How to Achieve a Clean Startup

The startup menu. When you first purchase your computer it may be a clean slate, or full of programs you’ll never use. Somehow before you even realize it, it is so cluttered and disorganized that it can actually slow computer function, creating a slow boot process.

Some people never offer their computer simple, routine maintenance techniques such as a cleaning of the startup menu. Many become quite frustrated or find themselves in a panic when their machine won’t run properly and they need quick results for work, or personal use. A clean startup menu is one way to avoid slow computer problems.

Why it’s Necessary to Clean Startup Menus

As you begin downloading software onto your computer, they generally have side or additional applications that accompany their function. Many of these applications are programmed to start running when you boot your computer. Because of this, all associated applications will also beginning running. The more and more programs you have running at start up make for a clutter within the startup menu. To a certain extent, there is no logical amount of RAM that can sort and present these programs in a timely manner, meaning the startup will get slower and slower.

By getting rid of, or rearranging useless and lesser used programs or applications, a computer is able to startup faster, getting you online or into the programs and applications you need in a much timelier manner.

How to Clean the Startup Menu

Before delving into this small step of routine maintenance, it is worth mentioning that removing programs from a start up menu won’t delete them from the hard drive. That is a different process altogether. This is simply going to free up room in terms of programs that startup when you boot the computer.

To get a clean startup menu, you must first access the startup menu. You do this by clicking on the Windows “Start” key, and then going to “All Programs” or “Programs.” At this point, find “Startup” and from here, you can browse a quick list, or right click on it to open the contents in a separate window. The latter makes it easier to peruse the contents.

At this point, you’ll want to examine all of the programs available in the startup menu. Now you can clean your startup menu by simply dragging the icons to the desktop to use them as shortcuts, or you can right click or highlight them to delete them completely. Again, this won’t delete the programs from your computer, if you do use them occasionally. When you drag them to the desktop, they’ll cease to clog your startup process, and they’ll now be accessible through a desktop shortcut.

A Clean Startup Makes for a Happy Computer

There’s no need to go crazy when you want or need to clean your startup menu, but it is good to offer the maintenance routinely. Simply rid it of excess, and it will allow your CPU to function at an optimal speed at startup. If you find that you want to add a program shortcut back to the start up menu, it’s as simple as dragging a shortcut icon back into the startup folder.