[alligator]

How do I stop an item from starting up automatically in OS X? I have one piece of software that starts every time the OS loads. I want to stop this.

Thanks.

[Mr. Blur]

system preferences -> accounts -> your account -> the "startup items" tab

[Sijmen]

What if it isn't in the list?


Or what if I can't place an app in the list? for instance: /Applications/iCal.app/Contents/Resources/iCalAlarmScheduler.app I can't navigate to this app.

[analogika]

Yeah you can: control-Click on the iCal application and select "Show package contents..."

[Millennium]

What app is it? This is important, because we need to be able to know whether it's actually starting up when you boot, or is instead starting up when you log in. The process of making it start up is different depending on when it happens, and so the process of keeping it from starting up is also different.

[Sijmen]

HP drivers(6 services!!!!!) start before login. They aren't needed because when I shut them down and need to print, only a few of them turn back on when I press Option + p in NOo. I use the printer(not shared) maybe once a week, it isn't even in my room anyway. So if these services can be disabled from launching at boot, that would be great.

[CatOne]

Originally Posted by Sijmen

HP drivers(6 services!!!!!) start before login. They aren't needed because when I shut them down and need to print, only a few of them turn back on when I press Option + p in NOo. I use the printer(not shared) maybe once a week, it isn't even in my room anyway. So if these services can be disabled from launching at boot, that would be great.

6 services?! Criminy!

Check your /Library/StartupItems directory (off the root of your hard drive, not off your user folder). They will be there. You can move the relevant services out of there and they won't start at boot. I'd suggest zipping them ("Archive") from the Finder.

[Sijmen]

I've deleted the HP services that stood there. That eliminated three services, but there are still three left, where could they be booted from?

[Sijmen]

Okay, here's an update on that whole HP services problem.

After installing the new software, this is what I got:



After removing this from /Library/StartupItems/


And now I have these still running:


Those services are located here:


And here:


Should I just remove them or would that cripple the software? Or is there a way to disable them?

[analogika]

I hate HP.

[angelmb]

Does it come with a standalone HP app?, if so, check it out, maybe there is some option inside the application Preferences that let you disable those items.

I have found software which to disable it from the Startup Items wasn't enough since it came with this 'Launch this app automatically at login' option, hence the app launched everytime I did a login…