Core Tuner

What does the module Autostart do?

In a nutshell, StartUp Manager lets you see what programs are being launched automatically when you start Windows® and lets you decide whether you want them to be launched or not.

What are all these programs that get launched automatically?

You’ve probably noticed that quite a few programs and “services” get launched automatically when you turn on your computer and start up Windows®. The more software you install on your system the more programs get launched automatically on Windows® startup. Nowadays programmers seem to think that their programs are so wonderful that everybody wants to have them loaded on every startup, therefore they are set up to launch  themselves automatically without even asking you.

Some of these programs, like virus scanners, are genuinely useful, but others just sit there, hogging your computer’s resources without doing anything really worthwhile. They use up valuable memory and processor time, and they can even cause errors and system crashes, if they conflict with other programs – which is all the more likely with badly-programmed applications that just want to draw attention to themselves.

Activating and deactivating entries

In the window you will find a list of autostart entries. Each entry has a check box to the left of it, which indicates whether it is currently active. To deactivate an entry just click in the check box to clear the check mark. Then the program is not launched on Windows startup any more.

Important Information

Please note that some auto-launched programs may be necessary for the proper functioning of your Windows® configuration or applications installed on your system. Always make sure that you know what a program is for before you delete its entry – it’s best to deactivate it first and see if everything is working properly before you remove it permanently. Google it, before you decide to remove it. This is particularly important with programs that are part of Windows® itself.

Keeping track of things

A system that is used for a while and in lots of different ways can accumulate way over 100 programs, registry entries and plug-ins. To keep track of things you can choose from a drop-down list (see image below).

Rating system

The innovative online rating system pools the knowledge of all Ashampoo WinOptimizer and Ashampoo Core Tuner 2 users and enables direct online updating and synchronization. You benefit twofold: from our professional know-how and the experiences of the community.

When there are already rating for a program, you will find a rating in stars on the right-hand side. The rating goes from 0 stars (very poorly rated) to 5 stars (very positive).

Feel free to rate programs yourself! Your experience can be important for other users! Simply click on the auto-start element ( the program, plug-in, etc.) which you would like to rate and then click on Rate online (see image below). Your browser will open and you are directed to the website, where you can vote fast and easy!  Of course personal data will not be collected!

Security

There are two security issues you need to bear in mind when using the Autostart module:

Necessary auto-start programs

Both normal applications and the operating system itself use the auto-launch facilities provided by Windows® to load programs that they genuinely need – this is why these facilities were created in the first place. It’s thus a good idea to be pretty sure you know what a program is before you deactivate it.

If the name doesn’t give you a strong indication the best way is to call up the context menu with a right mouse click and then use Properties and check the information in the Version tab. The details shown here will generally give you a pretty good idea what the entry is.

Always try deactivating entries before deleting them!

Don’t delete any entries before you’re completely sure it’s safe to do so. Always first deactivate an entry and then test your system for a while to make sure that everything is working properly. If you want to be completely sure, it’s best not to delete entries at all – when they are deactivated by Ashampoo Core Tuner 2 they aren’t launched so they don’t compromise your system in any way.