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To get around this inexplicable shortcoming, I looked for a utility program that would give users of Windows Me the same ability that Windows 98 users have.
  technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

Startup Cop gives you control over programs that start up with your Windows PC


Sept. 16, 2001


By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2001, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2001, The Syracuse Newspapers

   Windows users sometimes don't have much control over the programs that run on their computer.
   Odd as this seems, Windows hides critical information on what's running from all but the most savvy users. This week I'll tell you how to take control of programs that start up automatically.
   When you turn on your Windows PC, nothing much can happen until the operating system comes to life. As soon as Windows itself starts up, other programs can start up, too. They're able to do this automatically, without your permission and usually without your knowledge.
   They waste a lot of processor time, making Windows run slower. They're especially troublesome in Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows Me, the versions of Windows that run out of memory at 64 kilobytes when programs use up what Windows called "resources."
   Sometimes these programs are small items that support some of the functions in Windows. "Systray" is just such a program. It always has to run.
   Otherwise, the System Tray (the recessed area where the clock lives) won't work right.
   Sometimes they are important virus monitoring programs. Or they might be programs that keep track of (and control) Internet cookies or pop-up Web browser windows.
   But usually the programs that start up with Windows are simply unnecessary.
   You didn't put them there, and you didn't authorize someone else to stick them on your PC. The best thing you can do is get rid of them or disable them.
   Some of you know how to disable or remove programs that start up with Windows 98, using a Microsoft utility program called "msconfig."
   Unfortunately, "msconfig" is not part of Windows 95, Windows 2000 or Windows Me. Microsoft failed to include it in the other versions.
   This hurts users of Windows Me more than Microsoft might ever imagine.
   Most users of Windows Me are newcomers to modern PCs, yet Microsoft forces them to use an irrationally unstable operating system - Windows Me is so badly designed that even the experts at Windows Magazine advise against using it - and it even prevented these newcomers from doing simple program management by removing "msconfig" from Windows Me.
   To get around this inexplicable shortcoming, I looked for a utility program that would give users of Windows Me the same ability that Windows 98 users have - control over which programs start up automatically with Windows. I found many, but the best one is Startup Cop. It's free and is well supported by the editors of PC Magazine.
   A bonus: Startup Cop works perfectly under Windows 95 and Windows 2000, too.
   It can be used on any current version of Windows from 95 up. (I haven't tested it under Windows XP.)
   You can get Startup Cop from www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,2862,00.asp.
   Startup Cop is wonderfully simple. You'll see a list of programs that start up with your Windows installation. (Don't be surprised if you see a dozen or more.) Ones that have green icons are enabled; ones that have yellow icons are disabled.
   You probably won't see any disabled ones the first time you run Startup Cop, since that's something Windows doesn't take care of on its own.
   Clicking on any item causes Startup Cop to display the choices you have for each program. I advise you to ignore the first choice, "Pack for removal," which you should not ever need to do. For each program you see, choose "Disable" or "Enable."
   Double clicking any item in the list (or clicking the "Detail" button) shows everything Startup Cop knows about the program. This can help you find out more about a "mystery" program by showing you the name of its parent folder.
   Don't be afraid to disable most of the programs you find. Keep "Systray," but be daring with your policing actions. If you find you've disabled something you can't do without - not a likely prospect in most cases - simply run Startup Cop and enable the program in question