After we've used our computer for a while, we forget what we've installed, uninstalled or the apps that we've got running on our system. These apps often launch when we start a PC and it's difficult to know why your computer is taking so long to boot. The 'Startup' folder in your Start Menu doesn't always give you an indication of the apps the launch when you boot your PC.

There are a few tools available that will enable you to view the software that start with your computer. Autoruns is an advanced startup manager which enables you to quickly view the software that starts with your computer and either remove or disable these apps. Startup Delayer is a slightly different tool which can prioritise the apps that launch on your computer. If you find that your system has to wait for a tool to start before you can finish booting in to Windows, it might be worth configuring this app so it's a low priority.

Effectively these tools are removing details from your Registry. If you have applications that attempt to start which aren't installed on your machine, you could use a registry enhancer such as Registry Mechanic 5, our current free download, or the free Eusing Registry Cleaner to remove redundant Registry items.

27 Sep 2006