How to Reduce the Number of Programs Loading at Startup

It's a best practice for some programs, such as anti-virus or alarm software, to start every time Windows starts. It's also convenient to automatically start commonly used programs, such as a word processor, every time the computer starts up. As the number of programs loading at startup increases, turning on or restarting your computer can become a lengthy ordeal. You can reduce loading time by cutting back on the number of startup programs.

Instructions

1. Click the "Start" button.

2. Choose "All Programs."

3. Choose the "Startup" folder. All programs in this folder automatically start when Windows starts.

4. Right-click on the shortcut of the program you want to remove. Repeat for all the programs you want to stop from loading automatically on startup.

5. Open any programs that did not have a shortcut in the "Startup" folder, but that you believe are set to start automatically. Look in the preferences and/or options menu for an option such as "Start this program when Windows starts." Deselect this option and save your changes.

References

• Microsoft Windows: Run a Program Automatically When Windows Starts