Exids IT Solutions

Why would I want to disable start-up items in Windows?

There are three good reasons why you would want disable startup items:

• To increase the operational performance of your PC
• To decrease the time your PC takes to boot.
• To disable or prevent viruses, malware, spyware and other unwanted software from loading.

Just like disabling services, disabling startup items free up valuable resources towards the use of legitimate and useful programs and applications.

NOTE: Some types of viruses and malware monitor when they are attempted to be disabled. By booting to Safe Mode, you are ensuring that malware and viruses do not become active and prevent you from effectively disabling them.

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So what is a Windows start-up Item?

Start up items are programs that start-up automatically when windows boots up. There are never any startup items that are critical to the operation of the PC, however some programs like anti virus may not work properly or cause an errors if they are disabled.

You may also have difficulties getting online if you disable any of your Internet Service Provider’s software. All of these problems can be fixed by re-enabling the startup item you disabled, or re-installing the software.

Some other examples of start-up items would be things like MSN messenger, ICQ, weather monitoring software, or a media program such as Quick Time or Real Player. These are non-essential startup items and can be disabled as you can start them anytime you would like during the normal operation of your computer.

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Preparing to Disable Services

It is actually quite simple to disable services, but choosing what services you want to disable can be a little more difficult.

If you have not already booted your computer into safe mode, please go back to the section that describes how to do this before continuing. It is important that you perform these procedures in safe mode as it will ensure the services stay disabled once you reboot, particularly if you are infected with a virus.

1. Boot into Safe Mode .
2. Open the system configuration utility
3. Click on the tab called Services . Put a check mark in the box next to Hide all Microsoft Services. After doing this you may see only a few services, this is normal. We are now ready to disable services!

Disable Non-Essential Services

This step is where things start to get a bit tricky. I am going to put two scenarios in front of you so you can choose what you feel best describes the current state of your computer.

Scenario 1 – “The Super Clean”

If you have many pop-ups, your computer runs slow, you have error messages and you have just about had it with you PC, you may want to choose this option. This option can create a lot more work for you in the end, but it almost always guarantees a very clean system when you are through

Scenario 2 – “The Selective Clean”

If your system has been running fairly well, and you do not suspect spyware, malware or viruses choose this option. It will be faster than “The Super Clean”, but may be difficult to choose what services you want to disable.

“The Super Clean”

-WARNING-

The Super Clean is a full fledge disabling of ALL non-essential services. When you disable all non-essential services you will suffer the following consequences and will need to take appropriate action on the reboot to rectify these situations:

• Some programs may not work properly. This includes Anti-Virus, and other security software. If you disable software, you will need to re-install the software and update it to ensure you are protected and have the latest version, or determine what service needs to be re-checked to make the software work properly.
  
• Also, because this method may render some software inoperable, you may see error messages on the reboot that states a program is corrupt, disabled, or non-functional. Once again, these problems will be rectified by re-installing the software, or re-enabling the services that you disabled.
  
• You may lose the ability to connect to the internet. If this is the case, you will need to reinstall all software provided to you by your ISP (Internet Service Provider) in order to get back online, or re-check the services that need to be running for you to connect to the internet. Most users on cable internet will not have to worry about this problem.
  

Directions / Steps:

1. Boot into Safe Mode.
2. Open the system configuration utility
3. Click on the tab called Services . Put a check mark in the box next to Hide all Microsoft Services. After doing this you may see only a few services, this is normal.
4. Click the Disable All button, then Click Apply. Yes, it’s that easy.

Proceed on to the next section on disabling startup items to complete the Super Clean.

“The Selective Clean”

If you have chosen to perform a selective clean you will only be disabling certain services.

1. Please read the warning about disabling services as disabling certain services may cause problems with certain functionality of the computer on the next reboot.
2. The key to a successful selective clean is to pay very close attention to the column called ” Manufacturer”. The first thing you want to do is determine what services you DO NOT want disable. You can do this by identifying the manufacturers you know and trust. If you are unsure, you may want to err on the side of caution and not disable the service.
3. Once you have identified the services you DO NOT want to disable, proceed with un-checking the services in the “Service” column that you DO want to disable.
4. Once you are satisfied with the services you have chosen to disable, Click the ” Apply ” button.

Notes about disabling services:

Please read the warning about disabling services if you have any problems after modifying start up services. This will explain why you may be seeing these errors, and what you can do to prevent them.

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Why would I want to disable a Windows service?

As mentioned before, many services are not crucial to the operation of your computer. In fact, there are some services that don’t do much but contribute to your PC slowing down!

By disabling services you free up valuable resources towards the use of programs and applications you would like to use at optimal performance.

Also, some variants of viruses and Malware install themselves as services.

NOTE: Some advanced variants of spyware and malware services have the ability to see when they are being disabled. Usually, booting to safe mode ensures the malware and viruses do not become active and prevent you from effectively disabling them.

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Windows XP Services

What is a service?

Think of a service as software in your computer that “serves” programs and hardware in by carrying out very specific tasks. For example, a “Print Spooler” is a service that manages print jobs you send to your printer. If your printer can’t handle the amount of information you are sending it, the Print Spooler will recognize this and slow down the transfer of information.

Some services are essential to the operation of your computer, while other services are considered non-essential and will cause no problems in your computer if you disable them.

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Configuring Windows to boot into Normal Mode after SafeMode

When you are finished working in safemode, you need to configure your system to boot into normal mode before restarting.

• Open the System Configuration Utility
• Click on the Boot.ini tab and uncheck the checkmark next to /SAFEBOOT . Click Apply .
• Read the warning below before clicking Close

Your computer will now restart into normal mode, and any changes you made to your system in safe mode should now be permanent.

WARNING About Reboot

Once Windows has fully loaded on the reboot, you will be prompted with a dialog box that says:

“You have used the system configuration utility to make changes to your system”

Click the check box that says:

“Do not show me this message again“, then click OK .

This box pops up after you make changes to Windows using the System Configuration Utility. The message will go away if you check the box before clicking OK, otherwise it may bug you every time you start the computer.

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There are two methods to get your computer into safemode. I suggest starting with method 1 which will force windows to boot into safemode. If that doesn’t work, try method 2.

Method 1 – Configure the System Configuration Utility (Windows XP)

1. Open the System Configuration Utility.
2. Click on the Boot.ini tab. Check the box next to /SAFEBOOT. You may want to also check the NETWORK option if you require internet access in safe mode. If you don’t need it, don’t check it.
   NOTE: Some systems will not be able to connect to the internet in safe mode, depending on what type of internet connection you have.
3. Click Apply . Click Close . Click Yes to restart your computer.
4. When your computer starts up this time, it will load into safemode. You will notice a few differences when your computer boots into safemode. Watch the video for details.
5. When your computer boots into safemode, it will stop at a screen that says ” To begin, click you user name”. Click your username you would normally use to login to windows. If you are using Windows XP Home Edition, there is no password to login to the “Administrator” account.
6. Once you have clicked on your user account, the screen will turn black and you will be prompted with a message that asks if you want to work in safemode or use the system restore feature. Click Yes to work in safemode.

NOTE: Your display will not look as sharp in safemode as you are used to. Your video card drivers aren’t loaded – this is why the color looks poor and not as crisp as when you are in normal mode.

You are now ready to work in Safe mode!

Method 2 – The “F8″ key (all versions of Windows)

1. Shut down and turn off your computer.
2. Turn the computer on and immediately start to tap the “F8″ key on your keyboard. You must tap the “F8″ key TWICE every second; otherwise you may miss the opportunity to boot into safe mode.
3. Watch the screen as you are tapping “F8″ – you will eventually see a screen that says ” Windows Advanced Startup Options”.
4. There will be a list of options you can choose from as to how you want windows to start up. Using your up and down arrow key on your keyboard, select ” Safe Mode “, or ” Safe Mode with Networking ” (if you wish to have internet access) and then press enter.

NOTE: Some systems will not be able to connect to the internet in safe mode, depending on what type of internet connection you have, so only choose this option if you know what you are doing.

Common problems with Method 2 – The “F8″ key

The most common problem with method two is that you are not tapping the F8 quick enough as the PC starts, or you have a “F-Lock” key on your keyboard that needs to be turned on in order for the PC to recognize you are tapping the F8 key.

If this is the case, you must turn on you computer, and immediately press the “F-Lock” key before you begin to tap “F8″.

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What is Safe Mode and why should I Use it?

Safe mode is a diagnostic mode or operational state where Windows runs with as few programs and services as possible. It’s like taking away everything inside of a house and only leaving the structure. The house is still there, but it is no longer filled with clutter that you would have to normally walk around.

The reason you need to boot into safemode first is because most viruses and spyware do not load there. This allows us to work in an environment where viruses and spyware are not active, allowing us to configure your system to start cleanly the next time you start the computer into normal mode.

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The system configuration utility is a tool in Windows that is used to configure your system. It has a ton of features in it, but most notably it is known for being able to configure how windows boots up. You will need to learn how to open the system Configuration Utility throughout the next few steps, so get familiar with how this is done.

Opening the System Configuration Utility

Step 1.
             Click Start
> Run
.  Type in “
msconfig
“ without the quotes. Click OK.

Step 2.
             Be careful using the System Configuration Utility read more on this site to see how to disable items.

You use the System Configuration Utility to disable programs from starting up when your computer starts. Since all viruses and malware have to start up when you computer starts, the system configuration utility is a great place to start in preventing them from loading.

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Many of your computer problems can be fixed in MINUTES. The number one problem I still find in slow computers to this day is that there are too many startup items loading when the PC boots up. An optimized PC should have no more than a few programs starting when the PC starts.

Most people do not realize this, but most viruses, malware, and spyware can only be activated by loading on startup. If a virus is not loaded on startup, it is nothing more than a useless chunk of data on your hard drive.

Just think, if you had 10 startup items loading when you boot your computer how much faster your computer would be if you prevented 7 unnecessary items from loading! Depending on the size of the program, you could save 1-10 minutes every time you start your computer up!

Some programs like Anti-Virus must load when you boot your PC up. These programs can use a lot of system resources, but without them the risks out-weigh the benefits. In the next few sections you are about to learn how to optimize your PC’s performance.

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