Mavericks equivalent of msconfig?

but it only shows dock startup programs, not startup scripts or other software that starts on login like Adobe Updater (ugh).

The Login Items list can be anything on the drive, not just items duplicated in the Dock. As a for instance, my MS 4000 keyboard driver is listed there.

Adobe does a great job hiding startup items. Like where did they put the function that automatically checks for updates? It clearly launches and loads with the OS, but where is it? There's nothing in the Creative Cloud panel preferences that allows me to turn it on or off.

I wasn't scolding anyone. I was simply stating facts. OS X is not Windows. Linux is no different. If there's something you need to that is specific to Red Hat Linux, then that's the one you have to use. No other variation of Linux will have that tool, and you can't force the behavior into another version.

The bit I object to is being dumbed down to the lowest common denominator.

Uninstall the third-party crapware and you'll only be running Apple processes.

What you are looking for doesn't exist as far as I know.

As long as the processes aren't crapware, there won't be any problems. OS X isn't Windows.

Actually I've been having problems with this. Saying OSX isn't Windows is not a solution, since even Linux has this utility. It feels like a huge oversight or at the very least a design flaw due to the "it just works" philosophy of Apple. No, it doesn't just work, let me tinker.

My Mac Mini is extremely slow on start-up because of software that I have installed all wants to start at once : Adobe updater, Office updater, Flash updater, Creative Cloud, Onedrive, Dropbox, Plex, Chrome, etc.

None of these is crapware, they're all legitimate programs that I do need to run - on occasion, not all at once during startup. So you see the problems isn't me, its Mac OSX.

Unless anyone can tell me the name of a built-in utility to manage startup programs, or at least a workaround that doesn't involve dredging through startup scripts, please don't leave your post here. I want solutions that I can use, not apple fanboy rhetoric.

not apple fanboy rhetoric

Just because you don't get the answer you like, doesn't make the responses "fanboy". Statements like that will get you ignored. It's the same thinking as people pulling out the race card to make it all about them.

Chrome is crap. As is any other app by Google. It's buggy and known to use RAM poorly. If you don't like Safari, use Firefox.

The closest you're going to get to msconfig in OS X is to use the Login Items panel in the System Preferences under your user name.

And yes, "it's not Windows" is a completely legitimate comment. It isn't, plain and simple. The only things that are similar are launching apps, creating and saving/closing files and folders, copying such items and other actions that are the same no matter which OS you're using. Underneath, there's no similarity at all. You can't make OS X do everything the same way Windows does any more than Windows can be forced to behave exactly the same way OS X does.

The closest you're going to get to msconfig in OS X is to use the Login Items panel in the System Preferences under your user name.

That would have sufficed, the rest was totally unnecessary.

I know about that pane in particular, but it only shows dock startup programs, not startup scripts or other software that starts on login like Adobe Updater (ugh).

Chrome is crap. As is any other app by Google. It's buggy and known to use RAM poorly. If you don't like Safari, use Firefox.

I only ever use chrome for hangouts, I use Firefox for web browsing. I don't use Chrome, even on Windows. You're preaching to the choir.

And yes, "it's not Windows" is a completely legitimate comment.

Yes and no. Saying that in a context where a utility isn't present due to system limitations or differences is totally valid, but using that as a reason as to why the utility shouldn't exist in the first place is asinine. Mac OS X is an operating system that gets bogged down just like any other. Microsoft gives me a way to strictly control ALL my programs and services at boot time, the same should be true for OSX. Saying "OSX isn't Windows", in the context it was used, was "fanboy rhetoric". Correct me if I'm wrong, but these support forums are here to help users get real help (some of them who switched from Windows to OSX, and can only refer to utilities by their windows counterparts), not to be scolded and told that they're wrong and that OSX doesn't work that way. I know very darn well how OSX works internally, probably better than you and that guy up there, I just don't keep up with shell updates and system utilities. But I digress.

I appreciate at least part of your answer. Thank you.

Adobe's poorly designed but industry standard software can make people frustrated. I must apologize. I have no idea how they can even hide a startup item like that; even the MS Office updater was on that list - but not Adobe's.

At the same time, utilities can be duplicated, even though OS features may not. Linux varies greatly between distributions but I'd be hard pressed to find a utility that hasn't been at least somewhat successfully duplicated in at least one other distribution. I'm not really asking for a core OS feature, just a catch-all startup and services list utility. It would prove supremely useful, especially with companies like Adobe.

I appreciate your help, sincerely. Thank you.

I'm not really asking for a core OS feature, just a catch-all startup and services list utility. It would prove supremely useful, especially with companies like Adobe.

I completely agree. Apple though has always maintained very tight control over the OS. It intentionally limits what you can do as far as modification, or turning functions on/off. This can be both a good thing, and a bad thing. Power users hate it, but it helps prevent novices from making changes that prevent the OS from working as it should, or even starting up if they really overdo their digging.

Hold the shift key when you hear the boot chime. This will boot safe mode which is system stuff only.

Other things are handled in system preferences.