Programs that launch automatically when Windows starts can significantly slow down boot times and consume system resources. Windows provides several built-in tools to manage startup programs, from simple GUI options to advanced utilities that reveal every hidden autostart location. This guide covers all the major methods for controlling what runs at startup.

Method 1: Task Manager (Windows 8, 10, 11)

Starting with Windows 8, the Task Manager includes a dedicated Startup tab that shows the performance impact of each startup program.

Étapes

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager (or right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager).
  2. Click the Startup tab (click More details first if Task Manager opens in compact mode).
  3. Review the list of startup programs. Each entry shows:
    • Name: The application name
    • Publisher: The software vendor
    • Status: Enabled or Disabled
    • Startup impact: Low, Medium, or High
  4. Right-click a program you want to disable and select Disable.
  5. The change takes effect on the next restart.

The Startup impact column is particularly useful. Focus on disabling “High” impact programs that you do not need immediately at startup.

Method 2: MSConfig (System Configuration Utility)

MSConfig has been available since Windows 98 and remains useful for managing startup services and boot options.

Étapes

  1. Press Win + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
  2. In the System Configuration window:
    • Startup tab: On Windows 8 and later, this tab contains a link to the Task Manager startup tab. On Windows 7 and earlier, it lists startup programs directly with checkboxes.
    • Services tab: Shows all Windows services, including third-party ones. Check Hide all Microsoft services to see only third-party services, then uncheck any you want to disable.
    • Boot tab: Configure boot options like Safe Mode and timeout settings.
  3. Click Apply and OK.
  4. You will be prompted to restart. Changes take effect after reboot.

Diagnostic Startup

MSConfig also offers a Diagnostic startup option on the General tab, which starts Windows with only basic services and drivers. This is useful for troubleshooting whether a startup program is causing problems.

Method 3: Windows Settings (Windows 10/11)

Windows 10 and 11 include a startup management page in Settings.

  1. Open Settings (Win + I).
  2. Navigate to Apps > Startup.
  3. Toggle programs on or off using the switches.
  4. Each program shows its impact on startup time.

Method 4: Registry Run Keys

Windows checks specific registry locations for programs to run at startup. Advanced users can edit these directly.

Common Startup Registry Locations

# Per-user startup (current user)
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

# All users startup
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

# 32-bit apps on 64-bit Windows
HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Viewing and Modifying with PowerShell

# List all startup entries for the current user
Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run"

# List all startup entries for all users
Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run"

# Remove a specific startup entry
Remove-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" `
    -Name "ProgramName"

# Add a startup entry
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" `
    -Name "MyApp" -Value "C:\Program Files\MyApp\myapp.exe"

Viewing and Modifying with Regedit

  1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
  2. Navigate to one of the Run key paths listed above.
  3. In the right pane, each entry represents a startup program.
  4. To disable, right-click the entry and select Delete (or rename it to keep a backup by adding a prefix like disabled_).

Method 5: Startup Folder

Windows also launches programs placed in the Startup folders:

# Current user startup folder
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

# All users startup folder
%PROGRAMDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

To open these folders quickly:

  1. Press Win + R.
  2. Type shell:startup (current user) or shell:common startup (all users).
  3. Press Enter.

Delete or move shortcuts from these folders to prevent programs from starting.

Method 6: Scheduled Tasks

Some programs use Windows Task Scheduler to run at startup or logon, bypassing the traditional startup locations.

Viewing Scheduled Tasks

  1. Press Win + R, type taskschd.msc, and press Enter.
  2. In the left pane, select Task Scheduler Library.
  3. Look for tasks with triggers set to At log on or At startup.
  4. Right-click a task and select Disable to prevent it from running.

Using PowerShell

# List all tasks that run at logon
Get-ScheduledTask | Where-Object {
    $_.Triggers | Where-Object { $_ -is [CimInstance] -and
        $_.CimClass.CimClassName -eq "MSFT_TaskLogonTrigger" }
} | Select-Object TaskName, State, TaskPath

# Disable a specific scheduled task
Disable-ScheduledTask -TaskName "ProgramUpdater"

Method 7: Services (services.msc)

Some applications install Windows services that start automatically with the system. These run in the background and do not appear in the Task Manager startup tab.

Étapes

  1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
  2. Find the service you want to modify.
  3. Double-click it to open Properties.
  4. Change the Startup type:
    • Automatic: Starts with Windows
    • Automatic (Delayed Start): Starts after the initial boot sequence completes
    • Manual: Only starts when needed
    • Disabled: Never starts
  5. Click Apply and OK.

Using PowerShell

# List all automatic services
Get-Service | Where-Object { $_.StartType -eq 'Automatic' } |
    Select-Object Name, DisplayName, Status

# Change a service to manual start
Set-Service -Name "ServiceName" -StartupType Manual

# Disable a service
Set-Service -Name "ServiceName" -StartupType Disabled

Method 8: Sysinternals Autoruns (Advanced)

For the most comprehensive view of everything that starts automatically, use the Sysinternals Autoruns tool from Microsoft.

Key Features

  • Shows every autostart location including registry keys, scheduled tasks, services, drivers, Winlogon entries, Explorer shell extensions, browser helper objects, and more.
  • Color-coded entries for easy identification of Microsoft versus third-party items.
  • Can verify digital signatures to identify unsigned or tampered executables.
  • Includes a “Hide Microsoft entries” option to focus on third-party software.
  • Supports saving and comparing snapshots to see what changed.

Utilisation

  1. Download Autoruns from the Sysinternals website.
  2. Run autoruns.exe as Administrator.
  3. Wait for the scan to complete.
  4. Review the tabs (Everything, Logon, Explorer, Scheduled Tasks, Services, Drivers, etc.).
  5. Uncheck an entry to disable it, or right-click and delete it.

Autoruns is the definitive tool for startup management and is invaluable for troubleshooting slow boot times or identifying unwanted software.

Bonnes Pratiques

  • Start with Task Manager: Use it for basic startup management as it shows impact ratings.
  • Disable rather than delete: When possible, disable entries first to see if anything breaks before permanently removing them.
  • Keep security software enabled: Never disable antivirus or firewall startup entries.
  • Use Autoruns for deep inspection: When Task Manager and MSConfig do not show the offending startup item, Autoruns reveals everything.
  • Create a restore point before making changes to startup services or registry entries.
  • Document your changes: Keep a note of what you disabled so you can re-enable it if needed.

Résumé

Windows provides multiple methods to manage startup programs. Task Manager (Windows 8+) is the easiest starting point with its startup impact ratings. MSConfig handles startup services and diagnostic boot modes. Registry Run keys and the Startup folders provide direct control over autostart entries. Scheduled Tasks and services.msc cover background programs that bypass traditional startup locations. For the most thorough inspection, Sysinternals Autoruns reveals every autostart mechanism in Windows. Focus on disabling high-impact, non-essential programs to improve boot times while keeping security software and essential drivers enabled.