NirSoft is always coming out with great utilities and one of my favorites is WhatInStartup. You can download the program from here:
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/what_run_in_startup.html

It’s very simple to use and it has some nice features that you won’t get from MSConfig. Firstly, you don’t have to install it, it is just an executable file that runs on it’s own, which is nice because you can run it from a USB stick or any type of external media.

One of the main problems with using MSConfig is that you get absolutely no info on the executable file, which can be obscurely named or have some crazy path you can’t understand. In these cases, it’s useful to be able to look up the process and get more information about it so that you can make an informed decision on whether or not you want to disable it.

In WhatInStartup, by default you get a lot more information on the executable which can help you determine whether it needs to be starting up when Windows starts up. Just scroll to the right and you’ll get info like the Product Name, Product Description, Company, Process Path, and more.

You can also right-click on any process and perform a Google search on the executable name or product name.

To disable a startup program, just click on the item and then click on the red circle across the toolbar. There is also a really nice feature in WhatInStartup called Permanent Disable Mode. As long as the program is running, it will automatically disable any program that tries to re-add itself to the startup list. So if you remove a program using MSConfig, there are a lot of programs that will simply add themselves back in when you use that program again.

If you go to Options and make sure Permanent Disable Mode is selected, then any process that tries that will automatically be disabled again.

Another cool feature is that you can load up startup items from another instance of Windows, not just the local Windows installation. Go to Advanced options and you’ll see this:

Just point the program to the Windows folder and you’re set! Pretty neat. You can also generate a nice HTML page with a list of all the startup items, which is good if you want to email or send a copy to someone else.

Overall, it’s a really useful utility to help speed up your computer by preventing every program installed on your computer from automatically loading when Windows starts up! Do you have a favorite startup manager that you use? If so, post it in the comments!