Security Features
Within the Tools menu is something called Startup Guard. This opens a window listing any possible security flaws in startup. It then offers to fix any that it has marked on your system. It's definitely not a high-end security app but it does cover a few holes you might not think of through which a Trojan could slip. It's probably best to just look at the screenshot for this one:
Fig. 4 ... Startup Guard (Security)
Additional Features
Startup Organizer can be set to start with Windows. Personally, I didn't have a use for this since it can handle the Controlled Startup functions separately through its ctrl.exe program.
The Windows start option does provide a couple of background features. First, it monitors changes in the registry and startup folder to determine if any program adds itself or modifies a startup routine. It then can notify you. If you don't have it automatically running it will still detect these changes but not until the next time you start it. Its check interval can be set from within the Options menu.
I noticed something concerning those changes: Some programs will insist on putting themselves back in the same spot in the registry despite Startup Organizer placing them under another category. Startup Organizer will alert you which items have re-added themselves the next time you start it and you can remove them again. If the program continues to relocate itself, however, you may just want to let it run from the preferred location.
Second, by letting Startup Organizer start at login it loads into the system tray providing you immediate access to its interface. One of the more convenient things about this is quick access to the services control panel to start and stop services. For example, I constantly access the services control panel -- typically by hitting Windows-R and typing "services.msc" -- to stop my folding clients before playing a game. Startup Organizer's system tray functionality provides a bit quicker access to services than my traditional method.
Another feature is the ability to print your startup configuration. You can choose either brief or detailed forms. For this review I printed only the brief form, which listed the Name, Path, and Category for each item loaded. On my system this took two-and-a-half pages.
Conclusion
Startup Organizer is a very useful program but it may not be something you use very often. You set it up and let it do its job, and it works invisibly every time you start your computer. I use it fairly often to access services. I also sometimes use the controlled startup to prevent startup programs from starting when I want to play a game.
Overall, I like this program. There are a couple things that could be improved, but absolutely nothing that could be considered a flaw. As far as I know there are no other programs on the market that have the same functionality. Tune-Up Utilities' Startup Manager provides similar capabilities but does not offer as many options.
In my opinion the Windows OS should have a control panel applet just like Startup Organizer. It has always needed a central location to tie all of the starting processes together so that they can be easily managed through a good interface. As it turns out, Startup Organizer does add itself as an icon in the Control Panel. If you want an easy way to control what programs start with your computer you might want to consider Startup Organizer.
I would like to sincerely thank Alexander Bednyyakov of MetaProducts for making this product available to ABXZone for our review.
I have also included two more pages (Page 4 & 5)of screen shots from this software package to help you better visualize the vast array of features it provides.
Pros
- Easily manipulate all startup programs from one interface
- Control order of startup programs
- Detect suspicious programs added to system startup routines
Cons
- Unable to set interval for program load for each program individually
Disclaimer
I am neither affiliated with MetaProducts nor was not I aware of this product until it was supplied by MetaProducts to ABXZone at no charge for review and I was assigned this project. I pledge that my writing, thoughts, and ideas in reviewing this product were not influenced in any way and were presented as if I had purchased it for my own use.
