As our computers get older and more bogged down with programs, the startup times of our machines get longer. While you could go the route of upgrading your hardware, like your processor and RAM, in a effort to get more speed, there is also a quick way to shorted the startup time of Windows that doesn’t involve any expense. You can limit the programs that start when you machine does by configuring the startup programs listed in the Microsoft System Configuration Utility. It only takes a few minutes and should shorten your startup time by a couple of minutes if your machine is especially bogged down.

Accessing MSConfig in XP and Windows 7

Getting to the Microsoft System Configuration Utility is quick and simple, but the way to do so is different depending on the version of Windows you are using. Here, we’ll cover XP and Windows 7; if you need instructions for another version of Windows, your friend, the Google search, will help you find the proper way to access the utility. In XP, select the Run command window from the Start Menu. Click on the Start button, then on the right side, look for the Run button. Click here, and when the window pops up, type in “msconfig” without the quotes. Press run and wait for the utility to begin.

In Windows 7, there’s a slightly different path for you to take. Click on the Windows Icon in the lower left, then in the search box, type “msconfig” without the quotes. Click on the program result “msconfig” and open the utility. That’s it. You’re ready to move onto the next step of limiting the programs that run on startup.

What Programs to Limit on Startup

A number of programs default to running on startup when you install them. If you install a new program that you know you will only use sparingly, deselect this option if it is presented to you on installation. If you missed this option, or you know there is a program that did not give you the option, you can disable it from starting on startup from the Microsoft System Configuration Utility. When the utility opens, look for the tab that says “startup” and click on it. This will open a list of all of your programs that begin on startup. The list will probably be pretty long and some of the programs might not be readily identifiable. So, how do you know what to deselect?

Since the Microsoft System Configuration Utility has been around for so long and is used by so many people, there are great resources out there to help you figure out which programs are unnecessary to run on startup. This website, http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php, does a great job of laying out more than 13,000 programs and identifies which you do not need to run at startup. Check your list against this one and make your choices. When you uncheck a box next to a program, it disables the program from running on startup. The next time you startup your PC, you should notice a significant difference in the amount of time it takes for your machine to up and running.