What is the best free/cheap package for deleting applications from windows start up, and more importantly, ensuring they don’t get readded (Quicktime and realplayer are the worst at this). Microsoft anti-Spyware package does the former but not the latter.
What apps has everyone here had good luck with ?
I’ve used Startup Cop for years, and have never had a problem with it—or any of the unwanted applications I’ve disabled using it. It’s gone through a couple of upgrades since the one I downloaded, and they want US$ 7.97 for it now, but IMHO it’s definitely worth a look.
I use a freeware program called “Easy Cleaner”, which does several things (cleans the registry, etc.) There is a function that allows you to delete startup entries, and my favorite, delete bad “add/remove program” listings.
I use Spybot S&D to keep programs from re-adding themselves:
and Ashampoo WinOptimizer to keep Start Up items in check:
You might also want to compare your start up items with the list on this page, which explains what each start up entry is:
I just cleaned my entire registry for free with Windows Registry Repair SE by 3B Software. It took a bit of persistence, since I had over 300 errant entries and only allows 30 changes per session, but I kept at it and now am CLEAN!
Very cool program; is shareware - I gotta get them a donation thru PayPal.
The absolutely king of this kind of thing is actually freeware. It’s called Autoruns and it’s developed by Sysinternals (the same guys that broke the Sony rootkit fiasco).
If all you want to do is disable some startup programs the included msconfig program that comes with Windows works just fine. (Start, run, type msconfig and hit enter, uncheck boxes under the startup tab)