Just as a runner needs good shoes, a PC needs good software for swift starts and consistent performance. Whether you use your PC for short sprints of power or for long treks, the right software makes your work easier. This month, we look at a tool for smoother boots, a security-minded task tracker, and some assistants for reading the fine print. Check out these free trials and freebies.

Streamline Your PC's Startup

Suppose something's making your computer behave strangely at startup, and your spyware- and virus-checkers aren't explaining the problem. Naturally, you're not eager to install and uninstall each program on your system just to figure out which one is causing the ruckus. Startup Organizer shows you a list of all the programs that run when you boot your PC and lets you disable them, one by one, without uninstalling them or having to sift through their settings to figure out how to keep them from launching automatically.

In one clean interface, Startup Organizer shows you all the programs that load at startup, where they live, which ones are running now, and other useful tidbits. A click tells you if a program uses special startup parameters; delving into the menus lets you check out nuts-and-bolts items such as a Windows Registry editor and your PC's backup configuration. This isn't much different from what you find in Windows Task Manager, but it is handy to have it there if you're hot on the trail of something mysterious.

Startup Organizer's most unique feature, Controlled Startup, lets you create a numbered list of programs that you may not want to load at startup. Pressing the Shift key while your system starts up keeps these programs from starting. You can even define the order in which you'd like them to start when you do allow them to load. This helps you pinpoint programs that may be making trouble.

You may find that you like having different startup configurations. For instance, if you're logging on to use a specific app--especially something power-hungry like an image editor or a game--you may want to start up your PC in a custom "lite" mode that tells various other energy-sucking vampires to go away now and come back next time.

Software vendor MetaProducts offers a 30-day free trial of Startup Organizer. Registering the program costs $25.

Do You Recognize These Programs?

Ah, but not every PC oddity occurs at startup. And you may never know what software is munching away at your PC's resources if you don't check. Security Task Manager tells you exactly what programs are running on your computer--and it gives you answers to the obvious ensuing questions, such as where these programs reside, who makes them, what they are called, whether they include hidden components, and what all this means to your computer.

Clicking a program name brings up more information, such as text embedded in the program file itself. For instance, a process called "Slpmonx Service" gave me pause, but a quick scroll through the "Text in File" window turned up the phrases "Smart Label Printer" and "Seiko Instruments USA Inc.," which suggested that the mystery file was associated with my label printer. This is handy info to get, especially without actually opening the file in question.

At default settings, Security Task Manager sorts by its own threat rating. It's already aware of many well-known programs, and it rates them accordingly. If you're using unusual software, Security Task Manager may finger it as a potential threat; however, you (and other users who report back) can change a threat rating. For instance, Security Task Manager didn't know what to make of my tablet and stylus drivers, but when I marked them as "harmless," they dropped down to a threat rating of zero. A green check mark shows that I--not Security Task Manager--made the call.

Of course, security concerns aren't the only reasons to find out what programs are doing on your PC. Security Task Manager lets you sort your running programs by different criteria, such as name, file path, or CPU usage.

Security Task Manager publisher A&M Neuber offers a 30-day trial of the $29 program. Not only does registering the software banish the nagging pop-ups, it scores you an extra security program, SpyProtector, which performs several little tasks such as warning you when a program makes a change to your Windows Registry.

Improving Your Focus

Once you've sussed out the mysteries of your computer, you can get back to the important business of using it. If your biggest problem with your PC is the interface between the pixels and your own eyes, try these two tiny programs from Iconico, a software vendor with an artist's eye.

Despite my best efforts, I haven't been able to completely get rid of Microsoft Internet Explorer; too many Web sites depend on it. And I find that selecting a new Text Size in the View menu doesn't always resize the font the way I thought it would. You're probably in the same boat, and maybe squinting at the same type. EasyRead eases the eyestrain of reading pages in IE. This add-in drops a plus sign and a minus sign into your IE toolbar. Clicking them zooms the image in or out, allowing you to see everything a little more clearly--or to cram more on your screen. Though Portrait Displays' similar Liquid Surf offers more functions, EasyRead wins the price race: It's free, and Liquid Surf costs $20.

Stepping out of the browser and onto the desktop, we find the Windows Accessibility tool, Magnifier, which lets you make a resizable window of up to 9X magnification so you can more easily read anything on your screen.

Iconico's Magnifier, though, takes things a step--make that several--further, adding magnification up to 50X. The optional grid overlay comes in handy for finding problem spots in digital images. I found Iconico's version of Magnifier more attractive than the Windows version, and its window was easier to adjust as well.

Although neither will force you to do so, both EasyRead and Magnifier politely request that you join one of the low-traffic Iconico mailing lists before downloading the program. For spyware-free, adware-free, free-of-cost programs, getting one e-mail each month doesn't seem like such a high price to pay.

PC World Senior Associate Editor Andrew Brandt contributed to this story.

Thoughts on these programs? Has your favorite run straight past our Downloads library? E-mail your ideas to Laura Blackwell. URLs are welcome, but messages with file attachments will be deleted unread. Vendors seeking coverage for their software should submit the files with PC World's file submission tool before sending e-mail.