msconfig

[Hunt]

I don't get it! I have a slow startup and a slow running laptop, everyone says use "msconfig" under statup uncheck what is unnecessary!!! ha ha wtf is unneccesary? NO one ever mentions the specifics---driving me nuts. I search and can't find it either.

[paul0660]

Searched where?

I searched "how to turn off startup with msconfig" and got this two clicks later:

http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php

It might help, probably not.

[Milsurps]

I don't get it! NO one ever mentions the specifics---driving me nuts. I search and can't find it either.

All the JUNK programs that you, the wife, and kids have loaded up on the computer ?..

msconfig prevents all that trash from starting up.

[oldsmoboat]

Link

[monk]

If you'd like, post a screenshot of what MSconfig shows. FYI, you can use a program called Autoruns, also from Microsoft. It is more detailed in what it finds. Post the results you find.

[Nose Nuggets]

you can go the other route, and turn everything off then go back and turn on the things you need for the stuff that is now broken.

[Justintoxicated]

What to turn off is different for everyone, if you don't know what one of the programs is, google search for the specifics then you can decide whether or not to let it run at startup.

[robcoe]

What is necessary is different for everyone

For example, my laptop does not have Bluetooth and I have no devices that use it, so why would I have the Bluetooth service running, same with printspoolers, wireless networking, ect.

Best way to figure it out is to go through and see what's there, if it sounds like you dont need it, you probably dont.

[r3dn3ck]

For 15 years it's been my standard practice to re-install windows about every 6 months. I don't use windows if I can avoid it and so don't personally suffer the never ending performance problems but the wife and kids do and that's what I've found to be the best real solution. It prevents me from having to lock the system down to the point of un-usability and makes it so that it's fast-as-new every 180 days. Reinstall burns about a full day of the weekend but it's worth it for zero hassles.

i recommend getting a mac but I'll shut up about that.

I'd pull EVERYTHING out of startup. Startup is where things go to destroy system performance. You don't need to start junk up, if it needs to start at system boot it'll start itself as a service. Developers put default options to add to startup folder so you'll see their application first thing on some bogus theory that you wouldn't rather just pick your own application and time of use yourself. They're under the not altogether incorrect assumption that the average user couldn't manage to select the appropriate application for anything based on a name and figure it's just easier to make every installed application on the computer open up at login till you see the one that looks like it was the one you wanted. The shooting at sound equivalent of computer application design.

[d4v0s]

As a general rule you dont need any of it, Just look at the path and it will tell you where the program lives.

I dont disable
-antivirus (in my case kaspersky)
-aol messanger (use it for work)
-wireless and bluetooth stacks

If you read through and see programs that you use alot then you dont need to disable them , the thing is, programs like to start up and then just sit idle, I dont know why quicktime thinks it needs to run in the notification area. If you need something like java, flash, quicktime, or roxio cd burner then it will launch when you require it.

The caveat here obviously is quick launch stuff you use alot, but if you find that you disabled it, just go in and turn it back on!

[Darklyte27]

what are your computer specs? processor, memory, hard drive, how much stuff you have on it? programs, games music etc.

[orangeglo]

you can go the other route, and turn everything off then go back and turn on the things you need for the stuff that is now broken.

And this is how I learned what to turn off when I was a kid.