Disabling Startup Items?

[Grim Jim]

I have been pretty annoyed by the length of time it takes to start up my computer and have begun disabling automatic startup items that I recognize in order to speed up the process. I have unchecked the obvious ones that I recognize but many of these programs listed have names that are gibberish to me. I would like to further streamline my startup but I don't know which items are essential or not.

Is there a list somewhere that will tell you which items are okay to disable at startup?

[Divinorumus]

I have been pretty annoyed by the length of time it takes to start up my computer and have begun disabling automatic startup items that I recognize in order to speed up the process. I have unchecked the obvious ones that I recognize but many of these programs listed have names that are gibberish to me. I would like to further streamline my startup but I don't know which items are essential or not.

Is there a list somewhere that will tell you which items are okay to disable at startup?

Check your registry (regedit.exe). Search for all of the occurrences of the "KEY" value of "runonce" (without the quotes of course). Simply remove anything you don't need or want listed in that registry KEY named "RUN" just above that "runonce" section. (note: you can simply change the path of the executable so it won't be found rather that delete entries in the event you want to put it back). Don't forget to reboot.

[Dark Skies]

Before making any changes to the registry, you should back it up in case troubles arise that you can't recover from.

Registry Back Up (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=backing+up+the+windows+registry&btnG=Google+Search)

You can speed up the boot process by making simple changes in the SCU.

System Configuration Utility (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=system+configuration+utility&btnG=Google+Search)

[Hadriana]

I just sorta KNOW- and if there is anything I'm not sure about -what it IS - I google it.

I use msconfig.exe to disable start up items. It is an old ms prgram but if you dl it, it will STILL work with XP. I also use hijackthis.exe

[Project]

the standard way is to do Start>run, type 'msconfig' (no quotes), go to system startup, and then do some research :) Many things have dumb names or even no name at all. Alot you can figure out, like virus scanners (avg.exe we all know), but alot are guesses. Disable all but the ones you really know are needed, and reboot. You will get a warning you have modified system startup. If stuff doesn't work, try and find out what system startup it needs (google), and re-enable that.

... or just switch to ubuntu.

[Hadriana]

YOu have to download msconfig- they left it out of xp. It still works though, once you get it.

[Project]

no, it is there... I have never in my life downloaded msconfig... and I used to install and maintain XP for a living...

aha I see what you mean - win2k did not have it:
MSConfig, or System Configuration Utility, is a system configuration utility bundled with all Microsoft Windows (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Windows) operating systems (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_systems) released after 1995 except Windows 2000. Windows 2000 users can download the utility separately, however. This tool modifies which programs run at startup, edits certain configuration files (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Configuration_file), and simplifies controls over Windows services (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_service). - because it came with win2k resource packs.

[Grim Jim]

Yeah I didn't really feel like trying to mess with the registry so I went the msconfig route. Thanks everyone. Now on to my other big problem...

[Divinorumus]

Yeah I didn't really feel like trying to mess with the registry so I went the msconfig route. Thanks everyone. Now on to my other big problem...

msconfig won't show everything.

[Project]

msconfig won't show everything.

It won't show purposefully hidden stuff, but then the reg won't necessarily either... If you have been fully hijacked, there ain't alot of way to know (easily). You certainly won't find stuff in windows process lists etc.