Tag Archives: startup

Autorun Angel Is A Cloud-Based Security Analyzer For Startup Items

by on
Leave a comment
My first hand experience tells me that Windows Task Manager is not the most efficient way to find out the integrity of currently running processes or applications that auto execute during Windows logon. Although it allows you to kill unresponsive applications or disable them entirely from running, you can never be so sure whether a process or service is malicious, or harmless to your system. This is where tools like Autorun Angel really shine. This nifty little app scans your computer for autorun entries against its own cloud database, and highlights only those services or autorun programs that seem dangerous to your system or may be the root cause of an ongoing problem. This can include all sorts of malware including spyware, adware, trojans, viruses et al. According to the developer, the scan engine is powered by NictaTech Antivirus Engine, which is the company’s native cloud engine for checking for viruses. Read More

How To Easily Disable The Startup Sound In OS X

by on
Leave a comment
OS X users can name a hundred features off the bat that they love about the operating system, but the startup chime isn't likely to be on that list. It’s hard to say just how many versions of OS X have gone by with consistent hate for its startup sound, but it remains a problem that many users try to solve. This isn't to say that the startup sound in Windows is very pleasant to hear but it can at least be quieted by muting your speakers or just plugging in a pair of head phones. OS X on the other hand is determined to audibly announce its successful startup, and methods for disabling it often fail or stop working when the OS receives an update. StartupSound.prefPane is a preference pane for Mac that silences your startup chime, and its two noteworthy features are that it gets the job done, and is absolutely free. Read More

Manage Windows Startup Entries & Get Notifications For New Ones With Startup Patrol

by on
Leave a comment
Windows startup management is very important, as the number of startup programs determine how long will it take for your computer to be ready for use after you boot it up. If there are a lot of applications and services scheduled to automatically start each time Windows boots, it is going to take a long time and can be quite annoying, specially when you are in a hurry to get something done. On many occasions, you don’t even need the applications that load at startup and they are there because they were automatically added during the installation of a software. You can edit the Windows Startup entries by either removing them from the Startup folder or by using the System Configuration utility, more commonly known as msconfig. While the native utility only lets you enable or disable entries, third-party applications provide more options. Startup Patrol is a Startup management tool for Windows that allows you to delete items from Windows Startup, as well as create new entries. Moreover, it monitors Windows Startup and whenever a program tries to add an item to it, a notification pops up to inform you about the addition, along with options to Allow, Disable or Delete the startup entry. More on Startup Patrol after the jump. Read More

How To Disable Windows 8 Lock Screen

by on
3
In the past, we covered a guide on Windows 8 Lock Screen and discussed some of its features. The newly added Lock Screen is basically designed for tablet PCs, allowing users to quickly view the applications notifications, battery status, date and time, WiFi status/dynamic network icon etc. Although Windows 8 lets you tweak both Start and Lock Screen UI elements, it doesn’t provide an option to permanently disable it. You may know that Microsoft Management Console snap-in called Local Group Policy Editor allows system administrator(s) to tweak system core components and change default behavior of native utilities. Using the LGPE, you can easily disable the Lock Screen for all PC users. By default, Windows 8 shows Lock Screen at startup, but when it’s disabled, it takes you directly to Logon screen to choose the user account to log in to Windows. Read More

Where Is The Startup Folder & How To Edit Startup Items In Windows 8

by on
23
Unlike previous versions of Windows, including Windows 7 and Windows Vista, Windows 8 comes with a revamped Metro Start Menu called Start Screen, which holds all the native and installed Metro apps, shortcuts to system utilities, desktop applications, PC Settings, Audio and Video players and more. Although Windows 8 Start Screen acts as central dashboard for all the most frequently used apps and visited system locations, it makes a bit difficult to search and launch Windows system programs and folders. Amongst Windows 8 User Profile folders, Windows Startup Folder is one which can’t be opened using the Start Screen search, and therefore, you need to manually navigate to Windows Startup folder to add, edit and delete the Windows Startup items. Unlike Windows 7 where one can easily open Startup folder from All Programs link (accessible from Start Menu), Windows 8 users need to manually pin Startup folder either at taskbar or Start Screen in order to gain quick access to items that launch with Windows logon. In this post, we will help you find the Windows 8 Startup folder, so you can easily add and edit the Windows 8 startup items. Read More

Firefox Preloader Adds Switch To Preload Firefox At Windows Startup

by on
Leave a comment
Whether you like Internet Explorer or not, it has one advantage over Firefox and Chrome; being bundled with Windows, it gets to do all kinds of crazy stuff like be the default web browser and preload when Windows starts. While Chrome and Firefox browsers are great at what they do, they do tend to take time starting up and there isn’t much you can do about it. Firefox Preloader is a Firefox extension that lets you add a switch to Firefox allowing the browser to load at start up so that when you launch it, it starts faster. Read More

StartupPanel: Manage Windows Startup Folder, Registry, Services

by on
Leave a comment
Some applications that start with Windows Startup reside in the Startup Folder, while most of them reside in the registry. To access the startup folder you need to first find it from the All Programs menu inside the Start menu. To access the Startup Registry keys you need to head over to the Startup tab inside the System Configuration Window. Accessing Windows Services is another story of it’s own. Read More

Security AutoRun: Windows Startup Manager

by on
3
How would you know if a suspicious program or service is running during Windows startup? Using Msconfig would be a nice start but it won’t show you the complete details behind every application. Recently I have noticed that many spyware apps will start during Windows startup but will stay hidden from Msconfig window, i.e, they will not be listed in the Msconfig window’s Startup tab. Read More

View Detailed Information Of Windows 7 Startup Programs

by on
1
Startup Discoverer is a lightweight portable app that quickly shows full information about Windows startup programs. This brings one important question, doesn’t System Configuration startup tab gives information on the startup programs. Yes, it does, but this app takes it one step further ahead. Read More

Disable Programs From Windows 7 & Vista Startup

by on
3
You know what is frustrating? When an app will add itself to the Windows startup list without even asking the user. To remove it, one has to follow the procedures given here or use MSConfig Cleanup Utility to permanently disable application's startup behavior. Disable Startup is a free tool for Windows that prevents any programs from adding itself to the startup list. When a program tries to add itself to the list, it will show you a warning message. If you don’t want to see the warning message, you can change the options from its configuration console. Read More

Remove Junk Windows Startup Entries With MSConfig CleanUp Utility

by on
4

Remember the awesome guide we wrote back last year explaining an easy way to manage your startup programs, thus improving system performance. Well here is the problem, once you disable a startup program it will remain there forever in the list. To remove the clutter from the registry and to remove the useless program from the list of startup programs once and for all, someone has finally come forward with a solution.

Read More

How To Install And Use Ubuntu StartUp Manager

by on
11
Almost all operating systems offer facility to customize and secure the system start up process. Ubuntu has it's own "Startup Manager" but is not installed by default. It can be used for managing the settings of your Ubuntu boot screen and boot loaders. Startup manager can also be used to change the splash screen you see at boot up when you are asked for a login and password. Apart from it, it can be used to password protect your boot loaders, customize your desktop appearance, and secure your system boot process. Read More

Stop An Application From Running Automatically At Startup In Windows 7 / Vista

by on
9
We covered a way to manage startup programs easily so that it  can increase system performance here almost 2 weeks back. Today we will explain another method to stop startup programs through Windows Defender that is installed by default in Windows Vista. If your computer seems to be starting up slow, it is most likely because of startup programs. These are programs, often unnecessary, that boot up automatically when the computer does. New computers are notorious for having this problems as vendors reduce the price of their computers by making deals with software providers to preinstall their programs. These programs are often worthless, and are usually trials and not even the full program and such programs are normally referred to as bloatware. This said, below is an outline of ways to remove these unnecessary start up programs from starting up automatically. This method also works in Windows XP. Read More

How To Manage Your Startup Programs Easily, An Easy Way To Increase System Performance

by on
15

The best way to start your computer faster and improve the overall system performance is to reduce the number of programs that load when Windows start. Reducing the number of startup programs can help you in loading the Windows faster, saving RAM, and faster loading performance. Many people will be familiar with the way that requires installing and running Windows Defender, going to Tools > Software Explorer and from category selecting Startup Programs. This method works for many people but is not very effective.

Read More