How Windows 8 prevents software from being loaded automatically

In a traditional desktop environment, right-click the taskbar, select Task Manager, and then click Start (Startup).

The table does not display as much information as the Msconfig table, but it is easier to understand. The last column is particularly useful: startup impact, which shows how the software affects the startup time of the system, and helps users decide which software is blocked from loading automatically when the PC starts.

To prevent a software from automatically loading when the system starts, the user simply right click on the software and choose the Disable option on the shortcut menu.

The shortcut menu also has an option named Open file location, which indicates where the software is located on the hard disk--to provide clues about the software publisher. If you don't know the information about the software, users can use the search engine to find relevant information.

Unfortunately, the startup tool in Windows 8 lacks the "date disabled" information. If you want to experimentally prohibit a software to automatically load when the system is started, users need to write down the software that has just been blocked from loading automatically. In this way, once the system is in trouble, users can easily restore the software that was just blocked from loading automatically.