The next, more advanced tool we are now going to use is called Autoruns.  This program can be found on Microsoft’s website at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx.

The file is a zip file, so you will need to download it and extract the files to a folder on your desktop or put the files in a folder of your choosing.  Once they are extracted, double-click the file “autoruns.exe” which will start the program.  When the program first starts, it will scan your computer which normally takes a few seconds.

Autoruns

As you can see, the program pulls an enormous amount of information from your computer but we are only interested in the “Logon” tab so click that tab.  In this tab, you will see all of the programs your computer is loading when it starts up.  Sometimes when you install a program like Quicktime or iTunes, the program will add a helper file to your logon list which runs when the computer boots up.  This files “helps” the main program start faster.  Well, what if we don’t even use that program while we are on our computer?  In that case, it just takes up memory and slows down the boot process, so I say un-check files like this for an easy slow computer fix.  Once the logon file is un-checked, it will still be there if you want to check it back later, but next time you reboot the computer it will no longer load during the startup process.

Other programs you may want to un-check are programs like instant messengers and email programs.  When your computer boots up, you can start these as you need them, otherwise, they just cause slow computer speed which increases the chance of having a slow booting computer.  Once you are done deciding which items to un-check, close Autoruns and reboot your computer for the changes to be made.  Not only will Autoruns increase your boot up speed, but you will also notice a difference in the shutdown process if your computer suffers from slow computer shutdown (how to fix slow computer).  Below is a basic video on how Autoruns works.

The above video pretty clearly demonstrates how to use the Autoruns program, so by now I hope you have a good understanding of the program and what it can do to help you speed up your computer.

Take it easy,

Steve