Excellent, evgeni! As you may suspect from my lack of emails, I didn't really find more problems to report after the initial correspondence

I am glad!

In last version I have corrected some small errors and have added "Check for updates" in menu, as asked J-Mac.

Hi Folks,

 Excellent point, Trilinea.  Anvir has a free product with a nice-looking startup manager in their very competent free task manager, mentioned upthread, with a Startup Guard and Manager (they way they do their pages they can almost look like separate products, but they are in the free Task Manager).   So the Startup stuff is also in their more comprehensive products with additional features (the Pro used by Trilinea is $60, where DonationCoder discounts I think applies, very helpful). In the higher products the biggest emphasis is on additional security and HIPS aspects as well as more process management and a database of 70K items for the startup manager, a significant aspect.  So like with a lot of these products, the free is good, a paid is better. So whether to go to the free or the paid will depend a lot on whether they fit your security mix and the database aspect and if you like the integration of their process management.

On the security items, it would be interesting to see how they fare at Wilders.
Their four products comparison are at:

Anvir
http://www.anvir.com/task-manager-windows-startup.htm
Compare Editions >> Task Manager Programs, Windows Startup Manager

Worthwhile, good company, product under development, some support, forum, freeware version that is very usable, start manager an integral part of the software.
 
 For now I am going to consider them as one addition that goes right with the three mentioned in the thread header. Here are what I see as the most important active startup softwares.

WinPatrol (free or Pro)
Chameleon Startup Manager (Free Standard-$25 Pro-$30) Trialpay ** UPDATED
Avira Task Manager (free or paid, 3 versions,)
Startup Manager - Metaproducts (paid)
StartEd - (free-Lite or Pro)
WhatInStartup (free)  - below, known tech-savvy
Startup Optimizer - in RegRun security suite from Greatis - starts at Std. $20 ** ADDED

  It would be a good project to first take these programs and see any differences in their analysis of a diverse system. As to exactly what is starting up and where (including specialties like the Windows Scheduler and windows.ini). Also describe how each one deals with the prompt-security situation, which most have as a feature in a variety of ways.  (Add a few programs in various areas and see how the program works in realtime. And similarly if the program is startuped up after being off awhile.)  And then move on a bit from those two features -- finding and displaying everything sensibly and warning and optional rollback of changes. (A program can still be excellent without a warning feature, but there should be at least one security program on your system that does that).

 The new Nirsoft, added to the list.

WhatInStartup
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/what_run_in_startup.html

 This retires the 5-year old StartupRun, with similar or the same basic interface.

http://www.nirsoft.net/blog/
NirBlog
This utility replaces the old StartupRun utility, which haven't been updated for more than 4 years. .. 2 new important features ... work with external instance of Windows ... Permanent Disabling

The permanent disabling is a monitoring re-boot-out routine, which would have to be tested against programs that have their own re-startup timer or try to immediately reboot -- if it is relied on as primary protection.  However it is a very nice feature.

Shalom,
Steven

I do use Anvir Task Manager Pro but I still prefer Chameleon Startup Manager for controlling startup items. Anvir allows you to add a delay but only a very short one. Or you can add custom delays but I think that it affects all startup programs rather than individual ones. I asked how I could assign different delays to separate programs at the Anvir forum but the replies from the developer weren't exactly enlightening. Might be a language thing, I believe.

Plus Anvir does not have the ability to create profiles where I can assign different startup programs to different profiles depending on what workflow I have planned. E.g., If I wish to work on video editing for a few hours I generally do not want my usual startup/background stuff running because video editing is CPU intensive and needs all the free resources I can spare. So rather than do what I used to do - let them all startup and then exit the extraneous stuff - I just select the profile I created in Chameleon which has only the programs I need in startup and reboot. Stuff like Screenshot Captor or Snagit, Ultra Recall, Surfulater - I usually have all or some of those start with Windows but not when I am editing video.

I know I sometimes complain about annoyances in Chameleon's somewhat arcane UI, but the profiles and the ability to assign different delays to programs - and delays as long as desired rather than one minute - are what makes it invaluable IMO. 

Jim

Thank you for an excellent thread Steven!

Quote from: J-Mac on April 07, 2009, 09:47 PM

Anvir allows you to add a delay but only a very short one. Or you can add custom delays but I think that it affects all startup programs rather than individual ones.

@ J-Mac: Did you try?

Create Delayed Startup items you want to customize...

On Startup Tab Highlight Delayed Startup Items >> Right Click Item you want to customize >> Click Edit Delayed Startup Item >> Select custom Delay Time.

Not sure why or how the individual settings would affect the delay time of all of the startup programs. Hopefully I've helped you.

I guess my first hint was trying to see how I could delay startup items in Anvir and only finding this dialog:

[attachthumb=#1]

Notice in here that setting a delay will affect all startup items - or so it seems to indicate so.

Besides, it definitely does not have the ability to create profiles so that necessitates another program for me anyway. I still use Anvir Task Manager Pro and love the program; I just prefer Chameleon's startup delay more.

Thank you.

Jim

I'm not sure how to say's this without coming on like a smarty but how about actually trying the instructions I gave you.

No problem. And as I said before I prefer Chameleon so I have no incentive to try your instructions. Also, what I posted is all that I could find when I WAS trying to get ATM Pro to do custom delays. The help pages on their site did NOT mention that option at that time, about two - three years ago. Correspondence with the developer were not very clear or revealing, either. Possibly a language issue, but when originally asked about this he did not offer what you show and he outright admitted that this feature was not yet well developed.

I am not insisting you use the program only trying to help because you stated this was your issue and that you couldn't get support.

And that is the truth! If he has developed the feature further, great! But it hasn't been heavily advertised to users. Heck, it's difficult to find out if there is a later version available! (Updates use Version + Build numbers yet download files just use Version numbers).

Jim

Trillinea,

Chameleon has a "monitoring" setting that is for exactly what you mentioned - the tray icon changes color and pops up a balloon saying a program has tried to add itself to the startup group. You can configure it to remove it or allow it to be added automatically if you don't respond to the alert.

My biggest frustration is that occasionally a program which has a delay assigned will suddenly begin ignoring the delay. Only way to get it back is to remove it and then add it back to startup and reset the delay. However I think this has been established as an XP issue - or maybe a Windows issue. This doesn't happen depending on how the program is added to startup: through the registry or otherwise - I'm not certain what all the details are but it has happened to me on a few occasions. Used to happen with PC Mag's Startup Cop Pro also back when I used that.

Jim

Trilinea, J-Mac:
You most of all use what functions in Anvir Task Manager?

Best regards,
Evgeni

Hi Evgeni.

I use Anvir Task Manager Pro basically as a replacement for the Windows Task Manager. I have it auto-reduce memory usage by programs, I view what handles and/or strings a program is using or waiting on, I look for invisible windows if I am having a display issue that makes me suspect an invisible window. TMP has a lot of very helpful views and tweaks that I do use. However I use Chameleon for my startup programs.

Jim

Trilinea, J-Mac:
You most of all use what functions in Anvir Task Manager?

Best regards,
Evgeni

Mostly for startup management and for ending rogue tasks.

Hi Folks,

ADDITIONS ABOVE

A Collection of Autostart Locations - Tony Klein (section with Merijn discussion also)
-  The single best security-related startup information article, explaining in layman's terms all the places malwares tries to come onboard for future startups.

Also "Silent Runners" similar help page of "Launch Points" is added.

Codestuff Starter new (05/2009) release, formerly it had been noted that there were no updates since 2006.

FreeFixer added.

Anvir Task Manager freebie special link added.

Chameleon Startup Manager having a free version added.

ProCleaner returns, as Emergency Soft has website with forum and product info.

Trilinea, your info on RegRun and its Startup Optimizer is appreciated and definitely on-thread, and I will add it to the list of special interest programs.  I may try to look at it more, as it may join Anvir as the Startup Manager that is integrated into a wider tool that is worthy of special consideration even in the straight niche of startup managers.   Even if it does not have a freebie version.

Personally I do not think the hope for a freebie should rule your decision too much in this niche. If the freebie fits you fine (e.g. WinPatrol Free, WhatinStartup by NirSoft, Anvir Free and others) excellent .. if you can use the features in one of the commercial programs (e.g. stronger security features in WinPatrol, strong multiple startup configuration and delay management in various programs, more support) then the $ outlay can be well worthwhile.  

Shalom,
Steven