunesHelper.exe -> Don't use itunes ever.
aolsoftware.exe -> Don't use aol or any of there software.

And these are just the ones I noticed today. I could go on and on
with all the ones I already removed.

In all those cases, these are add-on tools, not part of the OS and if you
don't use them the easiest thing to do would be to not install them in the
first place. And perhaps the second easiest thing to do would be to
uninstall them from add/remove programs.

In general terms, Vista can't do anything about programs you choose to
install - it assumes you know what you want and that you understand the
consequences of instructing the OS to run a particular setup program.

 

[Bob]

I know they were installed either alone or in a bundle but just because I
have a media player installed to play certain music types does not mean I
want it to run all the time in the background.

It's not Microsoft's fault the developers of these applications are morons
but they are giving them a loaded gun by allowing them a way to hide how
their applications are being started.

I just want a central startup location where all applications must register
with and give me the ability to deny them. msconfig is a very poor attempt
of this because it does not show everything.

 

[Robert Moir]

I know they were installed either alone or in a bundle but just
because I have a media player installed to play certain music types
does not mean I want it to run all the time in the background.

Agreed - but it maybe that the designers of that media player feel it has to
run in the background in order to provide you with the features you want.

It's not Microsoft's fault the developers of these applications are
morons but they are giving them a loaded gun by allowing them a way
to hide how their applications are being started.

I just want a central startup location where all applications must
register with and give me the ability to deny them. msconfig is a
very poor attempt of this because it does not show everything.

Trouble with this approach is the designers, again. There already _is_ a
place where user-mode applications are supposed to start from on login and
there already _is_ a place where system-wide applications can run from, but
because the designers think their app is so important they feel they can
break the rules and use other methods to launch their app.

Don't get me wrong. Your point is valid - heck I agree with it - but it
assumes that application developers will always follow the rules. They don't
and they won't.

 

[Al Romanosky]

Consider "Software Explorer" included with Windows Explorer.

 

[Sparhawk]

did You try the msconfig?

I know they were installed either alone or in a bundle but just because I
have a media player installed to play certain music types does not mean I
want it to run all the time in the background.

It's not Microsoft's fault the developers of these applications are morons
but they are giving them a loaded gun by allowing them a way to hide how
their applications are being started.

I just want a central startup location where all applications must
register with and give me the ability to deny them. msconfig is a very
poor attempt of this because it does not show everything.