For troubleshooting purposes, in the general tab you can either prevent all nonessential software and services from loading or you can prevent individual programs from loading.
Preventing all nonessential software and services from loading
For troubleshooting purposes, use the following steps to prevent all software programs from automatically opening when Windows starts. This will increase usable memory and processor time.
caution:
Use the following steps to prevent all startup items from opening, including antivirus software and other software that provides important functions. Follow these steps for troubleshooting purposes only. If preventing all startup items from loading resolves the problem, you can use the Startup tab (see following section) to prevent an individual software item from loading.
-
Click the General tab.
-
Select Selective Startup, and deselect Load startup items.
Figure : Deselecting Load startup items
-
Click the Services tab.
Select Hide all Microsoft services, so they will not be disabled, and then click Disable all to disable the remaining items on the services tab.
Figure : Services tab
-
Restart the computer for the changes to take effect.
If you find the problem no longer occurs after you prevent all software from loading, you can use the startup tab to try to find the exact software title that is causing the problem. Select all but one title from the startup tab and restart. Continue doing this, deselecting software and restarting each time, until the problem no longer occurs. When you determine which software is causing the issue, uninstall it or prevent it from loading when Windows opens.
-
When you have finished using the System Configuration tool, open it again and select Normal Startup and click OK.
Preventing individual programs from loading
Use the General tab to prevent specific software applications from opening with Windows. The following selections are on the General tab:
-
Normal startup - instructs Windows to open all software applications that are normally scheduled to start with Windows.
-
Diagnostic startup - starts Windows with basic services and drivers only. With this mode, you can determine if a basic Window file is the problem.
-
Selective startup - allows you to choose which programs and services you want to open, and which you want to keep from opening at startup tab.
Figure : General tab