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serynI have technical helps to offer through hard-won experience.
1) The "Startup" folder on Windows is a joke. No program ever adds itself there and if you add anything to it, your computer probably won't boot for the next century because of all the hidden startup shit that wants CPU cycles.
2) The secret stash location for optional runtime startup things is found using
2a) once using regedit, be extremely cautious because there is no undo and changes take effect immediately.
2b) I recommend using the Find tool from the Edit menu if you want something specific.
2c) The Run [this on every startup] can be found in (for my version of Windows, and this is why I recommended searching first)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
2d) You can use the Favorites menu to add that location to a "bookmark" type holder. I highly recommend this.
This doesn't get rid of stuff that is supposed to run automatically, like Windows itself, like anti-virus, like firewalls, but it works for getting rid of the Open Office pre-loader, GoogleUpdate, and in my particular case Windows Messenger.
Yesterday I was looking for information on why my internet keeps going down, beyond "it's been wet out", and clicked on an internal newsgroup. Normally that works fine because I'm an Opera user and Opera has internal newsgroup support. Firefox launches Outlook which co-launched Windows Messenger. I thought I closed it fast enough but apparently it adds itself to the launch routine first thing.
Since it took me full on twenty minutes to find the right key, I figured I should make a note of it, and then I realized I should share my hard-won information.
I think it's really monstrous of Windows to have something they scream at you not to ever ever ever ever change (regedit has some scary warnings when you first open it) and have that be the way stuff gets itself to run every startup. They really should force things to add themselves to the startup menu so users can clear out the detritus without being told they're setting their laptops on fire with napalm and nothing will ever run again. Either that or there needs to be a tool to get rid of things you don't really want to use every time.
Like for me, having Open Office pre-loaded is really convenient when I'm using it on a regular (daily) basis. But since I use it about ever 2 months, I'd rather go get a glass of water than have it sucking down memory all the time and slowing down the reboot process.
I understand that there are tools for actually uninstalling programs. Where they remove tracks in the registry and release all the bindings in addition to removing the files and clearing the menus. I find this angers me. It's what uninstall is supposed to do. It feels like a scam that one needs to purchase additional software to cover something that should be part of the operating system.
I'm old. I want my computer to just run. I don't want to have to spend an hour bleeding air bubbles from its transmission fluid lines whenever it gets all halty.
1) The "Startup" folder on Windows is a joke. No program ever adds itself there and if you add anything to it, your computer probably won't boot for the next century because of all the hidden startup shit that wants CPU cycles.
2) The secret stash location for optional runtime startup things is found using
regedit. The easiest way to find regedit is to open the start menu, choose the thing labeled "run" and type "regedit" in the box. 2a) once using regedit, be extremely cautious because there is no undo and changes take effect immediately.
2b) I recommend using the Find tool from the Edit menu if you want something specific.
2c) The Run [this on every startup] can be found in (for my version of Windows, and this is why I recommended searching first)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
2d) You can use the Favorites menu to add that location to a "bookmark" type holder. I highly recommend this.
This doesn't get rid of stuff that is supposed to run automatically, like Windows itself, like anti-virus, like firewalls, but it works for getting rid of the Open Office pre-loader, GoogleUpdate, and in my particular case Windows Messenger.
Yesterday I was looking for information on why my internet keeps going down, beyond "it's been wet out", and clicked on an internal newsgroup. Normally that works fine because I'm an Opera user and Opera has internal newsgroup support. Firefox launches Outlook which co-launched Windows Messenger. I thought I closed it fast enough but apparently it adds itself to the launch routine first thing.
Since it took me full on twenty minutes to find the right key, I figured I should make a note of it, and then I realized I should share my hard-won information.
I think it's really monstrous of Windows to have something they scream at you not to ever ever ever ever change (regedit has some scary warnings when you first open it) and have that be the way stuff gets itself to run every startup. They really should force things to add themselves to the startup menu so users can clear out the detritus without being told they're setting their laptops on fire with napalm and nothing will ever run again. Either that or there needs to be a tool to get rid of things you don't really want to use every time.
Like for me, having Open Office pre-loaded is really convenient when I'm using it on a regular (daily) basis. But since I use it about ever 2 months, I'd rather go get a glass of water than have it sucking down memory all the time and slowing down the reboot process.
I understand that there are tools for actually uninstalling programs. Where they remove tracks in the registry and release all the bindings in addition to removing the files and clearing the menus. I find this angers me. It's what uninstall is supposed to do. It feels like a scam that one needs to purchase additional software to cover something that should be part of the operating system.
I'm old. I want my computer to just run. I don't want to have to spend an hour bleeding air bubbles from its transmission fluid lines whenever it gets all halty.
