14 DAY TRIAL // Startup processes - can't live with them and you can't live without them. They can make working on the computer more comfortable or, on the contrary, make your machine slow down and take it easier than you wish it to. A healthy management of these files cannot be done using Windows XP alone and a third party application is needed.
Good startup managing softwares can even help you detect malware that is freely doing its job on your computer. This type of programs usually give you all the important information about the processes that are launched with Windows. Some of them can be really useful while others just load up and run uselessly, gulping the computer resources. This, combined with fragmentation of the files on the drive and along with other operations can result in low performance of your computer. That is the moment most users make a decision for an upgrade or even to change the computer.
StartU is and older friend of ours that has been redesigned and re-posted on the Internet. The idea it was born from is called StartUp Tuner: Extra. StartU works similarly, but there are however some small details that make it worth trying (especially by beginners).
The new interface of StartU preserves the same simplicity as its predecessor. So the ease of use is inherited from the previous generation. The current processes that are loading with your Windows OS are listed in the main window and the details are displayed in the right side. New information provided by this new release is the detail about your system: the operating system and the CPU power. A bit lower in the window there is the path to the executable of the selected process.
And even lower the properties of the process are displayed: a process can be selected to run for all the users of the computer or only for the current user. When adding a new process in the list you can define this property. Unfortunately, you will have to remove an item and add it again in order to redefine this feature. This comes as a drawback as having this option more at hand would really add value to the product.
No context menu in this version either, so working with the application is limited to the redesigned icons provided by the developer. These are the same as in the anterior release and Identify option remains my favorite still (performs a look over the Internet for the selected process - this is particularly useful for beginners as it will aid make the difference between system process and the rest).
Restore Backup option in the File menu has no counter correspondent and by that I mean that there is no function to provide creating a backup of the startup processes to begin with. However, this is the beta version of the application so some mischiefs are to be expected.
Tools menu encloses Settings option, designed to help you configuring the program. Choosing the process identifier engine (either processlibrary.com or programchecker.com), activating the process monitor (alerts you when the startup list is modified), enabling automatic check for updates and selecting the working language are the only settings you can make.
Help menu in return covers the Setup Wizard. The wizard is the most beautifully drawn part of the application and to tell you the truth I do not know why all that color has not been added to the entire interface of the program. The wizard is not yet complete as Back button is not implemented at this moment and not all the Settings sections are included. Only the language options, enabling automatic check for updates and activating the process monitor are available.
Another minor glitch StartU will present is the temporary hiding of the window when the wizard is completed. At the beginning, I thought I blinked a little longer, but a second test proved that it was the application.
The Good
The app is freeware and beginners will surely appreciate it as it is simple and easy to use. There are no complicated buttons and the settings are everything but intricate. With the wizard by your side you will be able to properly configure the application.
The best feature available remains Identifier which will help you learn more details about a certain process that starts with Windows. The process libraries included are also a great step forward as in the previous edition, the search was googled and the user had to choose from the myriad of results.
The Bad
There is no context menu to give you faster access to different options. The properties of the processes cannot be changed unless removal and re-adding is performed. A correspondent of the Backup option is needed.
The Truth
StartU is on the way of becoming a very good startup manager. Considering the beta version, there is still some work to do, but at least you can do what the software is designed to do: provide easier access to startup processes and add some of your own.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
