by Joe Roberts

Created on: May 07, 2008

For various reasons, most programs these days are designed to load at least some of their files up in the background when Windows boots up. This might be so that when you go to use their program, it won't take as long to load up, or perhaps the creators of the software deem it necessary for the program to be running all the time. This is appropriate for antivirus software, but not so much for the increasingly bloated Adobe Acrobat Reader (how often do you look at PDF's?) or a floating window of buttons for printer programs that have icons on your desktop anyway. Most programs these days offer you the option of loading the program at boot when you install it, but others are not quite as scrupulous. As more programs decide to add themselves, your computer takes longer and longer to finish loading Windows when you turn your computer on as they all compete for your computer's limited resources at the same time. Fortunately, there are ways to take back control.

The first place to check is the "Startup" directory under "All Programs" in your Start Menu. Any shortcut placed in this folder will launch the relevant files when Windows starts. Few programs use this transparent and honest method, but some do so it is always worth checking whether there is anything there and how important it might be. Removing a program is as simple as right-clicking on it and selecting "Delete". It will only be a shortcut, so you won't be deleting anything from the actual program. To err on the side of caution, you might want to consider instead dragging the shortcut somewhere else and then rebooting your computer to make sure the relevant program still functions correctly without its preloaded files. If problems occur you can simply drag the shortcut back.

Many programs that load themselves on startup can be identified in the at the far right-hand side of your taskbar. Common offenders are Windows Messenger and Quicktime. Some programs such as these will offer a means to disable them from appearing here. For example, in the bundled Windows Messenger, go to Tools, Options, Preferences and deselect "Run Windows Messenger when Windows starts". As for Quicktime, right-click on it and select "Quicktime Preferences". Select the "Advanced" tab and then deselect "Install Quicktime icon in system tray". Looking for keywords such as "options" and "preferences" with other programs can help you find similar options.

These solutions should have at least a mild effect on a heavily affected computer, but

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