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Easiest Way to Speed Up Your Computer - Startup Applications
By Josh H. Burton

Have you noticed that your computer slows down over time? Longer start up times and generally slower performance? In this tutorial I'm going to show you how you can speed up a Windows PC by disabling some of the startup apps. This tutorial is only for people using Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7.

Why the computer slows down over time

When you get a fresh installation of Windows there are no applications running in the background and the computer is nice and fast. As you install new applications, some of them automatically add themselves to Window's startup list. From then on, whenever Windows starts so do those applications; they increase the time it takes for Windows to load and they run in the background consuming resources. That is one of the main reasons that a Windows PC gets much slower over time.

Startup applications - what they are and what they do

Startup apps are applications that start when Windows starts. Usually they're used to (1) start the application automatically every time so that you don't have to do it manually (2) check for updates and notify you.

Here are some examples of what can be found in the average user's startup list:

Startup App: Adobe Acrobat

What it does: Pre-loads Adobe Acrobat resources so that pdf files are loaded faster.

Do you need it? Unless you plan to read a pdf every single time you use your computer, it's better to load the resources on demand so that it doesn't consume resources needlessly.

What happens if I disable it? Nothing. Whenever you try to open a pdf file, Acrobat Reader will automatically load those resources for you. The only penalty is the extra second or so it takes the first time you open a pdf file.

Startup App: Java Scheduler

What it does: Periodically checks for Java updates and notifies you (about once a month).

Do you need it? It's more of a personal preference. Some software should be kept up to date for security reasons, like your operating system and your browser. Java doesn't have to be. I prefer to update it manually when the version I have starts causing problems.

What happens if I disable it? Java will no longer automatically update on your computer. But at the same time you get rid of a resource wasting process.

Startup App: Google Toolbar Notifier

What it does: Makes sure that Google is your default search engine - in case one of the other apps you try to install wants to change it.

Do you need it? No. You'll know that Google is not your default search engine if it gets changed - and that's if you even care or use a default search engine.

What happens if I disable it? Nothing.

Many applications that you install add themselves into the startup list - it's pretty common to see upwards of 20 apps in there.

The problem

Every developer thinks that their application is the most important application in the world and has to be running all the time. But in reality it's up to you, the user, to decide what you want to start automatically and what you'd rather start manually. For example, MSN messenger loves to start every time the computer starts. But what if I installed it for a chat that I have once a month with someone that likes MSN chat? Now I have to deal with MSN messenger every time my computer starts? Every time Windows starts it logs me in; now instead of having to manually start an app, I have to manually kill an app.

What about automatic updates? I don't know about you, but I don't want to know that application XYZ - that I use once a month - has a newer version available, every time I start my computer.

I've seen computers that were so loaded with junk that it took 3 minutes just to get in to Windows. And then their computer was just constantly swapping applications in and out of memory. Too many running applications can make your computer unusable.

Which applications need to be in the startup list?

Most applications don't need to be in the startup list, but there are some that do. Some anti-virus and firewall apps have to be in the startup list. Some backup applications that run every time Windows starts also have to be in the startup list.

Don't be afraid to disable/enable items in the startup list. If you accidentally disable something that you actually need you can always go back and enable it. On most computers that I worked on, I would disable all the startup items, and if I saw that something wasn't working I would turn it back on.

If you are worried and want to make sure that you can turn something off, check the exe that runs at one of these sites:

rel=nofollow [http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php?filter=mssysmgr]http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php

rel=nofollow http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/

They'll tell you what that exe is and if it can be safely disabled.

Disabling startup applications

Windows XP

Go to Start->Run
Type in msconfig and press OK
Go to the startup ta
Go through the startup items and un-check the ones you don't want to start up. Expand the Command column to see the full command and the actual exe that runs.
Click OK when you are done
Restart your computer
When your computer starts you'll get a "System Configuration Utility" popup. Check the "Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows start" checkbox and press OK.

Windows Vista/7

Go to Start
Type in msconfig into the search box and press Enter
Go to the startup tab
Go through the startup items and un-check the ones you don't want to start up. Expand the Command column to see the full command and the actual exe that runs.
Click OK when you are done
Restart your computer
When your computer starts you'll get a "System Configuration Utility" popup. Check the "Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows start" checkbox and press OK.

Conclusion

This procedure should speed up your computer significantly. As you keep adding more apps to your computer, the startup list will keep growing, and you will have to periodically perform this procedure to keep the startup clutter to a minimum.

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