How to Change Startup Programs inWindows 7

Adding or Removing Files from the Startup Folder Changing Existing Startup Items viaMSConfig Using Other Methods to Change Startup Items Using Programs and Databases to IdentifyStartup Items

Edited by Steven, Louisa, Teresa, Maluniu and 4 others

Startup programs are saved in a special folder on the hard drive, and run automatically when

Windows boots up. In Windows 7, startup program settings are similar to those of previous

versions of Windows. Here’s how to add or disable startup programs.

1 Open the Startup folder in Windows’ start menu. Click the Windows "Start"

button and select "All Programs." Scroll down the list to find the startup folder.

Right-click the "Startup" folder in the menu and select "Open All Users" to open

the folder for all users on the computer.

Choose "Explore" to open the folder for the currently logged-in user only.

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Method 1 of 4: Adding or Removing Files from the Startup Folder

2 Create a shortcut to the program or file you want to run at startup. Right-click

on the file or program’s icon, and select “create shortcut.”

The shortcut will be created in the same folder as the original program.

Startup items can be either programs or other files. For example, you can set a

word processing document to open upon startup.

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3 Drag, or cut and paste the shortcut icon into the Startup Folder. The program

will now open the next time you start the computer.[1]

To cut and paste: Right-click on the shortcut item in the original folder and

select “cut” from the menu. Then, in the Startup folder, right click on any white

space in the window and select “paste.

Or, highlight the shortcut icon and hold down ctrl+x. Then, with the startup

folder active, press ctrl+v.

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Click the Windows "Start" button and type "msconfig" in the search text

box.Click on MSConfig in the search results.This opens the System Configuration

console.

Click the "Startup" tab. This gives you a view of the programs installed as

startup options on your computer.

Note that not all startup items will be shown.

Method 2 of 4: Changing Existing Startup Items via MSConfig

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You are not given the option to add startup items to the list inside MSconfig.

To add items not on the MSconfig list, use the Startup Folder method.

Check boxes of the applications you want to start when you boot the

computer. For programs you no longer want to start, clear the check box.

Click "Apply." This will change the changes you made to startup items.

5 Reboot the computer to finalize changes to startup items. A popup window

will ask if you want to reboot the computer. Click "Restart" to reboot the computer

and save the changes.

If you do not restart your computer, your startup programs will revert to their

original settings.

When you have deselected an item in MSConfig, you will be starting

in”Selective startup” mode. This can be viewed under the “general” tab in

MSconfig.

If you subsequently decide to choose Normal Startup", all disabled items will

be re-enabled.[2]

1 Change the settings of the program itself to manage its startup options.This

differs from program to program, and requires you to search for the startup setting

by looking through menus such as “options,” “preferences,” “settings,” or “tools,” system

tray icons, and so forth.

To find out how to change a particular program’s startup settings, look at the

program’s “help” offerings, or do an internet search.

For example, Skype, an internet telephony/chat program, can be disabled via

Tools → Options → General Settings → deselect "Start Skype when I start

Windows".

As another example, Dropbox, a file sharing and storage program, can be

disabled by right-clicking the system tray icon (the icon in the windows toolbar

near the clock), clicking the gear-shaped icon, then selecting “Preferences…”

Method 3 of 4: Using Other Methods to Change Startup Items

2 Use your computer’s registry to delete startup items. Startup items can be

deleted manually though your computer’s “regedit” program.

See an overview of this process here.

Editing your computer’s registry should only be done as a last resort and only if

you know exactly what you are doing.[3]

1 Avoid deleting files and programs indiscriminately. Deleting startup programs

without knowing what they are can lead to certain applications not functioning

properly.

Before making changes that you are unsure of, use System Restore to create a

“restore point” that you can revert to if something goes wrong.[4]

Many startup items have names that are somewhat descriptive, but others are

obscure abbreviations, and have functions that are difficult to identify.

Method 4 of 4: Using Programs and Databases to Identify Startup

Items

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Use an online list of programs and processes, or an internet search to

identify what each thing does.

This may require some time, as it requires you to search for each file or process

individually.

Some helpful lists include:[5]

Process Library: winner of PCMAG’s Top 100 Classic Websites,

195k+ entries.

Pacman’s Portal: an online startup program database containing more

than 35K entries

Use a program to automatically clean up startup items. There are many free,

popular programs that can cleanup startup items for you, including items in the

system registry.

These programs often contain databases that are updated to include frequently

occurring unnecessary items, as well as other tools to improve your computer’s

performance.[6][7]

As always, do ample research to find reputable programs to avoid damaging

your computer.

Some popular programs include:

ccleaner

Virtuoza In Control

Should I remove it?

Couldn't load plug-in.

1. ↑ http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1401-startup-programs-change.html

2. ↑ http://www.howtogeek.com/74523/

3. ↑ http://oreilly.com/lpt/a/6695

Video

References

4. ↑ http://oreilly.com/lpt/a/6695

5. ↑ http://oreilly.com/lpt/a/6695

6. ↑ http://www.pcworld.com/article/2046634/learn-which-startup-programs-are-safe-to-

remove.html

7. ↑ http://www.howtogeek.com/74523/