Rating: 5

Version tested: 2.2.85

Startup Delayer is an award winning program that can potentially decrease your system’s booting time by scheduling a delayed launch of some of your startup applications.

The idea behind this program is that when Windows boots, it attempts to launch a number of applications in succession that end up simultaneously competing for resources, overloading the system and delaying the successful conclusion of the booting process. Startup Delayer is a scheduler that will let you determine the timing and sequence of launching startup applications when booting in a way that could potentially make your computer responsive much earlier.

I have tested this and it seems to work. I used the following pseudo-scientific methodology:

• Used a stopwatch to TWICE measure my system’s booting time before installing Startup Delayer.
• Determined that the conclusion of the booting process was that point when Windows XP finally opened a folder that I had clicked on. Windows will allow clicking on the folder early on, but will not actually open it until its done booting.
• My machine’s boot time was approximatley 3:19 mins for both attempts.
• I then installed Startup delayer and used it to reschedule the launch time of 6 of my startup applications, delaying them for periods ranging from 20 seconds to 2 minutes (see screenshot).
• I used the same criteria above to measure the new booting time until Windows became responsive. New boot time (measured twice); 2:40 mins (a 40 second difference). The ‘delayed’ programs launched in due course without interfereing with what I was doing.

Verdict: if you want to decrease your system’s boot time the best way to do it is to use a program like Starter to remove applications you do not need from your startup list. If you still want a shorter boot time after you do this Startup Delayer just might provide you with a workable solution. Startup delayer is a competent little program that does what it does well. It has a clean and self explanatory user interface, and it will generate a little chart towards the bottom that will show you the timeline represenstation of your re-scheduled applications. I am currently happily using it on my system.

Compatibility: 98, ME, Windows 2000, XP.

Go to the program home page to download the latest version.