The Lowdown on Avoiding Auto-Loading
In a recent column, I lamented how some programs automatically load themselves into memory as soon as Windows starts. Although having programs load automatically can sometimes be a convenience, it also can be very annoying because they use memory, slow start-up and, in some cases, interfere with other programs.
Many PC users peeved by the practice wanted to know how to get these programs out of their system’s memory.
First, try to prevent it. Some software companies are courteous enough to ask whether you want the program to load automatically. Often, the default answer is yes, so clicking OK or pressing Enter tells the program to install itself the way the software company wants it, rather than your way. Read all those screens and pay attention to the options.
Some programs don’t even ask whether you want them to load, so prevention isn’t always the answer. If there are programs you don’t want loaded automatically, your first move should be to run the program and look for a menu item such as Preferences or Options to see whether you can turn off auto-loading within the program.
If that fails, there are two viable options for users of Windows ME, 98 or 95--one that’s easy and works occasionally and another that’s a bit trickier but works every time.
The easy method that sometimes works and is always worth a try is to check whether there is a shortcut to the program in your StartUp folder. That’s done by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting either Explore or Open. Double-click the Programs folder and double-click the StartUp folder.
If you see the shortcut to the program you want to remove, simply delete the icon. As long as it’s a shortcut, you’re not doing anything to the program itself. You can confirm whether it’s a shortcut by looking for a little arrow on the lower left corner of the icon. Once you delete the icon, restart your machine and, if the program isn’t running, pat yourself on the back. You’re done.
But not all programs that run automatically do so by putting an icon in the StartUp folder. That would make life too easy for Windows users. Some wind up in memory by making changes to the Windows registry file. I could tell you how to conduct a search-and-destroy mission within the registry, but that’s a bit risky. A mistake could render your machine unusable. Instead, you can prevent programs from starting up by using the somewhat but not terribly complicated System Information program that you can access from the Accessories-System Tools area of the Start menu.
With System Information running, select System Configuration Utility from its Tools menu and then click the Startup tab. You’ll see a number of programs listed with a check mark in a box to the left of each program. Before you do anything, make a written note of the programs that are checked just in case you make a mistake and need to undo the process.
If you see a program that you’re sure you want to remove, simply click the box to remove the check mark. Be careful not to click on any programs that you’re not sure about, as you could disable important services you need. Some common programs to look for include AIM (for AOL’s Instant Messenger), Microsoft Office Startup, Quicken Startup, QAGENT and Billminder for Quicken.
Before disabling any of these, consider whether you want the service. Microsoft Office runs fine without Startup loaded, but if you want to be reminded to pay bills, you shouldn’t delete Billminder.
You also might have references to anti-virus software and disk utility programs such as Norton AutoProtect, but I don’t recommend unchecking them unless you’re certain you don’t want these programs automatically protecting your machine. Likewise, I don’t recommend disabling programs beginning with HP, LexStart or Canon that load printer services that you might need.
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Technology reports by Lawrence J. Magid can be heard between 2 and 3 p.m. weekdays on the KNX-AM (1070) Technology Hour.
