Control what runs automatically booting to Windows
Crapcontrol Monday 02 January 2006
Removing some of the clutter in your bottom right taskbar not only saves screen space, but also frees memory that is used up, often before Windows even loads. This can make for a faster computer by freeing this memory for frequently used applications. There are multiple ways for these items to load, so having a complete tool to check the different areas of Windows is the easiest and fastest way to go about this.
Startup CPL's install is a snap. I simply had to double click the file and check the buttons "copy files" followed by "Done". You will not find the program in your start menu, but rather it will be in your control panel as shown in the screenshot above. While this may seem odd, having it in the control panel is a handy, unique idea.
Where Startup CPL excels is in the categories of startup items it shows. Programs you install in Windows can place themselves in your startup in different areas. Many tools fail to cover all of these areas. The areas covered include Run Once, HKCU / Run, Deleted, Startup (User), Startup (Common) and HKLM / Run. You do not need to be familiar with all of these areas to use this program; it is simply showing you what is running on startup in these categories. Many of the items you find you will recognize, such as your anti-virus, firewall or printer software. The Deleted section keeps track of anything you deleted, so if you make a mistake, you can easily restore it here.