Do it yourself Startup-proofing your Windows
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
Having an up-to-date Anti-virus, Anti-spyware and Firewall software installed and properly configured on a Windows PC is a basic security necessity. I won’t recommend connecting your Windows PC to a local network or the Internet without at least a Firewall and an active Anti-virus scanner.
Even with all this security software installed, you’ll notice that your PC is slowing down over time. Does this mean your security software is leaking?
One of the most common causes of PC slowdowns is the number of drivers, Windows services, Explorer and Internet Explorer Add-ons, and especially applications. Many software applications and utilities when installed, register themselves to automatically run when your PC starts up. While this is a necessity for some software like Anti-virus and Firewall, it is not the case for other software.
Your security software protects your PC from viruses and malware, but it does not warn you about these programs. Some current firewalls now alert you when a program is trying to register itself to run at startup and give you the option to deny it but if you don’t have this functionality, you can get it with StartupMonitor.
Like a Firewall, StartupMonitor runs silently in the background and pops up a warning when a program tries to register itself to load at startup giving you the option to allow or deny it. Along with your other security software, StartupMonitor should be one of the first programs loaded on your new PC.
The developer of StartupMonitor, Mike Lin, offers it for free and also offers a complimentary utility named Startup Control Panel that later gives you control over items that startup with Windows.
Startup Control Panel is a Portable Software. It consists of a single executable that does not require installation.
For a more comprehensive utility that lists everything that is starting automatically on your PC, get Sysinternal’s AutoRuns. This too is a Portable Software utility that only requires unzipping to run.
