What programs can be unchecked for Windows Startup? Old Compaq Presario

I am cleaning up a laptop for a friend -- he has a very old Compaq Presario 2200.

The number of items in the startup seem like a lot.

I wanted to take a snapshot of the startup config so people could see them but I don't know how to with this laptop.

Would someone suggest how I might start?

 

unless you can post a list, anyone here will be trying to advise you 'blind'.

 

You could export the key from the registry and open it with notepad

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

 

I usually just go down the start up list and google the items, and if they seem safe to turn off I do.

(yes I know your all standing in awe of my brilliance )

 

your brilliance is assuming that anyone who can google a search term will also be able to understand, interpret, and apply the results.

 

I realize that... That's why I tried to do a snap shot. SO I was asking help with that first.

That's neat... I didn't know about that.

Yes it is brilliant I've done that too -- but too often people disagree about what can and cannot be unchecked...

Your brilliance is assuming that people who post here probably can't --

Anyway.... as I know that one can uncheck them all and let the programs as you use them re-check themselves -- that at least gets rid of programs constantly running you don't use. Of course there are pesky programs like Quicktime who insist on turning themselves on at start -- even though you may use them like once a month at most....

Running MSConfig is a monthly (at least) process for me. However my friend's laptop had a whole lot of HP programs running in the background with which I was completely unfamiliar even though one of my laptops is an HP. (The other is an ASUS.)

 

In fact, most items on autostart is non-essential for your computer. Disabling ie. ATI Catalyst Control Center may disable hotkey functions and such, but that's all, really. If I were in your shoes, I'd start by wiping the list. I mean, after all, if using msconfig.exe for accessing the Registry Run keys, you will easily be able to reactive items that will possibly come to mess things up when disabled. Starting in this end is -- to me -- the most satisfying way of reaching success in terms of a clean workstation.

Best of luck!