Managing Programs and Features in Windows Vista
(Page 1 of 5 )
In this conclusion to a four-part series on Windows Vista, you will learn how to handle startup programs, network-enabled programs, and more. This article is excerpted from chapter four of the book
Windows Vista: The Definitive Guide, written by William R. Stanek (O'Reilly, 2007; ISBN: 0596528000). Copyright © 2007 O'Reilly Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission from the publisher. Available from booksellers or direct from O'Reilly Media.
Viewing and Managing Startup Programs
Some software programs you install, such as antivirus or backup software, are configured as startup programs. As the name implies, startup programs run in the background and start automatically when you log on. You can view the currently configured startup programs using Software Explorer. Software Explorer also allows you to enable, disable, or remove startup programs.
Viewing your startup programs
You can open Software Explorer and view your startup programs by completing the following steps:
Click Start, click All Programs, and then click Windows Defender.
On the Windows Defender toolbar, click Tools and then click Software Explorer.
In Software Explorer, the Startup Programs option is selected in the Category list by default. When you click a program in the left pane, details about the program’s configuration are displayed in the right pane, as shown in Figure 4-12.
Figure 4-12. Viewing your startup programs
Table 4-2 provides a summary of the configuration details for startup programs.
Table 4-2. Overview of configuration details for startup programs
| Configuration aspect | Description |
| Classification | Lists the classification of the executable file as either permitted or not permitted |
| Date Installed | Lists the date and time that the file was installed |
| Description | Lists a description of the application |
| Digitally Signed By | Lists the company that digitally signed the program’s executable file |
| Display Name | Lists the application name that Windows Vista uses |
| File Name | Lists the executable filename |
| File Path | Lists the complete file path to the executable file |
| File Size | Lists the size of the executable file in bytes |
| File Type | Lists the type of file listed in the File Name field, such as whether a file is an application file or an application extension file |
| File Version | Lists the version and revision numbers of the executable file |
| Location | Lists the folder path where the startup program shortcut was created, or the Run registry key value |
| Publisher | Lists the company that published the software |
| Ships with Operating System | Lists whether the executable file ships with the operating system |
| Startup Type | Lists how you have configured the program to start automatically, such as whether the startup program is in the Startup folder for all users or is in your personal Startup folder |
| Startup Value | Lists the options or parameters passed to the program at startup |
Next: Enabling, disabling, and removing your startup programs >>
More BrainDump Articles
More By O'Reilly Media
|
 This article is excerpted from chapter four of the book Windows Vista: The Definitive Guide, written by William R. Stanek (O'Reilly, 2007; ISBN: 0596528000). Check it out today at your favorite bookstore. Buy this book now.
|
|
