When you’re running Windows 7, this operating system automatically runs certain programs every time you start up your computer. The operating system had been designed to run these programs based on the most common user habits. Changing, adding or disabling startup programs can be done a few different ways, most of which are similar to previous versions of Windows.
<strong>Remove or Add Files to the Startup Menu</strong>
Navigate to the Windows start menu and locate the “All Programs” folder. Then find and right-click the “Startup” folder before selecting “Open All Users.” Select and open the folder for only the current user, and then click “Expand.” To create a new startup item, right-click the program and select “Create Shortcut.” Finally drag the shortcut to your startup folder to tell Windows 7 to open it automatically the next time you boot up your computer.
<strong>Use the Configuration Tool to Change Startup Items</strong>
To use the system configuration console to change your startup programs, first click the “Start” button and type “msconfig” in the search box. Your system configuration window will open, and from there you can use the “Startup” tab to view all the items you currently have to open automatically. To delete the startup settings for any listed file or folder, simply uncheck the box next to it before closing out the system configuration window. Then click “Apply,” and you’ll then need to restart your machine for the changes to take effect.
<strong>Using the Registry to Change Startup Items</strong><strong></strong>
If the previous two methods don’t work for changing certain startup programs, you usually need to access the registry to remove these settings. Open your Windows start menu and type “regedit” into the search box. Locate the file or folder you want to change upon startup, and the registry window will prompt you for which changes you want to make to this item. Please note that this method is only recommended if you have prior experience making registry changes in Windows.
Before you make changes to Windows 7 startup items, make sure none of these program files are required to startup automatically to make your system function properly. To avoid unneeded problems, first use the “System Restore” tool to create a restore point just in case anything goes wrong.