Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Thunndarr]

www.blackviper.com

This site has a lot of imformation about the programs and services that windows starts up automatically and which of them can safely be disabled. If your system is scrounging for ram, or if you just like to max out your free ram, then give it a look.

[Bulsajo]

I wouldn't call it it 'tweaking'- his guide to XP and 2000 services is pretty much essential from the perspectives of security and resource management.

[Newfoundlander]

Uh oh. Them's fightin' words.

[Demophobe]

Well, it'a tweaking for the inexperienced, commonplace (essential) for the seasoned. Good link to post Thundaar...Kelly's corner is another one for good tweaks...

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp.htm

And one of my favorites:

http://www.mdgx.com/wxp.htm

[ryleeys]

D'oh! I can build a computer and do a good job of taking apart and putting back together damn near anything... but this stuff is beyond me... I don't even know where to begin to start "tweaking"

[Dalton]

I started with this site
Windows XP Tips and Tricks - a bit of reading but simple and not very technical.

Eventually I put taskmgr.exe, msconfig.exe, gpedit.msc, dxdial.exe, dfrg.msc, cleanmgr.exe and regedit.exe on my startup list. I found them in Windows system32 folder. Except msconfig.exe- Ifound that in the Windows\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries folder. These are useful things to have easy access to.

[Bulsajo]

clarification: what I meant by "I wouldn't call it tweaking" is that I was trying to emphasize how important I consider Black Viper's guide to be for system management. Tweaking has a kind of a 'power options' ring to it but I think BV's guides should be more than options... they correct some pretty horrendous default settings in Windows services.

I've been using BV's guides for a few years now...
Good job posting the link Thundarr, everyone using XP or 2000 should be using it.

[Demophobe]

Using msconfig should be a last resort for things...most boot modifications can be achieved through other, more prudent methods. msconfig is a bit 'brute force'...

Looking in the registry (run/regedit) at hkey/LocalMachine/software/microsoft/windows/currentversion/run one can see everything that will appear on the last tab of the msconfig (there are also services listed in that last tab, making it a busy place) and deleting these entries from the registry as well as the start menu is a better way to keep them from loading at startup. This is also a good place to look for trojans or other forms of spyware/malware that one may get...

I use Zonealarm becuse it tells me what is trying to get out of my computer as well as blocking what is trying to get in. When some program that I don't recognize is trying to get out, deny it. Then do a Google for that program name, and see if it's some bad deal. If it is, then do a Widows "search" for the program name. See the locations where it is, and try to delete them, as well as from the registry, in the aforementioned place. If they don't delete, then boot into safe mode and delete them. I have no idea why I just posted this...seemed relevant for some reason.

Never use msconfig to end or stop services. Always use the AdministrativeTools/Services to do this. And always check "dependancies" before disabling or setting any service to "manual"....if you disablke a service with a large number of needed dependancies, you will find yourself with an oddly-behaving computer.

Also...backup the registry before doing anything in there. Don't just backup the one entry, but the WHOLE thing...save it as the date you did it...then, if anything goes wrong, you can put it right esily enough. The registry is a scary place....go there with fear.

[Thunndarr]

To be fair, Black Viper also has the same warnings about the registry and msconfig. I like the part where msconfig has a box that will allow you to disable all, making your computer unbootable. Ha ha! Nice touch Mr. Gates.

[Dalton]

Thanks for the msconfig advice. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing

I did notice that turning off Quicktime's or Real's update programs didn't work from ms config. So I used msconfig's listing to find the reg key and deleted them. I can find 'run' with my eyes closed now.

That doesn't work either but the latest version of spybot tells me whenever something is trying to alter my registry. That allows me to deny the change. That works. BTW it's called Teatime and is an option for Spybot S&D.

Real tries to put it's update registry value into 'run' every time I turn it on. When I used IE for the first time in a week (I'm still using Firefox), IE tried to change the registry value for 'first page'(is that home page?) to MSN.

A button within XP that makes XP unbootable? That is so funny on so many levels.

[the saint]

Here's another that is a bit easier on the eyes than some posted so far

http://www.tweakxp.com/default.aspx