Block game clients from starting with Windows - gHacks Tech News

Many game clients, be it Steam, Battle.net or Origin, support that they are loaded automatically on Windows start, and some even ship with the preference enabled by default.

While that is comfortable if the client is installed on a gaming PC -- a system used exclusively for gaming -- it is less than ideal in other cases.

Apart from slowing down system start, game clients may also run automated actions like the downloading of client or game updates when they are launched which may impact other activities on the computer.

The downside to disabling the start with Windows option of game clients is that you need to start the programs manually whenever you want to play games (unless you make use of game shortcuts to launch games directly).

The following guide walks you through the steps of setting up Steam, Battle.net, and Origin so that they are not started automatically with Windows anymore.

Blocking Steam

Steam is probably the most popular game client for Windows right now. The client adds the "Steam Client Bootstrapper" to the startup of the Windows operating system by default.

While you can disable Steam's autostart there, it is recommended to disable it in the application instead.

Open the Steam client on your Windows PC.Select Steam > Settings from the menu at the top.Select Interface when the settings window opens.Remove the checkmark from Run Steam when my computer starts.Click ok to save the change.

This blocks Steam from starting with the Windows computer. You need to run Steam manually afterwards to use the client.

Block Battle.net Autostart

Battle.net is the game client for all Blizzard games. It acts as a starter for modern Blizzard games and ships with an integrated shop and news module.

To disable the Battle.net client from starting with Windows, do the following:

Start the Battle.net client on your system or bring it to the front if it is running already.Click on the Battle.net icon at the top left corner of the screen and select settings.Under General, uncheck the option Launch Battle.net when you start your computer.Click done to save the change.

Block the autostart of Origin

Origin is the default game client and shop of Electronic Arts, a publisher of games. You may purchase EA published and non-EA games using Origin.

To disable the autostart of the Origin client on Windows, do the following:

Start the Origin client if it is not running, or bring it to the front if it is.Select Origin > Application Settings from the top menu.Under General, uncheck the Automatically launch Origin when I log on to Windows option.

Now You: Do you prefer the automatic start of game clients?

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