- Disable items not in the Startup folder
Before you begin
To prevent a Windows program from running at start-up: Launch Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc keyboard shortcut). If Task Manager opens to the simple view, click “More details” at the bottom of. To view this list in XP, click StartRun, type msconfig, press Enter, and click the Startup tab. In Vista, open your Startup list by pressing the Windows key, typing msconfig, pressing Enter,. To disable startup programs, Right click on the program and click Disable or click on the program and at the bottom of the window, click on Disable. Both ways work well. I strongly suggest disabling any startup program with a high start-up impact because it has a very high effect on your startup speed.
Often, a program starts automatically because of a shortcut in the Startup
folder in the Start menu. The program may also run automatically from a registry entry. To remove programs from automatic startup, follow these instructions in order. After completing each set of steps, reboot your device to see if the problem is fixed. If necessary, you can then continue to the next set of instructions.
Remove a shortcut
To remove a shortcut from the Startup
folder:
- Press
Win-r
. In the 'Open:' field, type:Press
Enter
. - Right-click the program you don't want to open at startup and click Delete.
If a shortcut you want in the Startup
folder is pointing to the wrong program, correct it as follows:
- In the
Startup
folder, right-click the appropriate icon and select Properties. - Click the Shortcut tab. In the 'Target:' field, verify that the path statement points to the filename of the correct program. If it does not, enter the accurate path to the program.
Disable items not in the Startup folder
Some startup items have no shortcut in the Startup
folder. You can disable these with either the Startup tasks tool in Settings or the Task Manager. Otherwise, they are only accessible through the registry. If you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with registry editing, use these utilities.
Startup tasks
- In the Windows search box, type
startup tasks
, and press Enter. - The window that opens will contain a list of applications that may start when your device boots. To disable an app, toggle the switch to Off.
Task Manager
- Navigate to the Task Manager. For help navigating, see Get around in Windows.
- If necessary, click More details to see all of the tabs; select the Startup tab.
- Select the item not to launch at startup, and click Disable.
Remove a registry entry
To remove a startup entry from the registry:
- Press
Win-r
. In the 'Open:' field, typeregedit
and pressEnter
. - To save a backup copy of the registry, from the File menu, select Export....
- Make sure to note the file's destination; by default, it will be saved on the desktop.
- Give the file an obvious name, such as
registry
orregback
, so that you'll remember this file is your registry backup. - In the 'Export Range' field, make sure All is selected, and then click Save. This will make a backup of a working registry.
- To expand HKEY LOCAL MACHINE, click the + (plus sign) to the left.
- Expand the SOFTWARE tree. Then expand Microsoft, then Windows, and then CurrentVersion.
- Highlight the Run folder. On the right side of the screen, you will see programs that are set to run on startup that might not be included in the
Startup
folder. Some of these may be important programs, such as antivirus programs or firewalls. There also may be undesirable or unnecessary programs, such as spyware and advertisement software. You'll need to ascertain what is needed and what is not. - Highlight any program(s) you want to prevent from starting automatically, and then press the
Del
key. Remember that deleting programs here does not remove them from your computer; it only stops them from running automatically. - Changes to the registry are implemented immediately, so you do not need to save your changes. At this point, you may simply close the Registry Editor.
You need to Disable Startup Programs to increase your laptop or computer’s boot time. Disabling startup programs that are massive increases the amount of time your computer takes to boot from a total shutdown which is also known as a Cold Boot.
UPDATE 2020: This is the best method to disable startup programs in Windows 8, 8.1 and 10.
Some software after getting installed automatically start running in the background of your computer.
Some have the courtesy of telling you or giving you the option of choosing if the software should start up with your laptop or not while others after installation silently run in the background, using system resources and ultimately makes the computer slow.
It’s not like all programs or software running in the background are bad for the computer, No! The problem is when you install a bunch of programs you don’t use on a daily basis; there is no reason why you should allow that program to start up with your computer.
The simple principle of simplicity to keep the network fast and optimized.
The way to disable startup programs is located within the Windows Task Manager and for Windows 8, 8.1 and 10 users, it is easy to identify and run the Task Manager but if you are running Windows 7 – disabling startup programs is a bit tricky and technical and it can’t be disabled through the Task Manager.
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Table of Contents
- #3. Disable Startup Programs
How to Disable Startup Programs in Windows 10
This guide also works for Windows 8 & 8.1 because the Windows’ user interface is similar.
Opening Startup Programs 2020
#1. Locate & Run Task Manager
There are a total of 6 ways that I know of the locate and run the Task Manager tool.
- One of the ways of locating and running Task Manager is to Right-Click on the Taskbar and select Task Manager from the pop-up window
- Press Start key or Windows Key and search for “Task Manager.” Select Task Manager when it appears.
- Press the Keyboard Shortcut (Windows Key + X) to access the Power User Access
- Press Ctrl+R keyboard shortcut to start the RUN tool. Type “taskmgr” and press Enter.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc keyboard shortcut to instantly open the Task Manager tool.
- Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete keyboard shortcut and select Task Manager. This is the most popular method.
#2. Launching the Task Manager
Good, we just located the Task Manager. Let’s start it now. If this is your first time of using the Task Manager, it will open up in a small mini view. To view all the tabs and features of the Task Manager, Click on More details at the left bottom of the window.
The full Task Manager view opens, quickly click on the Startup tab to bring out the windows startup options.
#3. Disable Startup Programs
How To Launch Programs At Startup
We are in the most critical part of this guide; here you can see the list of all the startup programs, manufacturers, status and startup impact.
To disable startup programs, Right click on the program and click Disable or click on the program and at the bottom of the window, click on Disable. Both ways work well.
I strongly suggest disabling any startup program with a high start-up impact because it has a very high effect on your startup speed. Disabling them should be our priority.
PLEASE NOTE: Before you disable any program, make sure it’s not a system program that is compulsory for startup. I would give you a list of mandatory programs you shouldn’t disable.
Compulsory Startup Programs
These programs from my experience shouldn’t be disabled because they play an essential role in your computer. You need all module programs because they are intel programs, Realtek is for audio while the defender is your antivirus.
- Persistence Module
- Hkcmd Module
- IgfxTray Module
- Realtek Audio
- Windows Defender or your Antivirus programs
Reboot your computer for changes to take effect.