Question: Is there a way for me to change the order of the programs that run at startup, or does it really make any difference? For example, shouldn’t my security program(s) load before any other programs to give me the best protection?

This is a thought provoking question that led me to do some research. I found two great free tools called Windows Startup Inspector and Startup Monitor. See the first RELATED LNIK below.

I also found a couple of programs that are designed to do just what you are asking about (2nd and 3rd Related Links) and a simple registry hack for changing the order in which your windows services are started (4th LINK).

While it sounds logical that this might be a good idea, I didn't really find anything from what I would consider an authoritative source that says this is worth doing.

RELATED LINK: WorldStart Article.

RELATED LINK: RegRun Software Description.

RELATED LINK: Absolute Startup.

RELATED LINK: Re-order Services Startup.