What is a Start-Up Item?

What is a Start-Up Item?

When you turn on your computer, various apps and invisible background processes start running without your invitation. While some of these programs are necessary, others can drain memory and slow your machine. In the past, you might have had to run a command-line program like MSConfig to see the startup items and toggle them off, but since Windows 8 you can use a visual, easy-to-understand way to do the same thing in the Task Manager.

A Start-up item is a service that runs at startup or at login. Unlike a user application, a Startup item can be installed in order to monitor a device or software, such as for updates or security alerts. It may also be used to configure a server or workstation and to initiate specific operations.창업아이템

While Startup items are typically services that run in the background, some are visible in the system tray of Windows and as icons in the menu bar of OS X. The system starts these programs based upon what is configured in the registry in the Run and RunOnce locations — these are described later in this article. Other startup programs are started by the launchd daemons and agents, which are controlled by the launchd process. The latter is the more important topic to discuss, as it provides less flexibility for developers and is not as transparent to users.

The system also uses a few other mechanisms to determine when Startup items will be executed. These include the /System/Library/StartupItems and /Library/StartupItems folders, which contain lists of items to load at startup, and the /Library/Startup/ folder, which contains shortcuts that have been placed there by users or applications. Earlier versions of the OS relied on these folders, and although Apple discourages the use of them now, some old apps will have them in their installer files. Using the folders is not recommended, and dragging files to the trash is a better alternative.후토루

The startup items in these locations are configured in a binary format. The most important part of the value is the first pair of digits, which indicates whether the item is enabled or disabled. The value can be manipulated by changing the text that appears after the first pair of digits, but only if the binary is already enabled when you change it. The second pair of digits indicates the service that is provided by the Startup item, and can be changed by the Requires and Uses keys (although it is recommended to avoid doing so).

For more information about how to manage Startup items, including modifying their settings, see this article. You can also find more information about startup impact in the Startup tab of the Task Manager, as shown in this screenshot. To view the Startup impact of a specific Startup item, right-click on it in the list and select Show impact. To disable or enable a Startup app, right-click on it in the list with a status of Enabled and choose Disable or Enable.창업아이템