In this guide we're going to look at a great way to boost your PC's performance, make Windows load faster, and free up more of your system resources. All thanks to what's known as a Startup manager: a tool that's built in to many good registry cleaners out there.
What's this got to do with the registry?
When Windows starts up, it loads dozens of what are called processes - little programs that do anything from controlling your hardware, to checking for media player upgrades. Some of these processes are essential. Other's are a complete waste of your computer's resources.
We already know that the Windows Registry stores all of your computer's preferences, settings and information about software, and the Startup is no different. The processes that start when Windows loads up are all stored in the registry.
Why do I need to alter any of that?
Unlike broken registry problems, invalid entries and all the other stuff that a simple registry scan can fix, the Startup is not something that a registry tool can help you with. It's got to be done by hand. It's a bit fiddly but it's not that difficult when you know how.
And I have to say that it's well worth the effort. The startup section is often over-loaded with programs that are eating up your resources. And the truth is that most of them simply don't need to be there. It's time to clear out these bums.
Safety first!
The last thing we want to do is break out computers. A corrupt PC is about as much fun as going to the dentist. So before you do anything let's set a restore point. This is a very-easy-to-use safeguard that lets you quickly revert to the fully working version of your operating system should disaster strike. If you're not sure what a restore point is, have a quick read of Setting a restore point before you go on.
Which tool to use?
I'm going to use the registry cleaner that comes with Registry Easy, my number one choice for a registry cleaner. As well as having a handy startup manager, it also lets me create a system restore point quickly in case I mess anything up.
Getting started
1) Fire up Registry easy.
2) Click on Startup Manager:
Finding out what each process does,
and deciding if we can get rid of it
and deciding if we can get rid of it
It's important to check what something does before you remove it. And there's an easy way to do that.
*TIP* As a hard and fast rule, don't remove anything that starts with C:\WINDOWS\ in it.
1) Let's take one of my processes as an example. Look at this one:
2) Look at the bit at the end: iTouch.exe. Most processes that are run when Windows starts end with a .exe. The computer program here is iTouch.exe.
3) Go to the site http://www.processlibrary.com/ and type in iTouch.exe
This site is great. It gives you details on what every process is that starts up when Windows loads. From this site I can find out more about iTouch.exe. It tells me:
"itouch.exe is a process by Logitech which allows the configuration of additional keys on their range of multimedia keyboards. This is a non-essential process. Disabling or enabling it is down to user preference."
In this instance, I'll leave this process on my computer. It adds extra functionality to my keyboard and I'll keep it for now. I could easily remove this process if I wanted to. And there are dozens more processes that AREN'T doing anything useful that could easily be removed.
4) To delete a process and stop it from starting when Windows loads, just left mouse button click on it, and then choose 'Remove' at the bottom of the screen.
Where next?
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The best software I've found |
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Comparison of the major programs |
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Reviews of Registry Cleaning software |
