Over time your Windows computer noticeably begins to take longer to startup and may suffer from degraded performance. Many times this is a result of entries that programs make instructing your computer to run them as soon as it starts up. This makes your computer take longer to become responsive once it is turned on. One solution for managing this startup clutter is a program called CCleaner.
CCleaner has a lot of different features such as clearing browser history, cookies and uninstalling system programs. The feature we are interested in for this tip however is located in the Tools tab under the Startup category. Here CCleaner lists the programs that are scheduled to run as soon as the computer logs into Windows. You can disable unwanted programs from running on startup or delete them from the startup list altogether.
Although CCleaner is simple to use, it is important to exercise caution with any program that can modify important system files. Ensure that you are familiar with any program that you disable from running at startup. If you later need to re-enable the program at a later date you can do so from the same part of the program. Entries that are deleted from the startup list cannot be recovered though, so only use this option when you are sure it is not an important file or is not for a program feature you may require later. To help decipher if an unknown startup item is important you can search for the item name or filename on websites such as processlibrary.com. Websites like these give descriptions of the processes and recommendations as to whether it is safe to prevent them from starting up automatically.
With CCleaner and a little knowledge of what your startup programs do you can help your computer load faster. Be weary of the programs that you install on your computer because they may install start up entries without your knowledge. It is a good idea to run CCleaner regularly to ensure that your startup list remains tidy.
Last Updated on June 1, 2020 by Nathan Vidal