StartUpLite
Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista
What is it? An easy to use Startup program configuration tool
Download size: 200 KB
Download times: 2 minutes on dialup; 5 seconds or less on broadband

From our experiences during the days when we actually had time to fix computers - mostly for friends and family members, there were two things that always grabbed our attention:

1. The number of icons people leave on their desktops

2. The number of programs people allow to start with Windows.

The desktop icon problem is easily correctly and really, other than looking sloppy, doesn't do much to affect a computer's performance. OK, technically speaking, it can, but we are seldom guilty of technically speaking - which is probably why you're reading this newsletter and not Bob's Great Windows Secrets Only Geeks Can Know newsletter.

Anyway...as most of you know from reading this non-technical, technical newsletter, the number of programs which start with Windows is directly related to how well and how fast Windows runs. Why? Because every program you allow to start with Windows remains running in the background all the time -whether you know it or not. Think of each program as a little rodent with a big straw sticking out of its mouth. Now picture a little pond of Kool-Aid - all sugary and red. Now the mice discover this sweet red treat and dip their straws into it and begin sucking up the red liquid. How long do you think that pool of Kool-Aid is going to last. If you're logical you're going to ask two things:

1. How big is the puddle?

2. How many mice are there?

You're very wise. The bigger the puddle the more mice with straws it will take to suck the puddle dry. Yes! Yes! There is a point here. The puddle of Kool-Aid is your RAM and the little rats are the programs that start with Windows. Now if you have a really big puddle you can allow a lot of rats to drink from it without the puddle going dry. But if you have your average sized puddle and a whole bunch of rats - your Kool-Aid  puddle is going to dry up fast.

But no matter how big your puddle, why do you want to feed rats? Rats only breed more rats, especially if they're high on Kool-Aid. Rats? Rats? You don't need no stinkin' rats.

The moral of the story of the rats and the Kool-Aid is that the less rats you have sucking from your Kool-Aid the longer the Kool-Aid will last. So, eliminate as many rats as you can. Or, cut the number of startup programs down to a bare minimum and you will always have more resources left to run the programs you want to run. But, many of you aren't sure which startup programs you can safely stop from starting with Windows - you're timid and you don't understand rats much. Well, we have found a program for you that will make eliminating some of those rats er startup programs as easy as clicking an icon. Yes, you don't even have to select anything. Hey, you don't even have to install this thing. Just download it, click on it and watch what happens. A list of startup programs that can be stopped from starting with Windows without affecting anything on your computer - except for increasing the amount of resources you have available - appears. If all looks good, just press continue. Wham! Rats eliminated, Kool-Aid saved, and all's right with the world.

Enough! We hear ya! To save your sanity we're going to introduce the software developer which happens to be the same as the developer of Malwarebytes and he says....

"A problem in the computer world that many users have is a slow startup. Everyone wants to know how to speed up their startup process. Of course, there are many solutions to this problem, however, Malwarebytes has created a safe, easy, and efficient way to eliminate these unnecessary applications that start when you turn on your computer - StartUpLite.

StartUpLite is a lightweight and simple to use application that allows you to speed up your system startup, safely and efficiently. The program allows you to disable or remove unnecessary startup entries from your computer. By using StartUpLite, you can dramatically help shorten your startup time with only a few clicks of the mouse."

No installation required, just download and run. It's pretty nifty and a steal at this price! It's free. In fact StartUpLite is our freeware pick of the week. You can download it from this site. Go get them dirty rats!