Change autostart menu

The autostart menu can be easily changed in a few steps, because Windows programs often nest there without being asked. This can be useful for some tools, while others unnecessarily slow down the system when Windows starts. This practical tip explains how you can change the Autostart menu and how to remove or add programs from the Autostart menu.

Manage system configuration with "msconfig"

Windows opens many programs through the registry. These can be managed using the "msconfig" system configuration program:

1. Click the Windows startup logo.
2. Enter "msconfig" in the search field.
3. Open the program.
4. Switch to the "Startup" tab.
5. Uncheck the programs you want to remove from the autostart; check the programs that you want to add to the autostart menu.
6. The changes are saved by clicking on "Apply".
7. Restart Windows for the changes to take effect.

Change Windows folder options

The autostart folder, in which you can change the autostart menu, is hidden by default. How to display the folder:

1. Open the workplace (computer).
2. Click "Organize" in the top left and then select "Folder and Search Options".
3. Switch to the "View" tab.
4. Under "Hidden files and folders" select the second option: "Show hidden files, folders and drives".
5. Click "Apply", then "OK".

Delete programs from the autostart menu

The shortcuts of the programs that are in the autostart menu are in the autostart folder. To delete programs from the Startup folder, open the drive on which your Windows system is installed. Usually it is drive C. Open the following folders one after the other:

1. "User"> "User name"> "AppData"
2. "Roaming"> "Microsoft"> "Windows"
3. "Start menu"> "Programs"> "Autostart"
4. Here are the program links. With a right click on a program link you can delete it. This also removes the program from the autostart menu.

Add programs to the autostart menu

To add a program to the autostart menu, proceed as follows:

• Open the Startup folder as described in the previous section.
• Right-click anywhere in the folder (not on a program link!).
• Choose "New" - "Shortcut" - "Browse".
• Look for the shortcut of the program you want to add. Select the link and then click "OK".
• Click "Next", enter a name for the shortcut and click "Finish".
• Alternatively, you can work with Copy-Paste: Copy the desired link and paste it into the Autostart folder. Be careful not to copy the program's exe file!

Manage Windows autostart via additional programs

In addition to Windows' own tools, there is also the option of managing the autostart menu via third-party downloads. One such program is the free "AutoStart Manager".

This article applies to Windows 7. More information is available here.