Is there a way of knowing which startup items can be disabled or deleted in CCleaner; perhaps a database of startup file descriptions? I would like to speed up my computer's starting/restarting time. Do I have to research every file individually for purpose and loading times; there are so many!
You actually need very few items at startup. I have two virus check components, which I think we can say are a must, and the Sigmatel Systray. I'm not sure why I keep the systray application running, there must be a reason but I can't remember what. So that's three startup items.
You will have to plough through these items to see what each is, if it's not blindingly obvious, and do a lot of rebooting. But in the end it's nice to get rid of all that tat. It seems that every application is so important that it must be loaded ready for use at any time. You're the boss, shut them up!
I find it irritating when my computer takes longer than a couple of minutes at the most to go from the Windows splash screen to the desktop being ready for use - I think it may actually load all it needs to load in about a minute and half but there's always some process or two that's still seemingly loading so I leave it for a half a minute more.
If I install a program that slows down the boot time I tend to remove the program or at least see if it needs to run at startup.
When doing the thinning down process, I would suggest you use CCleaners Tools\Startup to "disable" the items. Don't delete anything from there until you've ran your PC for a little while to make sure you haven't binned something you need.
If you're still not sure, just leave them disabled.
Best be safe than sorry. You can always enable something again.
Is there a way of knowing which startup items can be disabled or deleted in CCleaner; perhaps a database of startup file descriptions? I would like to speed up my computer's starting/restarting time. Do I have to research every file individually for purpose and loading times; there are so many!
Thank you so much! This is exactly what I was looking for.
I would like to find out which items in the start up list need to remain activated, and which can be deactivated.
I am afraid that link that is given in this thread is of no use to me.
At the moment there are 6 programs activated, but I remember having it working perfectly with only four at start up. But the names on the list do not mean anything to me, except my avast anti-virus program....
I would like a list of what really needs to be on my start up list...
I could send a screen shot if that is of any help?
JG, with a clean install of XP (don't know what you're on, and don't know about Vista) there are no startup entries. And it works fine, so fast and lean that you'll be reluctant to add any applications. Avast should give you two startup entries, and you can let them stay. Just Google the program names of the others to find out what they are. Then you can disable each one in turn with CC, and reboot, and see if there's any difference. Some entries might pop back in there after reboot, so you will have to stop the relevant service or whatever is causing it.
Use this little utility called MalwareBytes StartupLite. It tells you exactly what startup items you can disable, and it gives a description of that item. I've never had a problem after disabling the startup items it recommended me to disable.