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.
this is great thanx I was looking for something just like this…. you do a good job on this page… this same prog. was on Lifehacker, but a day after you posted it here…
ll
comodo detected a trojan.win32.codec.1 when i installed this program. it could be a coincedence, but it happened at the exact moment the program extracted.
goo
I’ve taken a somewhat different approach. First, I created a batch file with BatchRun (http://www.outertech.com/index.php?_charisma_page=product&id=1), put it in my Documents and Settings folder, and then I used ApplicationPaths (http://www.max2k.com/programs.php?id=31) to associate the word “start” to the batch file I created. Now all I have to do is press the Windows key and “R” (for “run”), type in “start”, press enter, and then… it’s show time.
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I’ve been using v. 2.5 on my 64-bit Vista machine for a few months now.
Doesn’t decrease my start-up time. In fact, it ~lengthens~ it !
But, I have so many applets starting up at boot time (something for which
Freeware Genius has culpability !) that I was having problems with all of
‘em loading correctly. Startup Delayer resolved this issue.
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The Computer Rodent
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