How to remove startup programs in Windows 7

As you use the Windows system, it takes much longer to load than before. There are several reasons why the system takes longer to boot over time - Windows errors, hardware wear, low free space, and others. But the main reason is that in addition to the system, third-party programs are also loaded, which significantly load the system login. In this article we will look at autorun programs in Windows 7 and other versions, why it is needed, where to find it and how to remove autorun programs in Windows 7, 8, 10 and programs that will allow you to get more than system utilities.

Where is Windows 7 startup located?

The user has questions about where startup is located in Windows 7, how to remove startup of Windows 7 programs. There are several startup options, configured in different places:

Startup folder.
Entries in the Windows system registry.
In the Local Group Policy Editor.
Tasks in the Task Scheduler.

Depending on the situation, the user may need to add a program to Windows 7 startup, or, conversely, remove an unnecessary application from startup.

Using the msinfo32.exe utility, look at the list of automatically downloaded programs on your computer. Here's one way to get the information you need:

Go to the Start menu, click on All Programs.
Open the Accessories folder and then the System Services folder.
Launch the System Information application.
In the “System Information” window, open the “Software Environment” section, click on “Automatically downloaded programs”.

Changing autorun via Start

Step 1: Go to the Start menu and hover over the All Programs tab.

Go to the Start menu and hover over the All Programs tab.

Step 2. Find the “Startup” item, right-click on it and select “Open”.

Find the item “Startup”

Step 3. In the window that appears, delete unnecessary shortcuts and create the ones you need.

Removing unnecessary shortcuts and creating the ones you need

Important! Please note that this method allows you to quickly switch the software product to automatic loading mode, but does not display all services that are actually loaded simultaneously with the operating system.

How to disable startup programs in Windows 7

In order to remove a program from Windows 7 startup, you can use the following methods:

Disabling the startup item in the System Configuration tool.
Manually removing a program shortcut from the Startup folder.
In the Registry Editor.
In the Local Group Policy Editor.
In the Task Scheduler.
In the settings of the program itself.
Using a third party program.

In the settings of most applications there are options to enable or disable auto-run of this program in the Windows operating system.

How to add a program to Windows 7 startup

Sometimes, users need to add a program to Windows 7 startup so that this application starts immediately after the system starts. The following methods will help resolve this issue:

Manually adding a program shortcut to the Startup folder.
Changing system registry settings.
Changing settings in the Local Group Policy Editor.
Creating a task in the Task Scheduler.
Enabling the corresponding option in the settings of this program.

The easiest way: check the settings of the program that you want to add to startup. In most cases, there is a parameter intended to regulate the launch of the program. To activate the parameter, you will need to check the box next to the corresponding item.

Read the article on my website about how to create a task in Task Scheduler. Using the created task, the desired program will be launched in the OS according to the specified parameters.

An easy way to add an application to startup: transfer the program shortcut to the appropriate folder. To do this, follow these steps:

In Windows Explorer, turn on show hidden folders and files, and then navigate to the following path for the current PC user:

C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Copy or drag the app shortcut to your Startup folder.

The Windows 7 startup folder for all OS users is located at:

C:\Users\Default\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

After you finish adding or removing the desired program, turn off the display of hidden folders in Explorer.

In a similar way, you can remove programs from startup. Keep in mind that the Startup folder does not contain shortcuts to all programs that are included in Startup.

Method 5: CCleaner

I myself use this program, as it allows me to clean my computer of all kinds of debris. But most importantly, there is an official free “FREE” version, which is enough for the average user. It also has the ability to disable autorun for some programs and applications.

Download and install the program. After launch, select the “Tools” – “Launch” (Startup) section. To view only enabled programs, you need to click on the first column “Enabled” - after that you will see a sorting of only active applications. To deactivate the software, select the one you need and then click “Turn off” or “Delete”.

NOTE! The disadvantage of CCleaner is that it is also immediately loaded into startup - you can remove it from there using “msconfig”.

How to disable autorun programs in Windows 7 using the system tool

First you need to find out how to view Windows 7 startup in the system configuration. To do this, you must perform the following steps:

Press the “Win” + “R” keys simultaneously.
In the Run dialog box, enter the command “msconfig” (without quotes), click on the “OK” button.

In the System Configuration window, open the Startup tab.
Uncheck the box next to the program that should not be launched when the operating system starts.

The application provides the following information:

The startup item is the name of the program.
The manufacturer is the developer of this application.
Command - the path on the PC to the executable file of the program.
Location—registry key with the location of the command.
Disabled date—the date on which startup of this application was disabled, if it was ever disabled.

Click on the "OK" button, restart your computer.

Changing startup via MSconfig utility

Step 1. To call the utility through the “Start” menu, in the “Search programs and files” line, enter the MSconfig command and click on the shortcut.

Enter the MSconfig command

Step 2. Launch the utility. In the “System Configuration” window that opens, switch to the “Startup” tab.

Switch to the “Startup” tab

Step 3. Check the required items.

On a note! Please note that this method displayed many more services compared to the first. The fact is that the MSconfig utility works directly with the Windows registry and displays all startup keys, while the “Startup” folder displays only those services that you added manually.

How to enter Windows 7 startup in the Registry Editor

The user has the ability to view and edit the launch of programs placed in startup using the registry editor.

Follow these steps:

Press the "Win" + "R" keys.
In the Run window, type the command “regedit” (without the quotes), and then press the Enter key.
In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the following path for the current user:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Path for all computer users:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Here you can delete or add entries.

How to open startup in Windows 7 using CCleaner

Using the free CCleaner program, the user can easily remove unnecessary things from Windows 7 startup.

Changing startup via third-party software

You can use CCleaner to adjust startup. This program is completely free.

Step 1: Launch CCleaner.

On a note! When choosing a program, you can download the full version (requires installation) or portable version (works without installation).

Launch CCleaner

Step 2: Switch to the Tools tab.

Switch to the “Service” tab

Step 3: Expand the Startup menu. To disable or delete an element, select it by left-clicking and select the appropriate option.

Expand the “Startup” menu

Important! A vulnerability was found in the program version 5.33.6162, and malicious code was introduced that collects data and sends it to a third-party server. The development team noticed this 15 days after the release. Use only proven versions!

Video - How to enter startup on Windows 7

Managing startup in Autoruns

Experienced users can use the free AutoRuns program, developed by Microsoft employee Mark Russinovich.

The program shows all possible places from which startup can be performed in Windows. This powerful tool allows you to keep all autorun elements under complete control.