Is your computer running more slowly than it used to? It may be because you have enabled too many startup programs, that is, programs that launch automatically when you start your computer. These programs can bog down your system resources, and removing them can free up space. This article provides methods for users of Windows, Mac OS, and GNU/Linux. For Windows, it provides instructions for both manual and automated removal.
Steps
Microsoft Windows (Manual)
1.
Decide if manually disabling programs is right for you. Before you begin, consider whether you want to remove startup programs yourself or download a program to do it for you. Keep in mind that manual removal can cause damage to the functioning of your computer if you delete something that you shouldn’t. There are plenty of programs available online that can make the process easier and safer, and save you time. If you decide that this option is better for you, skip down to the next method (WinPatrol).
2.
Avoid disabling something critical to your system. Before you delete anything, open up a window or tab on your browser to http://www.pcreview.co.uk/startup. This site contains a database of startup programs, and it shows what can be disabled and what shouldn’t be.
3.
Open up the Run dialog box by:
Opening the start menu and clicking “Run” or
Pressing the Windows Key and “R” at the same time.
4.
Type in msconfig in the text box, and click “OK” or press “Enter.”
5.
Click on the “Startup” tab. This shows the different programs that start up when you turn on your computer.
6.
Get to work disabling the programs that you don’t want starting up automatically. For example, if you don’t want iTunes starting up automatically, just uncheck iTunes.exe. Remember to check the database mentioned in the first step before disabling.
7.
Click “OK” once you’ve finished disabling the automatic programs.
8.
Be aware that startup programs are also stored in a folder called “Startup”.Click on the start menu, go to “All Programs,” and select “Startup.” Chances are that there is nothing in there, but there could be some programs, so it’s worth checking.
If you don’t want any of those programs to start up, simply right-click the file(s) you don’t want and select “Delete.”
WinPatrol for Windows (Automated)
1.
Go to http://www.winpatrol.com and download WinPatrol. This is a small, free program that automatically checks the startup programs and lets you disable them.
2.
Install the program.
3.
If it’s not already open, follow this path: Start menu -> All Programs -> WinPatrol -> WinPatrol Explorer
4.
Stay on the startup tab. This is where you need to be.
5.
Recover anything you accidentally lose. *If you accidentally remove a startup program using WinPatrol, it can be restored via the History button on the WinPatrol Options tab.
Mac OS X
1. X
Go to your computer’s dock and access “System Preferences.”
2.
3.
Click the “Login Items” tab.
4.
Click the item you want to remove and click the minus button.
GNU/Linux
1.
Edit the scripts in /etc/init.d. This directory contains a number of start/stop scripts for various services on your computer system.
2.
Use rcconf if you want software help. This tool configures system services in connection with system runlevels. In other words, it will help you turn services on/off using the scripts in /etc/init.d.