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Starting Programs

In this lesson, you will learn:

This lesson shows where and demonstrates how Windows settings can be changed. This information is for use on your home and business computers.

The Lab Computers will not allow changes to be made that affect the operating system. This information is for instructional purposes only.

Starting Programs Auto - Magically

Windows starts some programs automatically when the computer first starts up. Sometimes the folder that you have opened when Windows shuts down will be re-opened again when Windows starts up. Any program shortcut placed inside of the "Startup" Folder will start automatically. You may want Windows to start the programs you use everyday when it first starts up, but perhaps the folder is empty like below..




To designate a program to start when Windows first starts up go to Taskbar Properties:



  1. Start > Control Panel > Taskbar & Start Menu, or
  2. Right Click Taskbar and choose Properties or
  3. Right Click Start and choose Properties

At the Properties page, select Start Menu. Whether using Classic View or otherwise, click on 'Customize'. .

  1. Taskbar Properties > Start Menu or Advanced Tab
  2. Turn on the programs that you want using the Drop Downs, Program selections and the Advanced Tab

Starting Programs using the Startup Folder

Any program shortcut placed inside of the 'Start' folder will tell Windows to start the program automatically when it boots up.




Note: using this for one or two smaller programs is ok, but using the auto start feature will noticeably make Windows start up slowly. If you are having a problem with Windows starting up slowly, this is the first place to look.

Launching programs automatically using the Start Folder shortcuts should NOT be done unless you know what you are doing. Autostarting the WRONG executable file (.exe file extension) could start services, dependancy programs (programs that depend on another program to be running first) or utilities rather than the program you intended, causing the system to hang when it tries to start. Use this with caution and ONLY start programs that you know how to.

In order to launch programs automatically you must know the path to the program that you want to use.To Launch the StartUp Folder Wizard follow these steps:

  1. Go to Taskbar Properties > Start Menu or Advanced Tab. (See above for instructions)
  2. Click on 'Start Menu' Tab.
  3. Select 'Classic View'. You MUST be in classic view to use this feature.
  4. Click the Add button to start the Create Shortcut Wizard.

Follow the Wizard to select the program you want to start automatically:

  1. Type or navigate to the Program you want to start. Either Browse for it or type the path into the box and click Next.
  2. Scan down the list and choose the Start Up folder and click Next
  3. Type a name for the program that is descriptive, short and easy to remember; anything you like.
  4. Click 'Finish' and repeat the above for each program you want to start automatically.

Each program is added to the Start Up folder as a Shortcut. The next time you start Windows, these will start also.

Most of the programs that are installed are placed into the "Program Files" directory automatically, so you will find them there under the program name. Usually you have to drill deeper to find the file named with a .exe ending.

Note: You are adding and removing the shortcuts to the programs, not the programs themselves, unless the program was manually dragged into this folder!

To remove the shortcut, Right click the shortcut in the Start menu and press the delete key. You can also follow the same techniques listed above, but remove the Shortcut that you do not want. Windows will boot up faster without the extra start up files. You are deleting the shortcut, not the program, so no harm is done.

For troubleshooting slow running computers, any program in the the Start Folder that you are not familiar with may be causing you computer to run slower, so only add the ones you absolutely need. Anti-Virus programs use this method of starting up automatically at the same time Windows does so that it is running before other programs that you start up.

Change the Properties of Start-Up Programs

Each start-up program has properties that define how it behaves when starting. These properties can be changed as outlined below.

  1. Start>Settings>Taskbar& Start Menu or
  2. Right Click on the Taskbar and select Properties
  3. Click on the Advanced Tab and click on the Advanced Button
  4. Expand the Programs folder in the left pane by clicking the + sign next to it.
  5. Scan down to locate the Startup folder.
  6. Right Click the item in the right pane and select Properties.

Of particular importance is the Sharing tab. Is there a good reason to share start up programs? You probably won't and this is how to turn it off so the start up files and programs are not shown from a different computer that won't use them. The particulars of Networks and Sharing are beyond the scope of this course. For more information, contact your instructor.

The Run Option

One of the exasperating things about computers is trying to open something and not being able to find it. Shortcuts plastered to desktops come and go, and if you need to run a program but the shortcut was accidentally deleted, you need to find the program. If you are ever in that dilemma, cheer up. There is a solution.

You know how to start programs like Windows Explorer by Right Clicking My Computer and selecting 'Explore', Right Clicking the Start Button and selecting 'Explore', or by selecting the program you want from the Start menu. What if the program is not anywhere to be found?

You can also open a file if you know its name. Close any programs that are open and try clicking Start > Run and type 'Explorer' in the box. Click Run and the program will open. Now close the program and in the Run box type command or cmd. You now have a handy way of getting to a DOS prompt, something technicians do all the time. 'Run' is a very handy tech tool, especially if things are not going well with Windows.

Here are a few reasons to use 'Run':

  • Use it as another way to open a program that is already installed on the computer, but doesn't appear in the start menu or as a shortcut.
  • Use it to run SETUP or INSTALL programs from the floppy disk or CD media when installing for the first time. For instance, A:\ Setup will start the setup program located on the A:\ Floppy drive.
  • When you don't know the name of the program or its path, you can browse to it by clicking the 'Browse' button.

The last reason listed is the very reason NOT to have the run menu available on your computer. Anyone sitting at the console (your computer keyboard) can type in the name of a program and run it. However, not all programs can be opened with this method. There are special Windows settings that allow some programs to be found by using the "path" and these settings are not for the normal user. Also, if the computer is on the network, it will not always work because the User or Computer may not have permissions on the network.



Email me: arcon4@frontier.com