Disable third-party firewall software Follow these useful steps to disable third-party firewall software on your computer. Firewalls act as locked gates that block intruders from accessing your computer and permit the passage of desirable applications.
There’s a multitude of things that can go wrong with the Windows operating system. From serious issues like blue screens of death and operating system not found errors to more general problems of software causing instability or malicious programs and spyware which are making the system misbehave. Users often run several security applications at once which sometimes don’t like each other and the problem can stem from that. Sometimes it could be a Windows issue but often third party software is the cause of the problem. Mac port forwarding app.
A good way to troubleshoot problems if you don’t know the exact cause is to disable everything that starts with Windows so just the operating system itself runs, like what Safe Mode does. The problem with Safe Mode is it disables almost the entire operating system and only runs the absolute bare essentials to get a boot, that sometimes isn’t so helpful and you will need to boot Windows as normal but just disable all third party software to try and find the root problem.
A lot of the time when seeking help from the internet you will be asked to perform a “clean boot” of Windows. This simply means preventing all non Windows programs and services from starting so the system is running more cleanly and no third party software is launched on boot. Here is how to perform a clean boot of Windows with a few extra options for making sure normal booting is as clean as possible.
Third-party apps and services are created by companies or developers that aren’t Google. For example, you may download an app that helps you schedule workouts with friends. This app may request access to your Google Calendar and Contacts to suggest times and friends for you to meet up with.
Click the Startup tab and then press the Disable all button. This will stop all third party applications starting with Windows. You can perform this step in most clean and tweak tools, in CCleaner for example, click Tools Startup Windows, press Ctrl+A and hit Disable. Note that like services it would be a good idea to keep a.
Use it to disable automatic updates, notifications and even disable Google Automatic updaters and other background apps and launch agents. #4: For third-party apps, you can also disable updates within individual app settings. Not everyone downloads apps on a Mac from the Mac App Store.
1. Click Start and type msconfig into the search box or press Win key+R to show the Run dialog and type msconfig.
2. With the System Configuration (msconfig) window open, go to the Services tab and put a tick in the “Hide all Microsoft services” box at the bottom left before hitting Disable all. As a lot of software installs system services you need to disable them too and letting Windows load all its services and only stopping those from third parties will mean the operating system itself will run normally.
Be aware that the hide Microsoft services box will do just that and hide anything by Microsoft, and that includes services from their third party software such as Office. To disable those services you would need to untick the box, find the service(s) and untick.
3. Click the Startup tab and then press the Disable all button. This will stop all third party applications starting with Windows. You can perform this step in most clean and tweak tools, in CCleaner for example, click Tools > Startup > Windows, press Ctrl+A and hit Disable. Press OK.
Note that like services it would be a good idea to keep a note of what items were ticked (enabled) before clicking the button to disable everything, there maybe some items that have previously been disabled. Not to worry though as the Date Disabled column will show when each item was disabled.
3a. Windows 8/8.1 users have to do extra work at this step because from Windows 8 the startup entries tab was moved to Task Manager. Right click on the taskbar > Task Manager and click the Startup tab, then right click on each entry and select Disable. A rather sizeable step backwards from previous Windows versions is you can’t now simply click disable all and have to instead disable each entry manually.
4. At this point you can restart your computer for a clean boot and see if your problem is temporarily gone, then load msconfig and selectively enable items in the services and startup tabs until you can pin down what is causing the issue.
An Extra Step to Disable Startup Items
Although the steps above are what most would consider a clean boot, there still may be an area which is launching programs on startup, and that is through scheduled tasks. Scheduled tasks can be configured to launch at system startup, logon or after xx seconds/minutes and could still start something that is causing your problem even though startup processes and services have been disabled via msconfig. To disable scheduled tasks:
1. Go to Control Panel > Administrative tools > Task Scheduler or type Control Schedtasks into the Run dialog (Win key+R).
2. Look in the Status column and right click on every task that isn’t listed as Disabled, and disable it.
Make a note of what you’re disabling so you can re-enable using the same method later on.
Antivirus and Internet Security Software
It’s highly likely you will have antivirus software installed and possibly other security software and you may find that if you disable startup items or services in msconfig, the software still runs on boot. Most antivirus applications have a self protection function which prevents anything from disabling the program on startup. If you go to msconfig you’ll see the service and/or startup entry has most likely been re-ticked.
To fully disable your antivirus and get a properly clean boot you will have to open the program’s settings and look for a self defense option and disable it. For example, in Kaspersky Antivirus/Internet Security you have to go to Settings > Additional > Self Defense and untick the “Enable Self-Defense” option or Kaspersky will keep re-enabling its service. https://flonew328.weebly.com/blog/app-on-mac-that-allow-note-on-the-screen.
Final Note: Many users will know msconfig has options in the General tab to disable services and startup items. You can use selective startup but the services option will disable all services including those used to run Windows. This will disable components such as Networking, Plug and Play, Event Logging, and Error Reporting. It can actually cause more problems if you disable all services, so that option should be used as a last resort only.
You might also like:
7 Tools to Detect Non-Windows or Non-Microsoft ServicesReducing your Windows XP Boot TimeHow To Disable, Uninstall or Remove Windows DefenderRestore Deleted Services and Reset to Default Services SettingsDisable F8 Key and Boot Options to Block Access to Safe Mode during Windows Startup
16 Comments - Write a Comment
eddiewj3 years ago
I wish I had found this site earlier,very useful. Thank you.
Reply
Sometimes even Safe Boot Mode will not disable all your startups, as is the case with many malware infections. What sometimes works, however, is to startup in “Safe Mode with Command Prompt”. Once you boot into a black, DOS-looking window, type “explorer.exe” (without the quotes) and hit Enter. This will start a fairly standard-looking Safe Mode window, but **bypassing** most of the startups that may even be present in the usual Safe Mode. I have used this trick several times to clean out resistant infections.
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Carlee9 years ago
Knocked my socks off with knowledge!
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That is a good tip…. I have been using Autoruns from sysinternals suite…. it is a wonderful utility… it not only gives you info about services which will load up on startup… but also will give explicit information about each and every individual file (be it dll or anything else) which will load up at startup…. Try it… its a great utility….
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How To Disable Apps Windows 10
sanjeev11 years ago
thanks raymond
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Good article Raymond.
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mms11 years ago
Thanks for sharing Raymond.
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thanks Ray For Everything
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Daniel11 years ago
Yes I would have also tried to unload all of the services and startups from msconfig for the first step if I were you. Then I will enable One-by-one instead of enable all of them together after the next reboot to know what causes the conflict.
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great tip
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willemjan11 years ago
Its easy to download a program called “startup manager” for me the easiest way to have a clean startup.
Reply
That is pretty interesting stuff.i much prefer to use simple and easy steps to fix pc problems instead of more software. you know software to get rid of software that is there already.so basically more software rubbish. but that is an easy way too do it,i usually use msconfig anyway but didn’t think about disable all since i wasn’t sure what issues it would cause.
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ahashmi0611 years ago
Thanks Raymond
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How to delete facetime app on mac. Thanks Ray, I’ve been having similar problems with Vista!
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Giridhar11 years ago
Thanks for the info as i did this using Glary Utilities which was good too….
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Software conflicts is a common problem in rendering unstable windows boot. This method solve the issues. Thank you for the thread Raymond.
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Automatic Mac App updates can be useful. These will automatically run in the background and save you a little time, keeping apps fully up-to-date. But not everyone wants this feature. It can be better to know exactly what you are downloading, even if you’ve been using the same app for a while.
In this article, we look at the ways you can prevent automatic app updates on a Mac. There are a few ways you can do this, and apps that can make it quicker and easier to ensure you’ve only got the apps you need running on your Mac.
#1: Change update preferences (macOS Mojave 10.14 and newer)
Go to the Apple menu
Click on App Store
Now click on Preferences
In this, is a box for Automatic Updates (if checked by default, uncheck the box to disable automatic updates)
In the future, when an app you've downloaded through the Mac App Store has an update coming through, you will be alerted, but it can’t download until you manually confirm it.
Depending on the macOS or older version, Mac OS X that you are running, there are other ways to disable automatic updates. For these, we've covered Mac OS X High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks in the tip below — as they follow the same process — and older operating systems in another tip further down the article.
#2: Disable automatic updates (For: Mac OS X High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks)
With older operating systems — Mac OS X High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks — the process is slightly different from the one listed above for stopping auto app updates.
Go to the Apple menu
Click on App Store
Now click on Preferences
Uncheck ALL of the following boxes to prevent automatic updates:
Automatically check for updates
Download newly available updates in the background
Install app updates
However, leave the following box enabled (as this is crucial for security): Install system data files and security updates.
#3: Delete Google Automatic updaters and other background agents
With some apps, they update and even work in the background without you being aware.
These are known as background apps, or and with some they have launch agents that activate whenever a Mac is switched on. All of this potentially uses processing power, such as CPU, and even internet bandwidth. Apps shouldn't be working unless you need them and remember agreeing to open them.
Here is how to prevent this from happening:
Download CleanMyMac X (for free, here).
Click on the Optimization module.
There is a Launch Agents tool within this.
Use it to disable automatic updates, notifications and even disable Google Automatic updaters and other background apps and launch agents.
#4: For third-party apps, you can also disable updates within individual app settings
Not everyone downloads apps on a Mac from the Mac App Store.
In many cases, people get them straight from a developers website, or third-party subscription service.
How To Disable Third Party App On Mac Computer
With these, you need to go into the individual apps, where you should have the option to ensure they automatically update, or to switch this setting off. With these apps, they will be configured to adhere to macOS standards, so these options should come as a normal feature, ensuring they're easy to update, or not, according to what people prefer.
Before we continue, here is a cool Apple fact for you: Have you ever noticed the date shown on created and modified timestamps that have failed to download, or you cancelled or paused during a download?
Take a look. Instead of showing whichever date the download stopped, they show 24 January 1984 — the day Apple founder, Steve Jobs, unveiled the first Apple Macintosh computer to the world.
#5: Another way to keep your software updated
As mentioned above, CleanMyMac X is a great way to prevent automatic updates and remove unwanted background apps. It can also be used in a reverse way — for updating all your applications.
The free version of CleanMyMac X (download it here) comes with an Updater feature to keep all of your updates in one place — whether or not you got them from the Mac App Store. It’s especially handy for 32-bit apps that will no longer work on the 2019 macOS Catalina. But if there are newer, 64-bit versions of these apps already available, the Updater in CleanMyMac X will suggest to automatically update your Mac. It is also useful for keeping your Mac free from viruses and other problems that can cause a Mac to slow down. Get your Mac running as good as new, and make sure you’re only downloading the apps you definitely need.