How to Change, Add, or Remove Startup

Programs in Windows 7
Information
This will show you how to either add, remove, enable, or disable a startup program
in Windows 7.
Note
You can also view the startup logs in Event
Viewer (C:\Windows\system3\eventvwr.msc! underApplications and Services
Logs, icroso!t, Windows, "iagnostics#Per!ormance, and $perational. The
logs will be in the middle to show you what ran at startup, how long it too", and
more.
Warning
%ser Account Control prevents programs that re#uire elevated (run as
administrator! permission or an administrator password $rom running automatically
when Windows % starts. &$ a program is bloc"ed, you'll see a message in
the noti!ication area that says some startup programs need permission to run. You
can then right clic" on the noti$ication area message and either select to run the
bloc"ed program by giving ()C permission, remove the bloc"ed program $rom the
startup program list, or ignore the noti$ication and not run the program.
E&H$" $'E
&hrough the Program (tsel!
'$&E) Some programs may have a setting in them to allow it to run at startup or
not. You will need to consult the program's documentations on how to do this
specifically for their program if it is available for that program.
*+ *pen the program's settings menu.
,+ &o Add the Program to Startup #
)! +elect the program's Run at startup type option.
-+ &o Remove the Program !rom Startup #
)! (nselect the program's Run at startup type option.
E&H$" &W$
&hrough the Startup .older
'$&E) You can add or remove shortcuts to programs or files from the Startup folder
to have them run or open at the startup of Windows 7.
*+ ,ight clic" on the e-e $ile o$ the program you want to run at startup, or $ile to
open at startup, and clic" onCreate Shortcut.
'$&E) This is the shortcut that you will add to the Startup folder in either Option
One or Option Two below. Skip this step if you are only removing a shortcut from
the Startup folder.
)! .o either $P&($' $'E /Current (ser/ or $P&($' &W$ /)ll (sers/ below $or
what you want.
$P&($' $'E
.or Current Single %ser $nl/
'$&E) The single (current user Startup folder is a hidden system
folder located at:
C)0%sers01%ser#'ame20App"ata0Roaming0icroso!t0Windows0Start
enu0Programs0Startup
,+ *pen the +tart 0enu.
-+ Clic" on All Programs, right clic" on the Startup $older, and clic"
on $pen orE3plore. (+ee screenshot below!
)! 1o to step 2.
$R
4+ &n the +tart 0enu search line, type shell)startup and press Enter. (+ee
screenshot below!
5+ &o Add a Startup Program or .ile Shortcut
)! .rag the shortcut created $rom step 3 to inside the +tartup $older and drop it.
(+ee screenshot below!
6+ &o Remove a Startup Program or .ile Shortcut
)! ,ight clic" on the shortcut in the +tartup $older and clic" on "elete. (+ee
screenshot above!
7+ Close the +tartup $older when done. (+ee screenshot below step 2)!
$P&($' &W$
.or All %sers
'$&E) The all users Startup folder is a hidden system folder located at:
C)0Program"ata0icroso!t0Windows0Start enu0Programs0Startup
,+ *pen the +tart 0enu.
-+ Clic" on All Programs, right clic" on the Startup $older, and clic" on $pen All
%sers or E3plore All %sers. (+ee screenshot below!

4+ &o Add a Startup Program or .ile Shortcut
)! .rag the shortcut created $rom step 3 to inside the +tartup $older and drop it.
(+ee screenshot below!
5+ &o Remove a Startup Program or .ile Shortcut
)! ,ight clic" on the shortcut in the +tartup $older and clic" on "elete. (+ee
screenshot above!
6+ Close the +tartup $older when done. (+ee screenshot below step 4)!
E&H$" &HREE
&hrough S/stem Con!iguration 1mscon!ig2
'$&E) !sing the Selective Startup option in System "onfiguration (msconfig# you
can enable or disable startup programs. You will need to be logged into
an administator account# or provide the administrator password to open System
"onfiguration.
WAR'('7) $t would be best to also check the registry entries in METHOD
FOUR below as well# since msconfig may not always show all startup programs.
*+ *pen the +tart 0enu.
)! &n the search line, type mscon!ig and press Enter. (+ee screenshot below!

5! 1o to step 3.
$R
,+ *pen the Control Panel 1All items view2 and clic" on the Administrative
&ools icon, then clic" on S/stem Con!iguration. Close the Control 6anel and
)dministrative Tools windows.
-+ &$ prompted, clic" on Continue $or the ()C prompt, or type in the administrator's
password.
4+ Clic" on the Startup tab. (+ee screenshot below!
Tip
&$ you loo" under the Location column $or the Start (tem, you will see the registry
location $or it that you can use to remove the startup item using 07T8*. 9*(,
below instead.
5+ &o "isa8le a Startup Program
)! +elect a listed startup program and unchec" it. (+ee screenshot above!
5! ,epeat to disable anymore listed startup programs.
6+ &o Ena8le a Startup Program
)! +elect a listed startup program and chec" it. (+ee screenshot below step 4!
5! ,epeat to enable anymore listed startup programs.
7+ &o "isa8le All Listed Startup Programs
)! Clic" on the "isa8le all button. (+ee screenshot below step 4!
5! 1o to step :.
9+ &o Ena8le All Listed Startup Programs
)! Clic" on the Ena8le all button. (+ee screenshot below step 4!
:+ Clic" on Appl/. (+ee screenshot below step 4!
*;+ Clic" on the <oot tab, then chec" the a=e all 8oot settings permanent bo-
and clic" on$>. (+ee screenshot below!

**+ Clic" on ?es. (+ee screenshot below!
*,+ Clic" on the Restart button to apply. (+ee screenshot below!
WAR'('7) This will restart your computer immediately. Save and close anything
that you are working on first.
E&H$" .$%R
anuall/ in Registr/ Editor
'$&E) This will allow you to remove a startup program for either the current single
user or all users. $f you wanted to add a startup program# then METHOD
TWO above would be a safer and easier way to do so.
*+ *pen the +tart 0enu.
,+ &n the search line, type regedit and press Enter. (+ee screenshot below!
-+ .or @Current %ser@ $nl/ Locations
)! &n regedit, go to: (+ee screenshots below!
H>E?AC%RRE'&A%SER0So!tware0icroso!t0Windows0CurrentVersion0Run
A'"
H>E?AC%RRE'&A%SER0So!tware0icroso!t0Windows0CurrentVersion0Run
$nce
4+ .or @All %sers@ Locations
)! &n regedit, go to: (+ee screenshots below!
.or -,#8it and 64#8it Windows 7)
H>E?AL$CALAACH('E0S$.&WARE0icroso!t0Windows0CurrentVersion0R
un
A'"
H>E?AL$CALAACH('E0S$.&WARE0icroso!t0Windows0CurrentVersion0R
un$nce
A'" 1(! added 8/ 7roup Polic/2
H>E?AC%RRE'&A%SER0So!tware0icroso!t0Windows0CurrentVersion0Polici
es0E3plorer0Run
A'" 1(! added 8/ 7roup Polic/2
H>E?AL$CALAACH('E0S$.&WARE0icroso!t0Windows0CurrentVersion0P
olicies0E3plorer0Run
A'"
.or 64#8it Windows 7 onl/)
H>E?AL$CALAACH('E0S$.&WARE0Wow64-,'ode0icroso!t0Windows0C
urrentVersion0Run
A'"
H>E?AL$CALAACH('E0S$.&WARE0Wow64-,'ode0icroso!t0Windows0C
urrentVersion0Run$nce
5+ &n the right pane o$ Run and;or Run$nce, right clic" on the startup program you
want to remove and clic" on "elete. (+ee screenshots above!
'$&E) RunOne is only to run the program once for the ne%t time that Windows 7
starts up.Run is to run the program everytime that Windows 7 starts up.
6+ Clic" on ?es to con$irm deletion.
7+ When done, close regedit.
E&H$" .(VE
%sing CCleaner
*+ &$ you have not already, download and install the $ree program CCleaner.
,+ *pen CCleaner, and clic" on the Tools icon (le$t side! and on the Startup button.
(+ee screenshot below!
-+ +elect a startup item, then either ena8le, disa8le, or delete it $rom the <ista
startup programs list. (+ee screenshot above!
E&H$" S(B
&hrough &as= Scheduler
Note
5y de$ault, you cannot run a elevated (Run as administrator! program that
re#uires %AC permission at startup using the normal Windows % startup
programs above.
.or a Administrator %ser Account)
You can have Run as administrator (elevated! programs run at startup $or
a administrator account by running it in a startup tas" in Tas" +cheduler.
.or a Standard %ser Account)
You will not be able to run elevated programs at startup $or a standard user account
though. *nly unelevated programs (e-: =otepad!.
*+ 9or how to create a startup tas", see:
How to Create a &as= to Run a Program at Startup and Log $n in Windows 7
That's it,
+hawn