Consider also the semihidden processes that legitimate vendors run all the time so that their applications can appear to start more quickly. On the other hand, consider the plethora of “free” trial versions of programs that computer manufacturers install on new computers and that fill up the taskbar notification area.
And much of Windows itself is implemented through ASEPs in the form of drivers, services, and Explorer extensions. Users enjoy search toolbars and PDF readers that become part of Internet Explorer. For example, if you want your instant messaging contacts to know when you are online, having the messaging client start when you log on is a great help. These locations are often referred to as Autostart Extensibility Points, or ASEPs.ĪSEPs have legitimate and valuable purposes. Over 200 locations in the file system and registry allow autostarts to be configured on 圆4 versions of Windows. This type of software includes drivers and services that start when the computer is booted applications, utilities, and shell extensions that start when a user logs on and browser extensions that load when Internet Explorer is started.
Sometimes the “value” to the user is doubtful at best sometimes the value is for someone else entirely and the software acts to the detriment of the user (which is when the software is called malware).Īutostarts is the term I use to refer to software that runs automatically without being intentionally started by a user. Not only can programmers write applications that users can choose to run, those programmers can “add value” by having their software run automatically without troubling the user to start it, by adding visible or nonvisible features to Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer, or by supplying device drivers that can interact with custom hardware or change the way existing hardware works. A question I often hear is, “Why is all this stuff running on my computer?” That’s often followed with, “How do I get rid of it?” The Microsoft Windows operating system is a highly extensible platform.
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