Absolute StartUp 5.1
F-Group Software proudly announces the release of a new version of
the multifunctional Absolute StartUp 5.1 manager, with an updated
database for automatic optimization of data on automatic-starting
Windows programs.
(I reviewed version 4.1 of this utility in Sixteen Bits for December 2004, and it is available here. Terry Bibo)
Absolute StartUp is a fast
optimizer of the Windows boot-up process. Absolute StartUp manages all
registry startup sections as well as startup folders and services. More
importantly, it lets administrators control the startup sequences of
other users of the PC! With Absolute StartUp, an administrator can
modify the startup configuration of any user -- and it won't require
their passwords and logins to do so.
Absolute StartUp is intended primarily to resolve the problems a casual
user faces. During the startup, users witness numerous programs being
automatically loaded by Windows. The msconfig utility will gladly list
these programs, but a regular user may find it daunting to try and
determine which of the programs he really needs.
Absolute StartUp uses an online database to settle that issue on behalf
of users. The database contains information about all the programs
looking to be started and also includes recommendations from other
computer users regarding the advisability of keeping certain programs
on your startup list. The database makes an exception for viruses and
spyware/adware applications: all recommendations on such programs are
ignored; Absolute StartUp will remove them from the startup lists on
sight. The database is available for searching and browsing at
http://www.absolutestartup.com/startup/.
By optimizing your startup process, you can reduce the Windows boot-up
time - which is especially important for laptops. It only takes a
minute: launch Absolute StartUp, approve the optimized version of your
startup list, and you are done.
At the same time, with Absolute StartUp you can fine-tune the automatic
startup behavior of your programs. Besides the Windows startup, you can
schedule a program start to a certain time, schedule a program to run
after a timeout, start several programs simultaneously, or start
Internet applications only, and on top of all this use hotkeys to
control the launching.
Absolute StartUp Pro costs only $29.95; Absolute StartUp Home Edition
costs $19.95. Both versions are available for ordering on Absolute
StartUp's Website, http://www.absolutestartup.com/. You can download
the free trial version of Absolute StartUp from the same address.
System Requirements Windows 95/98/ME/2000/NT4/XP, 32 MB RAM, Pentium-2, 5 MB Hard Disk