About the System Configuration Tool

To launch the System Configuration Tool, click the "Start" button, type "msconfig" into the text box on the start menu, then click the "Enter" button on your keyboard. Navigate to the "Startup" tab to view all of the programs that launch when your computer turns on. Navigate to the "Services" tab to view all of the services that launch along with the programs on start-up. When disabling items at start-up, you must consider both start-up programs and services.

Disabling Programs

Navigate to the "Startup" tab to view the list of programs that launch when your computer boots. This provides you with information about each program, such as the item's name, manufacturer and the physical folder location on your computer. For example, you may be able to easily identify software names such as "QuickTime," "Adobe Acrobat," "iTunes" or "Google Update." If it is a program that you don't use enough to launch on start-up every time, remove the check in the box next to the item's name, then click "OK."

Disabling Services

Navigate to the "Services" tab to view a list of the services that start up when your computer boots. Place a mark in the box next to "Hide all Microsoft Services." This will ensure that you do not disable any services that are critical to the operating system. Like the program list, you will see items listed by name and manufacturer. You can use this information to determine which services you wish to disable. Remove the check in the box next to the item's name, then click "OK" to disable the service.

Troubleshooting

If you are completely uncertain about an entry in the programs or services list, and you know that the item is not malware, it is better to leave the item running on start-up. Disable a few items at a time, and record which items you disable. The computer will prompt you to reboot after you make changes. If you receive an error when the computer starts up, record the name of the program that produced the error from the message. You can return to the System Configuration tool and enable the program to prevent the error from appearing on the next reboot.