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Seanrobrien

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 18, 2008
11
0
How do I stop programs I don't want from starting when I boot up the system?
I know I can do it after the programs are running but they seem to reappear after booting up again.

Example: I have 2 HP Printer programs that I'd like to shut down so they stop using system resources.

Sean
 

spinne1

macrumors 6502a
Go to System Preferences, then to Accounts, then to the Login Items tab. Check the box of anything you want to hide at login. Or, if you really know you don't want it, select it and hit the negative button to remove it.
 

Seanrobrien

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 18, 2008
11
0
I tried that.

It does not show any items in the box. When I go under utilities and system monitor it show a bunch of processes running that i want to shut down.

Sean
 

NAG

macrumors 68030
Aug 6, 2003
2,821
0
/usr/local/apps/nag
Yeah, HP doesn't use the standard way of including them in your accounts panel. They're bad unix citizens (and their software is junk). Instead they mess with your loginwindow.plist file in their infinite stupidity.

To stop them from starting up you have to mess with that file.

Library > Preferences > loginwindow.plist

Note, this is the library at the root of the hard drive. You shouldn't normally be messing with anything in here, but you're going to have to since HP thinks they're special.

Open it up with the plist editor (a text editor will also work but it will look messy).

If all you see in it is HP stuff then you can go ahead and move the file somewhere else (put it somewhere and save it incase you need it again).

Then restart.
 

shendren

macrumors newbie
Dec 14, 2011
1
0
Are you aware that when you go to shut down, there is a checkbox that you must click if you don't want your apps automatically re-starting?
 

oooraah

macrumors newbie
Feb 4, 2012
2
0
Can't stop programs from loading at startup

per comments on this blog I went to System Preferences but Accounts is not in my Preferences to uncheck any programs. I am running Lion, is it now somewhere else to access.

This is a new iMac and for whatever reason at startup it loads about a dozen items. I have not been able to figure out how to stop this.

Thanks for any help
 

bm5636

macrumors newbie
Feb 24, 2012
1
0
Can't stop programs from loading at startup

per comments on this blog I went to System Preferences but Accounts is not in my Preferences to uncheck any programs. I am running Lion, is it now somewhere else to access.

This is a new iMac and for whatever reason at startup it loads about a dozen items. I have not been able to figure out how to stop this.

Thanks for any help

Check to make sure programs are closed. If a white do appears below the program icon on the dock the program is still running. For example, if iTunes has the white dot below it open iTunes and then click on iTunes just left of the black apple. Click on "close iTunes: and this closes the program and it will not automatically open when you log in.

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Check to make sure programs are closed. If a white do appears below the program icon on the dock the program is still running. For example, if iTunes has the white dot below it open iTunes and then click on iTunes just left of the black apple. Click on "close iTunes: and this closes the program and it will not automatically open when you log in.

Correction-Click on iTunes just right of the Apple and close iTunes by clicking on quit iTunes.
 

GGJstudios

macrumors Westmere
May 16, 2008
44,540
941
There are a few places to look for startup items:

Items can launch upon startup from the following locations:
  • System Preferences > Accounts > yourusername > Login Items
    (Lion users: System Preferences > Users & Groups > yourusername > Login Items)

  • /Library/LaunchAgents/ and ~/Library/LaunchAgents/
    (Lion users: In Finder, click Go > Go to Folder > then enter the path)

  • /Library/StartupItems/
    (Lion users: In Finder, click Go > Go to Folder > then enter the path)
 

skybythelight

macrumors newbie
Jun 12, 2012
2
0
per comments on this blog I went to System Preferences but Accounts is not in my Preferences to uncheck any programs. I am running Lion, is it now somewhere else to access.

This is a new iMac and for whatever reason at startup it loads about a dozen items. I have not been able to figure out how to stop this.

Thanks for any help

It is different. It's actually System Preferences > Users & Groups > Username > Login Items.
 
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