Startup Management

When trying to optimize your system, the primary concern should be Windows Startup. Because of this entry level, the optimization process can and will win important points in the struggle to attain better performance. I’m not saying that your system will run smoothly with no blue-screen moments, or open applications in two seconds even if the hardware specs tend to contradict this, but the proper way to start optimizing your system is to manage the startup locations.

Not all the programs you add or install ask permission to create startup entries. Basically, the difference is in the nature of the software. Those having nothing to hide and require startup entries to run, do warn the user, or better yet, ask for permission, when creating a new startup entry (see Winamp, which asks you if you want to add its agent to startup – a component that resides in system tray and allows the user to control the main application).

The ones that install startup items and do not ask permission for this action, these are the ones that should be considered suspicious (for example, a small component that sends personal information to an unknown server, or changes your default Internet settings, homepage or search engine). The ultimate protection is to use a security product, or an antivirus and a firewall to detect such behavior. But to prevent components from adding themselves to startup is enough to install a startup manager that provides detection and blocks functions. Not all startup managers have these features.

Startup Firewall will allow the user to manage startup items. The name “firewall” for me stands for extra safety and protection. Indeed, Startup Firewall offers more then startup location management. By default, the application will add itself to startup. The basic functions provided by the application are enable (allow), disable (deny) entries or remove them, as well as startup monitoring. The last feature is very important. Startup Firewall will sit in your system tray and alert you of new entries to startup locations. Moreover, it will allow the user to deny the entry.

The application comes with a 21-day trial period, and to register the software, you need to pay 19$. It is not a high price to pay to ensure a clean Windows load, but there are other applications that offer the same functions and more for free (see Winpatrol). It was designed for Windows XP and Vista but it also runs on Windows 7, the platform all the tests were conducted on. By default, Startup Firewall will scan and list all startup items. All items are marked as allowed on the first run. For each listed item, the user can see a few details like Key, which defines the residing location (startup registry or folder), Value (the name of the software), Command that shows the file location (with or without parameters) and Safety rating. This is a percentage bar running from 1 to 100% displayed for every element. More Info window lets the user view safety rating details.

I couldn’t determine the algorithm guiding Startup Firewall in calculating all the ratings. More Info window displays on two columns rating details about the selected item, such as: Description, In Startup, Target, Temporary (Yes or No), Type (File), Compressed (Yes or No), Dangerous functions (Not Present or Imports potential dangerous functions), Certificate (Present or Not Present), Microsoft Authenticity (Valid or No Valid Microsoft Windows file ) and Belongs to.

To test the monitoring function, I installed Winamp, which creates a startup entry for Winamp Agent component. Startup Firewall did warn me about the new item. A new window appears, permitting or denying the entry to the user. In the help page, the developer mentions a checkbox called “Remember this answer,” which will create a rule for the item (so that every time a request is made, Startup Firewall will apply the rule for the particular item), but doesn’t seem to be present. Every change that was made to startup list will be displayed in Log window.

Startup Firewall will not allow the user to manage any services (although it is best not to remove services if you don’t know its nature because it can alter system’s stability). A small example about the importance of blocking startup services can be found in power management applications. Many shutdown or reboot tools have services, too, that can, by mistake (and here I mean a scheduled task that was missed), reboot your system without any warning.

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