Many programs are set to start with Windows when you install them, and usually without your permission. Skype, CCleaner, and uTorrent are some of the popular examples. However, not always you may need services of such programs as soon as Windows starts. These programs will slow down boot time, open in your face as soon as your desktop shows up and force you to close them every time you restart the PC.

How to Stop Programs from Running at Startup on Windows 7 Method 1: Deleting the program’s shortcut from the Startup folder. Method 2: Disable the startup item in System Configuration. Method 3: Prevent the offending program from launching at startup using the Registry. Unlike Windows XP, Windows 7 makes the startup folder for all users of the computer a hidden system folder. Rather than go through the trouble of locating and un-hiding the startup folder, use the tricks in this article to add any program to the startup menu for the current user or all users of a Windows 7 computer. Disable Startup Programs in Windows 7, Vista, and XP. In older versions of Windows, system configuration windows is the best place to locate and disable startup items. To access system configuration, press Windows+R keys and type “msconfig” in the “Run” dialog. System configuration will open up when you will press the Enter key. System Configuration Utility (Windows 7) Press Win -r. In the 'Open:' field, type msconfig and press Enter. Click the Startup tab. Uncheck the items you do not want to launch on startup. When you have finished making your selections, click OK. In the box that appears, click Restart to restart. System Configuration Utility (Windows 7) Press Win -r. In the 'Open:' field, type msconfig and press Enter. Click the Startup tab. Uncheck the items you do not want to launch on startup. When you have finished making your selections, click OK. In the box that appears, click Restart to restart.

In Windows 7, the Start menu wasn’t changed dramatically from previous versions, as Microsoft had instead added program launching capabilities in the taskbar. Windows 8, of course, was a big change. Sep 27, 2016  How to Change startup programs Windows 7, 8 Windows 10 Click the Startup tab on the System Configuration main window. A list of all the startup programs displays with a check box next to each one. To prevent a program from starting up with Windows, select the check box next to the desired program so there is NO check mark in the box.

So yes, unnecessary startup programs are really bad for your overall Windows experience. Fortunately, you can easily disable Startup programs in Windows using different methods and in this post, we will show each one of them.

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1. Disable Startup Programs in Windows 7, Vista, and XP

In older versions of Windows, system configuration windows is the best place to locate and disable startup items. To access system configuration, press Windows+R keys and type “msconfig” in the “Run” dialog.

/microsoft-windows-xp-download-service-pack-2.html. Mar 13, 2007  Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2) is a cumulative service pack that includes the latest updates and provides enhancements to security and stability.In addition, it adds new features and updates to existing Windows Server 2003 features and utilities.This service pack is available for Windows XP Professional, x64 Edition.SP2 can be installed directly on the following. Jun 21, 2010  Windows XP Service Pack 2 is a commercial trial software app filed under components and made available by Microsoft for Windows. The review for Windows XP Service Pack 2 has not been completed yet, but it was tested by an editor here on a PC. Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2) is a cumulative service pack that includes the latest updates and provides enhancements to security and stability. This service pack is available for Windows XP Professional, x64 Edition.

System configuration will open up when you will press the Enter key. Here move to the “Startup” tab and you will see all your startup items listed. Simply uncheck the checkbox next to all the startup programs that you don’t want to start with Windows. After that, click on “OK” to apply the settings. Now all the startup programs that you unchecked will not start with Windows.

2. Disable Startup Programs in Windows 8, 8.1 and 10

In the newer versions of Windows, the startup programs manager has been moved to the task manager. To open the task manager, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys.

In the Task Manager, move to the “Startup” tab and you will see all the programs that can be set to launch at Windows startup. Programs that are set to open at startup will have a status of “Enabled”. Right-click on those programs and select “Disable” to disable them.

3. Disable Startup Programs From Windows Registry

Above are the easiest ways to disable startup programs in Windows, but if you are looking for other options with different use cases; here are some.

Similar to the other things, startup items also create an entry in Windows registry. You can remove this entry to stop that program from starting at startup.

Startup Tasks Windows 7

Warning: Before making any tweaks in the Windows Registry, make sure you create a backup of it. Any wrong tweak in the Registry could lead to corrupting Windows.

Press Windows+R keys to open Run dialog and enter “regedit” to launch Windows registry. Here you will find startup items in the below-mentioned locations:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun

Windows

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun

Move to these locations and look for the program that keeps starting up with Windows. Once found, double click on it and remove all the text written in its “Value data” section. You can also delete the entry to stop that program from starting up.

Windows 7 Startup Programs Manager

Why It’s Useful: Disabling startup programs from Windows Registry is a good option for programs that keep enabling themselves to start with Windows every time you use them, such as CCleaner. This will disable their entry in the Registry and stop them from adding it again automatically in the future.

4. Use a Third-party App to Disable Startup Programs

There are many third-party apps available that will let you manage startup programs. Ironically, CCleaner is one of the best tools to disable startup items with just a click of a button. Download and install CCleaner and run the program.

Move to the “Tools” section on the left-hand side and then click on “Startup”. You should see all of the startup programs here. Simply select any of the programs you would like to disable and select “Disable” on the right side to disable it.

Why It’s Useful: A third-party program like CCleaner loads all types of startup programs, both from the registry and Windows startup folder. The built-in Windows startup manager may skip on some of the programs.

5. Disable Startup Programs from Windows Startup Folder

This is not one of the best ways to disable startup programs, but it is definitely the quickest and sometimes necessary. Programs added in the Windows startup folder are automatically set to launch when Windows start. Although many programs create a registry entry instead of adding their shortcut in Windows startup folder, but there are still programs that add a shortcut in the startup folder.

Startup Programs Windows 10

Furthermore, if you have manually added a program or script in the startup folder to make it start with Windows, then you will have to disable it from here instead of the built-in Startup manager.

To open the Windows startup folder, press Windows+R keys and type “shell:startup” in the Run dialog. This command will open the startup folder with all the startup programs/files listed. Simply delete the shortcut of the program to stop it from starting up with Windows.

Why It’s Useful: As pointed above, some programs do make an entry in the startup folder; you can quickly disable them from here. Additionally, manually added programs will also need to be handled from here.

Wrapping Up

If you are looking to speed up boot time and stop programs from eating your PC’s precious resources, then you should disable unnecessary startup programs. However do keep in mind that disabling all of the startup programs isn’t necessary, some programs are helpful (and sometimes compulsory) when starting up with Windows. For example, your antivirus program must start with Windows to ensure you are always protected or may be you can enable a program like Skype if you use it heavily.

Necessary Startup Programs Windows 7

Also Read:5 Ways To Monitor Broadband Usage in Windows