garth said:
does anyone have advice on making my computer start faster? It takes several minutes to start(I have an XP).
1. Instal latest and fastest processor (buy it)
2. Move your OS and files over some ghost program to bigger and faster hard disk (buy it) than toss out your old hard disks
3. Add 4 or more Gigaz of memory (buy it) and disable use of swap file.
4. Fire up regedit and delete all crap (except things really needed, for example antivirus) from the following keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/RunOnce
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/RunOnceEx
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/RunOnce
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/RunOnceEx
Then go to Start -> Programs -> Startup and clear crap from there too.
But it's not all. You have also Browser Helper Objects and ActiveX'es
very interesting things. Part of them is useful, but most of them... They called helpers, but in real life acts as parasites of "explorer" process. Baddest part of BHOthat is they are invisible as separate process in Task Manager, their threads runs in explorer.exe process =( Very annoying thingys. Moreover, they are have all permissions of explorer.exe process and have right go to internet without firewall checks them =(
To remove Browser Helper Objects (again, you must to know which of them useful and which are parts of useless toolbars or eve spyware) delete appropriate entries from the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects
Don't delete something important though