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Written by Dan
Sunday, November 18, 2001
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Page 2 of 3
System Configuration Utility ("MSCONFIG")
This tweak is NOT available in Windows 2000, so you will need to follow the next tweak (Manually Removing Startup Programs) to accomplish the following.
Windows XP (and 9x) users benefit from the System Configuration Utility if they put it to good use. It's a diagnostic tool used to toggle a program that starts up with Windows. For example, if you install ICQ, it will run a program that checks to see if you're online (so it knows to launch ICQ). This program can be turned off with "msconfig".
To access the utility, choose Start, Run, then type msconfig (and hit Ok). The first section you should head to is the "BOOT.INI" section.
Since we're only making the boot-up time faster, the only section that should concern you here is the "Timeout" option. This is the timer that is displayed at the boot menu. Most users only have one OS installed, so this time should be set really low. I change it from 30 seconds to 3 seconds (the lowest allowed value). If I dual boot this system sometime down the road I can always change it back - the same goes for you. Skip over "Services" (we'll head back to this later). Now head over to the "Startup" tab.
This allows you to toggle programs that are loaded with Windows. You can stretch out the "Command" bar (in the middle) if you are having a hard time telling what program is actually running. The path is displayed so you can decide if it's non-essential.
You'll likely want to keep ICQ on this list if you use it frequently, but some of the other programs can go. I was having stability programs with the Nvidia Quick Tweak tool (which I wasn't even using), so I unchecked the box. Office Startup or Findfast can be removed unless you use the MS Office toolbar. These programs can cause slowdowns. In XP, remove "msmsgs" (Microsoft Messenger) unless you use it.
I removed the HotSync app that is used with my Palm because I rarely use it, and it automatically loads if I add programs to the HotSync list.
Don't remove anything you're unsure of, or you could have major stability problems. Any program that is removed from this list can easily be added ... as long as you can get back to Windows. Once you're done with the application, click Ok. It may ask for a reboot, but it's not necessary just yet.
Manually Removing Startup Programs
If you're using Windows 2000 or you could not remove an application with MSCONFIG, you should try removing the application manually. There are two methods for accomplishing this. The first and easiest involves the Startup folder. The second is a bit more complicated and involves the registry.
To remove files from the Startup folder, click "Start", then "All Programs" (or "Programs" in Windows 2000). Navigate to the "Startup" folder. Right click any entries you wish to delete, and choose "DELETE".
Basically, nothing in the Startup folder is essential to Windows running, so you should be safe with removing most of the entries that you don't want. You can drag the shortcuts to your Desktop as a temporary storage location while you reboot and check to see if anything is broken, too. Since the Startup folder is really limited in what it can delete, you should then check the registry to be sure you get rid of the rest of the junk you don't want.
Playing in the registry is a bit more advanced than the Start menu, so BE SURE to back up your registry before you modify any values. To open the registry go Start, Run, then type "Regedit" (and hit Ok). Choose File, Export, then choose All at the bottom. Save the file to your hard disk. You may need it later.
Navigate to:HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run From here you should see a list of the programs that start when your PC turns on. Ignore (Default), and now you can delete any entries that you are positive you don't need. My fresh install of Windows XP Professional had nothing in this key, so don't be afraid to delete something just because it sounds important (that's what back-ups are for!).
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run
Here you should find quite a few entries. Do not touch "KernelFaultCheck" and "MSCONFIG". Any other entries can be modified or deleted, if you know what you're doing. Be careful though! I recommend you leave "CoolSwitch" on for Windows XP. This is the neat Alt-Tab feature that shows a preview of the programs you're alt-tabbing to and from.
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