There are many reasons you may choose to disable an application from auto-launching when the system starts up. Not the least of the reasons is the fact that any application that is running will take system resources. Many programs that may be loading at startup don't need to, either, so the loss of system resources is needless.

Many software manufacturers are so focused on the software they create that they design it purposely to run every time the computer is turned on. This isn't done maliciously, but with the idea that this will mean that less time will be spent in launching the application, should it be needed, if the program is already running. The problem is that lowering system resources slows down the over-all performance of the computer, so this practice can have the opposite effect from what the programmers actually intended.

Thankfully, Vista was designed in a way that simplifies the procedure of disabling or enabling programs that would otherwise load at startup. It can be done in a number of ways, just as with virtually any version of Windows, however two tools make it simple for the novice user as well as for the advanced user.

It should be explained that there are two 'groups' that load or run on the computer: Programs and services. There can be some overlap, but these are not the same thing. Examples of programs are Microsoft Word and WordPad, while examples of services are DHCP Client and DNS client (both needed for use of the browser). While the differences between the two can be a little hazy for the average computer user, the important thing to remember is that they aren't the same thing.

That point made, to control what auto-loads on startup, first make sure you are logged in with Administrative Rights. Next, click the Start button and type MSConfig, then click the Enter key on the keyboard. This launches the Microsoft Configuration Editor.

This editor may be familiar to XP users, however it is set up a little differently in Vista. There are five tabs: General, Boot, Services, Startup, and Tools. It is worthwhile to take a look at all of these, however the ones we are concerned with are Services and Startup. When you click these tabs, you will see a list of services and programs that are set to auto load at startup. Each has a check box in front of it, and un-checking the box will prevent the application from auto loading.

A word of caution is in order, however. Many services and programs need to be running for the proper

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