I get all manner of emails in my weekly mailbag, but one of the most common is about repairing a corrupt startup. I have a video on YouTube explaining how to use the Startup Repair features in Windows 7 (this will also apply to Windows Vista and Windows Server 2003 and 2008) but what happens if [...]

Categories: Advice

If you look for a program to manage startup applications in Windows you end up with dozens effortlessly. They all allow the user to manage startup items, but similarities end there. Some applications display all startup applications and files while others limit the display to the most common locations. Some startup managers may be to [...]

Categories: Software, Windows

One of the most effective ways of speeding up the system start of the Windows operating system is to disable autostart entries that are not needed during or immediately after the operating system launch. But that is obviously only an option if the programs are not needed. There are however programs that are required shortly [...]

Categories: Software, Windows

Nothing beats Autoruns when it comes to making a thorough analysis of the startup programs and files that are loaded during Windows startup. But Autoruns can be intimidating to some users because of its functionality and features. What In Startup is a portable Windows startup manager that has been created by Nirsoft. The software program [...]

Categories: Software, Windows

Autoruns is for many experienced computer users the only software program worth mentioning when it comes to managing Windows startup settings. Inexperienced users on the other hand are often overwhelmed by the sheer functionality of the startup software and prefer software programs that display less information and concentrate on the core: listing Windows startup programs. [...]

Categories: Software, Windows

Ever felt the need to start an application during Windows startup every now and then but not all of the time ? Maybe you want to quickly start and play the new game that you recently installed, or just browse through your emails as quickly as possible without having to go the extra mile and start the application manually.

Categories: Operating Systems, Software, Windows

Every software that is starting during system startup is delaying the system boot process. You might not notice an increase if the software is small but there are applications like those from Norton for instance that can delay it by more than a minute. It is therefor always a good idea to check which softwares are starting during Windows startup and get rid of any that are not necessary.

Categories: Operating Systems, Software, Tools, Windows

You might have noticed a process with the name ctfmon.exe when opening the task manager wondering what it was doing and if it was malicious or harmful in any way. A quick search on the web revealed that it is a Windows process for advanced text services. You furthermore might have noticed that this process activates itself again even if you use msconfig to disable it from starting with Windows.

Categories: Operating Systems, Windows

Startup Control Panel and Startup Monitor are actually two programs not just one. The first, Startup Control Panel, is a 59K freeware that scans various paths and registry entries for programs that are run at startup. This is great if you need a quick basic overview, if you need an in depth overview try autoruns from sysinternals. Startup Control Panel lists three registry entries and two paths, those are the locations where most programs are autostarted.

Categories: Tools