# Win XP - how do I stop something from auto-starting at startup **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 6, 2003, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-how-do-i-stop-something-from-auto-starting-at-startup/186539 "2003-07-06T08:15:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-how-do-i-stop-something-from-auto-starting-at-startup/186539/1 "2003-07-06T08:15:07Z")
I know that’s a messy title but I couldn’t think of a sensible way of asking in one sentence. In old versions of windows (9x) you’d go to system info, then startup apps (from the tools menu or something) and then uncheck something from the list. In windows XP that’s not there (sysinfo is, and the tools menu is, but no list of startup apps) There’s this stupid little program that installed it’self and tells me I have “75% free”, but not what it is that I have 75% free _of_. Anyway I don’t care what it is, I just want rid of it. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-how-do-i-stop-something-from-auto-starting-at-startup/186539/2 "2003-07-06T08:16:33Z")
Run msconfig. ---
**Author:** ![culov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@culov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/culov)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-how-do-i-stop-something-from-auto-starting-at-startup/186539/3 "2003-07-06T08:27:27Z")
start - \>run - \> type “msconfig” in the prompt (without the quotes of course - \> Startup tab - \> Uncheck what you dont want to run on startup. ---
**Author:** ![NiceGuyJack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/niceguyjack/32/3069_2.png) [@NiceGuyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NiceGuyJack)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-how-do-i-stop-something-from-auto-starting-at-startup/186539/4 "2003-07-06T09:31:41Z")
This was helpful! I did this and found the list rather long, which explains why it takes so long to start up my computer. Anyway, a follow up question. How can I identify what each item is? I would like to minimize the number of programs which start up, but I don’t want to stop items which may be critical for the computer to run. Cheers, Jack ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-how-do-i-stop-something-from-auto-starting-at-startup/186539/5 "2003-07-06T10:01:39Z")
They should make a sticky out of this. Download [Reg Cleaner](http://www.vtoy.fi/jv16/index.php). This nifty, self explanatory freeware let’s you manage all these things. What’s more, as opposed to reg edit and msconfig in Windows, it does a backup, in case you screw up. It cleans the registry, keeps track of _all_ software in your computer, finds what starts automatically, has a nice ‘uninstall’ feature, which sees stuff that the ‘add/remove’ under the controll panel won’t list. Now go get! ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-how-do-i-stop-something-from-auto-starting-at-startup/186539/6 "2003-07-06T14:48:57Z")
Also look around in your startup folder… ---
**Author:** ![Read\_Neck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Read\_Neck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Read_Neck)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-how-do-i-stop-something-from-auto-starting-at-startup/186539/7 "2003-07-06T15:29:41Z")
[This site](http://www.blackviper.com/) has a complete list of XP services and what can be safely turned off.