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Optimizing Startup Files
Introduction:
Windows XP is a faster booting
operating system compared with Microsoft’s previous releases. But
after some days the booting time of the system increases due to
increase in start-up files and services. Start-up files and
services are the background processes which are executed during
system booting. Some of these start-up files are daemon
applications which run all the time in the background. More
start-up files make the system much slower and increases the
booting time of the windows.
The following steps give some of the
tricks to optimize the system start-up.
If the system installed with multiple
OS then on the boot time the first file is boot.ini. The boot menu
will wait for nearly 30 seconds. To avoid this, click start ->
Run and type Msconfig. There in BOOT.INI tab
change the timeout to 5 seconds, which reduces the boot menu
waiting time of the system. For latest version like windows vista,
windows server 2003, windows server 2008 they incorporate a
utility called BCDedit.exe. So to speed up the booting of
this operating system the third party tools for Boot Management is
used.
Startup programs:
Startup programs are programs that
automatically launch during system start up. Some of these files
are must for proper execution of the applications, and some others
are junk startup files unnecessarily occupying memory which slows
down the startup process. To select which one needed and to delete
the unwanted entries we have to edit the registry.
To delete unwanted startup programs
Go to Start -> Run; type
regedit
There go to the registry key
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
There the auto run programs listed in
the right side of the window. There we can delete the unwanted
files.
Prefetcher
Windows XP has a new feature called
prefetcher, which monitors the boot process to determine which
files are needed, and then preloads those files early in the boot
process to optimize startup. We can optimize the startup using
registry editor by modifying the prefetcher parameter.
[HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SessionManager\
MemoryManagement\PrefetchParameters\EnablePrefetcher]
The default value of EnablePrefetcher
is 3, but changing this value to 2 increases the booting speed.
To see the programs in start-up and
the boot time loading services Microsoft
recommends
This software gives the details of
start-up and boot time services. The user must know well about the
necessary and unwanted start-up in the list and disable the right
choice. Disabling mandatory services may lead to system crash. So
it is better to leave all the Microsoft corporation services and
other application, database server services. Apart from these
services the user may disable unwanted services and start-up
programs from the system.
Unnecessary services:
Services are background process which
helps the user by providing the service when necessary but they
run always in the background. Windows has lot of services runs
behind the screen. Some of the services are necessary for system
functioning and some other are no use at all for the particular
system configuration.
To get the services list click
Start -> Run and type services.msc
Which will opens checked list box
where we can uncheck the unwanted services.
They are
Alerter – this service send
alerts over network to administrator
Computer browser – to browse
through available computer in the network
Messenger - provides facility
to send NET SEND over network systems.
The above services are unwanted when
the system is standalone, without a network connection.
Distributed Link Tracking Client
– This service is used in NTFS file system. If the system didn’t
use NTFS then it is better to stop this service
Help and Support – This
service gives help on pressing F1. If you won’t need this service
you can disable this service.
Print Spooler – if you have no
printer then you can disable this.
Server - For sharing files and
printer among other systems in the network. If you didn’t prefer
file sharing you can disable this service.
Task Scheduler- if you are not
scheduling tasks it is safe to disable this service.
Smart Card – if you have no
smart, then safely disable this service. |
