Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Use the control that matches what the Mac is doing: remove an app from Open at Login to stop its automatic launch, switch off its background activity to limit work while you are not using it, or disable window restoration if only its windows reappear after a restart. These settings are separate, and turning off background activity can affect syncing or updates.
Stop an app from opening automatically at login
- Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Choose General, then Login Items & Extensions. Scroll down the General list if you do not see it.
- Under Open at Login, select the app and click the Remove button.
This removes the automatic-opening entry; it does not uninstall the app. Apple says the list can also contain documents, folders, and server connections. A yellow warning triangle means an item will not open automatically because it was moved or deleted. Apple’s guide to Login Items & Extensions explains the options.
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Turn off an app’s background activity
- In System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions, find the app under App Background Activity or Background App Activity. Apple uses both labels in its current guidance.
- Switch the setting off for that app.
This is independent of Open at Login: removing an app from the login list does not itself turn off background activity. Background work can support updates and data syncing. Apple warns that “the app might not work as expected” if this ability is disabled; if you notice a problem, return to this setting and switch it back on. See Apple’s settings guide and its article on apps that continue running in the background after quitting.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsIf only the app’s windows return after restarting
Windows returning is not necessarily the same as the app launching from a login item. When you shut down or restart, deselect Reopen windows when logging back in in the confirmation dialog to stop macOS restoring the previous session’s windows.
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On macOS Ventura or later, you can also go to System Settings > Desktop & Dock and enable Close windows when quitting an application. This controls window restoration when you open an app again; it is not a replacement for removing an automatic login entry. Details are in Apple’s guide to preventing apps and windows from reopening.
Stop an app that keeps running after you quit it
Apple documents a Dock control for this behavior beginning with macOS 27 Golden Gate; it is version-specific. Control-click the app’s Dock icon and choose Stop Running in Background to stop it now. The Dock menu also provides an option to prevent that app from running in the background in the future. You can manage its per-app background setting in System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions. Apple’s instructions are in If an app continues running in the background after you quit it.
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If the app still opens after you remove it
Check the app’s own settings for an option to launch at login. Some apps also install helper software that can trigger startup behavior even when the visible app is not in Open at Login. Apple recommends checking the app’s documentation or contacting its developer if it keeps opening and is not listed as a login item. Its guide to login items and background tasks describes how these items are managed.
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Temporarily bypass login items to diagnose the cause
At the login window, hold Shift while clicking Log In. If your Mac does not show a login window, Apple also describes holding Shift during startup until the desktop appears. This is a temporary diagnostic bypass, not a lasting change to startup settings. See Apple’s instructions for opening items at login.
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Isolate an item when startup problems persist
If the Mac has a startup problem and you cannot identify the responsible item, Apple’s procedure is to record the current Open at Login list, remove the items, restart, then add them back one at a time, restarting after each addition. If the problem returns, remove the last item added. Follow Apple’s login-item troubleshooting steps.
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