How do I prevent Spotify from starting up automatically when I turn on my PC?
Asked by
2davidc8 (
10189
)
December 21st, 2013
I downloaded Spotify to my PC in order to listen to internet radio on my computer via this service. I hate it when the installed software also does other stuff that I didn’t ask for. Not only did Spotify add a shortcut to my desktop (I sort of expected this), but it also now starts up automatically when I turn on my computer. How presumptuous!
I’m running Windows 7 and IE 11. (I also have Chrome, but the Spotify was downloaded via IE.) In earlier versions of Windows, I could go into the Startup group and delete anything that I did not want starting up immediately. I think that I could also clean up the startup list via Task Manager.
But in Win 7, I am unable to discern how to prevent programs from starting up automatically, and would like some help, please.
The Spotify executable is not listed in the Startup group (at least, it is not obvious). I don’t necessarily want to uninstall Spotify; I just don’t want it to start right away.
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7 Answers
If you open Spotify and go into preferences, there should be an option “Open Spotify automatically after you log into the computer” and you can choose “Don’t open automatically.”
start button / where it says SEARCH, type in MSCONFIG
Look at the STARTUP tab.
You will find all sorts of stuff that starts when you boot. Find Spotify and un-check it.
There likely to be other stuff that is automatically starting as well – leave the other entries along unless you know what you are doing. (For instanced, you could un-check Bing and do no harm at all)
Where is Preferences?
It is a folder under your Administrative Controls, that shows you just about everything that is running on your PC, such as your Zero Config Utility for your Wifi, your spool manager for printing, plug n play handling, document sharing on a network, etc, you can open the properties of any of the items listed to see if they are set to automatic, manual, or disabled. If it is set to automatic it will start if triggered by some event, or when your machine boots up. If manual, it will start only when you trigger it to start.
@Hypocrisy_Central I could not find Administrative Controls. After clicking the Start button, the closest thing I could find was Administrative Tools. But there is no folder called Preferences there. There is, though, something called “Services” which listed a lot of programs set to automatic or manual, but there was no Spotify or even Zero Config Utility there. I don’t think I’m looking in the right place. Any ideas? BTW, I’m on Win 7, not 8.
“Services” is where you want to be. With all these new OS popping up, the path to it maybe different. No Zero Config Utility? Maybe your Wifi is configured differently. If you do not see it there you will have to search out the MSconfig and find the tab that says “Start Up”, or “Start Folder”, and uncheck it if there is a check by it.
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