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NOTE: You can add or remove shortcuts to programs or files from the Startup folder to have them run or open at the startup of Windows 7. Right click on the exe file of the program you want to run at startup, or file to open at startup, and click on Create Shortcut. Often, in Windows 7 startup a program start’s automatically because there is a shortcut of that program inside Window’s Startup folder. If you wan’t to remove startup programs in windows 7, you need to delete the shortcut of that particular program from startup folder.
- Disable items not in the Startup folder
Before you begin
To change startup programs in Windows 7, you may need to access the startup folder, change MSConfig settings, access individual program settings, or delete programs through your computer's regedit program. Windows 7 Tips and Tricks. Aside from disabling startup programs, there are few other things you can do to make your PC run smoother. Here are the hacks: Right-click on your desktop, click Personalize, then change the theme to Windows 7 Basic. Open the Start menu, select Computer, right-click on it, and choose Properties.
Often, a program starts automatically in Windows because of a shortcut in the
Startup
folder in the Start menu. The program may also run automatically from a registry entry. To remove programs from automatic startup, follow these instructions in order. After completing each set of steps, reboot your computer to see if the problem is fixed. If necessary, you can then continue to the next set of instructions. Remove a shortcut
Basic Startup Programs On Windows 7
In all Windows operating systems, the shortcut will remain in the Recycle Bin until you empty it.
To remove a shortcut from the
Startup
folder:Windows 10 and 8.x
- Press
Win-r
. In the 'Open:' field, type:PressEnter
. - Right-click the program you don't want to open at startup and click Delete.
Windows 7
- From the Start menu, click All Programs, and then click Startup.
- Right-click the program you don't want to open at startup and click Delete.
Correct a shortcut path
If a shortcut you want in the
Startup
folder is pointing to the wrong program, correct it as follows: - In the
Startup
folder, right-click the appropriate icon and select Properties. - Click the Shortcut tab. In the 'Target:' field, verify that the path statement points to the filename of the correct program. If it does not, enter the accurate path to the program.
View Startup Programs On Windows 7
Disable items not in the Startup folder
Some startup items have no shortcut in the
Startup
folder. You can disable these with either the Startup tasks tool in Settings or the Task Manager in Windows 10 and 8.x, or the System Configuration Utility (msconfig.exe
) in Windows 7. Otherwise, they are only accessible through the registry. If you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with registry editing, use these utilities.Startup tasks
- In the Windows search box, type
startup tasks
, and press Enter. - The window that opens will contain a list of applications that may start when Windows boots. To disable an app, toggle the switch to Off.
Task Manager (Windows 10 and 8.x)
- Navigate to the Task Manager. For help navigating, see Get around in Windows.
- If necessary, click More details to see all of the tabs; select the Startup tab.
- Select the item not to launch at startup, and click Disable.
System Configuration Utility (Windows 7)
- Press
Win-r
. In the 'Open:' field, typemsconfig
and pressEnter
. - Click the Startup tab.
- Uncheck the items you do not want to launch on startup. It may take some time to identify which items to check and which to uncheck. Some items will be easy to identify (for example, Microsoft Office), some may be slightly confusing (for example, realsched), and some will be cryptic (such as 000StTHK or QFSSCHD110). If you cannot determine what an entry is (and therefore whether you should uncheck it or not), you may want to use a search engine to research the individual entry. Keep in mind there are some entries that you should avoid unchecking (for example, virus scanners).
- When you have finished making your selections, click OK.
- In the box that appears, click Restart to restart your computer.
Remove a registry entry
This contains instructions for editing the registry. If youmake any error while editing the registry, you can potentially causeWindows to fail or be unable to boot, requiring you to reinstallWindows. Edit the registry at your own risk. Always back up theregistry before making any changes. If you do not feel comfortableediting the registry, do not attempt these instructions. Instead, seekthe help of a computing support provider.
To remove a startup entry from the registry:
- Press
Win-r
. In the 'Open:' field, typeregedit
and pressEnter
. - To save a backup copy of the registry, from the File menu, select Export....
- Make sure to note the file's destination; by default, it will be saved on the desktop.
- Give the file an obvious name, such as
registry
orregback
, so that you'll remember this file is your registry backup. - In the 'Export Range' field, make sure All is selected, and then click Save. This will make a backup of a working registry.
- To expand HKEY LOCAL MACHINE, click the + (plus sign) to the left.
- Expand the SOFTWARE tree. Then expand Microsoft, then Windows, and then CurrentVersion.
- Highlight the Run folder. On the right side of the screen, you will see programs that are set to run on startup that might not be included in the
Startup
folder. Some of these may be important programs, such as antivirus programs or firewalls. There also may be undesirable or unnecessary programs, such as spyware and advertisement software. You'll need to ascertain what is needed and what is not. - Highlight any program(s) you want to prevent from starting automatically, and then press the
Del
key. Remember that deleting programs here does not remove them from your computer; it only stops them from running automatically. - Changes to the registry are implemented immediately, so you do not need to save your changes. At this point, you may simply close the Registry Editor.