NOTE: AN UPGRADE IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR THIS PROGRAM
Startup Cop Pro debuted in December 2003! Startup Cop Pro not only identifies and controls the programs that launch with Windows, it describes programs, issues alerts, creates permanent blocks, and more! (Click here for more info!)

Publication Date: April 20, 1999 (v18n08)
Version: 1.1
Platforms: Windows 95/98/Me/NT4/2000/XP

License Information:
PC Magazine programs are copyrighted and cannot be distributed, whether modified or unmodified. Use is subject to the terms and conditions of the license agreement distributed with the programs.

Description:
When Windows starts up, it automatically launches a number of programs for you. Some of these come from the Startup folder. Windows also looks in six other locations for files that should be launched at startup. Startup Cop helps you handle problems with programs that are automatically launched at startup by listing them and letting you disable, enable, or delete them. You can save the list of programs that are currently enabled or disabled as a profile that can be restored at a later time.

Revision History:

Changes in Version 1.01:

- Fixed: If a profile contained a startup item whose command-line was enclosed in double-quotes, it would not be processed when the profile was restored.

Changes in Version 1.1:

NOTE: Be sure to uninstall v1.0 before installing this version.

- In Windows XP, Startup Cop reported three spurious files (*., *.., and *desktop.ini) for each of the two Start menu startup groups. The first two were due to the fact that it assumed a the Startup folder would have only the Directory attribute - in XP, it also has the Read-only attribute. The last is a legitimate non-launching file that identifies the folder as "special" to Windows. Now Startup Cop correctly identifies directories even when they have other attributes, and ignores files that have hidden or system attributes.

- Startup Cop now has a Windows XP "look" when run under Windows XP.

- Startup Cop's Restart shortcuts could not restart Win2000 or XP because the program lacked sufficient privilege. This has been fixed.

- When Startup Cop created a "restart" profile shortcut, it misplaced a space in the command line, which resulted in a non-functional shortcut. This has been fixed.

- Sometimes Windows 9x would fail to properly report the common startup group. Now if that happens, Startup Cop checks the Registry for the necessary information.