Customized startup on the Mac

Here's a way to control which application, folder, or file in your Startup Items folder ends up as the active item after startup. Instead of putting the actual item in the folder, place an alias of it there and name it so it's the last item to load (putting a tilde in front of the name does the trick). If you want the Finder to wind up as the active application, place an alias of your startup disk in the Startup Items folder and rename it so it's the last to load. If, in addition to making the Finder the active application, you want your Mac to open specific folders at every startup--for example, the Control Panels and Apple Menu Items folders--don't bother with the startup-disk alias. Rather, using the same alphabetizing scheme, place aliases of those folders in the Startup Items folder. 

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