Improve Your PC Speed - Step 2
Stop Un-needed Programs From Running at Startup
One of the biggest problems that most users don’t even realize they have is they are running too many programs when their computer starts up. This is not their fault, many times the tools they use on a regular basis will add programs to the startup sequence without ever asking the user. These programs pile up and eventually cause the computer to begin crawling along, barely able to perform the simplest of tasks. Fortunately, there is a simple way of fixing this:
- Click Start, then Run.
- On the window that opens, type “msconfig” without the quotes, click OK.
- The System Configuration Utility will open, click on the ‘Startup’ tab along the top - DO NOT change anything on any of the other tabs.
- On the Startup tab you will find a list of applications that run at startup along with check-boxes along the left hand side
- DO NOT start un-checking everything on this list. There are programs on the list that Windows requires to run correctly, such as Explorer.
- You can uncheck anything that has a location of “Startup”, which is the user defines startup folder. You can also remove anything with a name that you recognize as a program that was previously uninstalled or something that you don’t need to run when your computer starts. Common suggestions are qttask, iTunesHelper, jusched, and anything with the word “tray” in it. You may also want to refer to the list of windows application names and what they mean, along with Paul Collin’ Startup Application List located at http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php
- When you are finished unchecking the programs that you do not want to run at startup, click OK. You may be prompted to restart your computer ” select ‘No’ or ‘Restart Later.’ **
**Please note that if you have made any changes to the startup configuration, you will be notified of these changes when you do finally restart your computer. You will also be given the option to run the system configuration utility again - you should decline when you are given the option.
To keep these or any other programs from placing themselves in the startup folder without you knowing, it is recommended that you download the Ace Utilities Startup Guard Program. It is a free tool which you can download at http://www.acelogix.com/freeware.html. The program will warn you whenever an application tries to setup something to run when your computer starts.
Photo Credit: http://static.howstuffworks.com
When in doubt, contact an expert - we can help you get your computer up and running quickly in the comfort of your own home. To schedule an appointment, call 1-888-201-4131 or email info@verticalpenguin.com and someone will contact you about your request. To get the full guide and sign up for automatic maintenance reminders go to http://verticalpenguin.com/pc-speed-reminder.html
