Musky, Mentor Me! PC Start Up is slow slow SLOW!

[Brother_Bliss]

I remember buying this thing and being so impressed with my new laptop and windows7 and how it would start up in under a minute. I swear this thing takes 5 to 7 minutes to fully boot up now.

Can I get this back down to impressive boot up times? If so, where do I start?

[stevenjbuk]

I have the same problem. I have Windows 7 64 bit Home Edition. At first I so impressed how quick it took Windows 7 to boot up, but now, it is slower than my old pc running Windows XP Home Edition. I end up doing something else for 5 minutes or so waiting for it to fully boot up. DRIVES ME INSANE!!!!!

[Musky]

First of all, make sure you have the "RUN" command in the start menu, if it isn't there, right-click and choose "Properties/Custom" and add it.

Then click on "run" and type in "msconfig" (without the quotes) when that window opens, go to the "Startup" tab. You'll see a long list of items with check marks to the left of them. Un-check everything in there that doesn't start with "Microsoft" and also leave your anti-virus checked.

Say "OK" and reboot.

It should be much faster.

What happens is that every program you install, sets itself so it starts with Windows. So that it is idling in the background using up resources even when it's not being used. Turning them "off" until you need them will not prevent them from working when you click on them.

Lesson two will be tomorrow.

[Astrid]

that's a great tipp, I'll definitely try this out

ty Chuck

[Astrid]

what about Intel® Common User Interface?

[Musky]

Hi Astrid!

The Intel "user interface" is usually the little "settings" programs that run in the tray down by the clock. These are unnecessary as you usually don't need to change these settings once they are set. You can always access them if needed by right-clicking the desktop and choosing "Properties". Meanwhile, they are just more that Windows needs to load at start-up, thus slowing the system start process.

In your list, I would un-check all but the "Avira" anti-virus. And the "Synaptic pointing device driver".

Remember, if anything that you need isn't working after you re-start the system, just go back into msconfig and re-check the box next to it. No harm done because you are not removing anything, you are just preventing them from starting with Windows.

[Astrid]

thank you, Chuck!

[Dages]

and "CCLEANER" is a good program too.

[Musky]

and "CCLEANER" is a good program too.

Yes it is! it was going to be included in lesson 2

Since Bob asked the original question, I am waiting for him to try the first step and let me know if he has any questions before we move to the second phase.

Astrid: did you notice an improvement after modifying the start up list?.

[Brother_Bliss]

Since Bob asked the original question, I am waiting for him to try the first step and let me know if he has any questions before we move to the second phase.

I was being picky, removed a few clearly unnecessary things, and startup was still 6 minutes from power button to widgets showing up. I am gonna post a list of things, because many are "Toshiba" stuff, which is the maker of my laptop.

[Musky]

Yes, Toshiba has some programs that are basically the same as what Windows already has, like the "power center" etc. If you disable it, the system will revert to the Windows "power settings" under "properties" when you right-click on the desktop.

But it has to be something more thne just those "setings" programs. Six minutes is WAY too slow! What anti-virus are you using? If it is either Norton or McAfee, then that could be your problem.

[Brother_Bliss]

Kaspersky Internet Security 2011

[Musky]

Well, that is one of the better ones. I haven't found it to slow down the system too much. What is the last thing to load before you can start using the computer when you turn it on?

Also, most of the time new systems come with a lot of "trial" software. I have seen the manufacturers or the retail sellers load multiple anti-virus programs on as "trials, and if you don't manually uninstall them, they can mess up and slow your system down months later.

Go through the "Programs and features" list in Control panel and see if there is more then the one A/V program listed. Also see if there is anything that you never use that can be uninstalled.

[Dages]

when i was on windows, i had a free antivirus... but i have never had a virus...

now i'm on linux... no more antivirus at all

[Greenfield]

Well, that is one of the better ones. I haven't found it to slow down the system too much. What is the last thing to load before you can start using the computer when you turn it on?

Also, most of the time new systems come with a lot of "trial" software. I have seen the manufacturers or the retail sellers load multiple anti-virus programs on as "trials, and if you don't manually uninstall them, they can mess up and slow your system down months later.

Go through the "Programs and features" list in Control panel and see if there is more then the one A/V program listed. Also see if there is anything that you never use that can be uninstalled.

What are your thoughts on Trend Micro and AVG?

[Astrid]

Astrid: did you notice an improvement after modifying the start up list?.

yes, it works great now, like when I first had this laptop.

I guess it's the same with XP laptops? My father has one, and this things is so slow, it needs five minutes to start.

[trottigy]

when i was on windows, i had a free antivirus... but i have never had a virus...

now i'm on linux... no more antivirus at all

I don't use an antivirus program either ;) Never had a virus on it.

[Musky]

Astrid: did you notice an improvement after modifying the start up list?.

yes, it works great now, like when I first had this laptop.

I guess it's the same with XP laptops? My father has one, and this things is so slow, it needs five minutes to start.

Yes, you can use the exact same method on an XP machine and the results are even more dramatic.

[GrumpysWife]

I use Advanced System Care with the Turbo Boost turned on. It turns off the stuff you don't need running all the time. It also will clean the registry and a few other things but you have to buy it every year. My XP takes less than a minute to start up.

[Brother_Bliss]

Here's mine. I was figuring all the Toshiba stuff could stay. After all, it was there out of the box. So tell me, what stays?

[Musky]

Here's mine. I was figuring all the Toshiba stuff could stay. After all' date=' it was there out of the box. So tell me, what stays?

[/quote'] Wow, that is a LOT of stuff starting with WIndows! Most all of that can be removed from the startup list, but they will still function when you need them. Most of them are only on there so that they will open up a few seconds faster when you click on their icon or their name in the program list. Meanwhile they are idleing in the background, using up resources. Uncheck: The first three "Intel" items Realtek HD audio manager smartfacewatcher message center Google Update Google talk Google chrome Roxo Burn Brother Status Monitor Control center Adobe Reader and Acrobat manager Adobe Acrobat IntuitSyncManager Rainlendar2 (If you are actually using this to send you "reminders" then leave it) Jave Platform auto update Data protect Quickbooks automatic update Quickbooks I think a lot of those Toshiba programs can come off to, but for now we'll leave them be and see how this works. Reboot and see how it is. If anyhting doesn't open at startup that you really need it to, then go in and re-check the box next to it's name.

[Brother_Bliss]

Uncheck:

The first three "Intel" items

Realtek HD audio manager

smartfacewatcher

message center

Google Update

Google talk

Google chrome

Roxo Burn

Brother Status Monitor

Control center

Adobe Reader and Acrobat manager

Adobe Acrobat

IntuitSyncManager

Rainlendar2 (If you are actually using this to send you "reminders" then leave it)

Jave Platform auto update

Data protect

Quickbooks automatic update

Quickbooks

I know Quickbooks is a fat pig. The old versions took forever to boot up which seemed to improve considerable with the lastest version - but maybe its because it is starting in the background already.

I left the ones in red checked as they are Toshiba programs. I did removed Adobe Photo whatever in addition to the list above. Removing Brother and Control Center have me weirded out just a bit since that is my wireless printer, but it might be all good.

I am not clocking in at 3 minutes 15 seconds from power button to desktop wigets / wireless network connection.

[CMWYW]

What are your thoughts on Trend Micro and AVG?

Hi Greenfield,

I use Avast Free antivirus but AVG is probably the most popular free antivirus and said to be one of, if not the best.

Along with Malwarebytes anti-malware software which is free as well. My computer is about as safe as its going to be without having numerous antivirus software programs running.

Sometimes I use super-antispyware and probably scan my computer at least once a month with all 3 to get rid of trackers that track your activity and seem to stick adverts relevant to your past searches on the internet on web pages your looking at.

Although my knowledge is probably quite miniscule compared to Musky's as I only build and repair computers for fun I have found that no single antivirus/anti - malware program covers every virus so still one could get through.

My brother had a horrible virus that had people automatically logging onto the internet and going to an annoying website that would send you no matter what you did to a similar page on the internet but with a slightly different address. and wouldn't allow you to turn your browser off or do anything for that fact rendering the laptop nearly un-useable.

Short of reinstalling windows and using D-Ban to nuke the hard drive a lengthy search on the internet found that an unpopular free removal software was getting rid of it where as all the popular ones were not working against it. Managed to get rid of it in the end and put some free security software on his notebook and he has had no problems since.

I have heard of some people who do a fresh install of windows every 3 months automatically to keep there computer running smoothly but that is a bit extreme.

Anyway I have probably blagged on way to much now. You should be cool with AVG although i do like malwarebytes as well.

I find this a very safe free program downloading website :- http://download.cnet.com/windows/

[Musky]

I am not clocking in at 3 minutes 15 seconds from power button to desktop wigets / wireless network connection.

Well, that's better, but still not great. I have a lot of stuff that starts with Windows also, the main one is the program that runs my "entertainment center" that allows me to stream movies wirelessly to my TV from my home network. it's a resource hog, but worth it. My start up time right now is 1 minute 22 seconds. If I worked on it a little, I'm sure I could get it under a minute, but it gives me time to get my coffee after I hit the button in the morning.

As Windows is starting up, it "indexes" files. If you have a lot of temp files and old Internet files, it can slow you down also.

Click here and download "cleanup" the run it. It will get rid of all tmp files, and empty Windows webpage repository locations. Windows actually keeps three copies of every web page you've ever been on. If you do the "Clean history" or "Delete temporary Internet files" through your browser, you only get rid of one copy. Cleanup will get them all, including cookies.

Cleanup452

You'll be surprised how much disk space can be recovered doing this.

Try it and then we'll try a few other things.

CMWYW: I agree that AVG is probably the most popular free anti-virus out there. But I also feel you get what you pay for. AVG itself has gotten very bloated through the years and can slow your system like some of the larger, paid A/Vs (Norton, McAfee, etc)

It's true all A/Vs slow you down some, but the best one out there in my opinion is Eset's Nod32.

Nod32

They offer a free 30 trial, if you uninstall what you have and try this for a month, I think you'll pay the money to purchase it. I have found that it is so efficent, it's all I've needed to run for years. It has a very small footprint, only about 50MB compared to AVGs over 100MB. It also uses very little resources. I too still occasionally do a scan with Malewarebytes, or Superantispyware for safety, but not often. Nod32 doesn't miss much and if you heed it's warnings, you'll be fine.

[CMWYW]

CMWYW: I agree that AVG is probably the most popular free anti-virus out there. But I also feel you get what you pay for. AVG itself has gotten very bloated through the years and can slow your system like some of the larger, paid A/Vs (Norton, McAfee, etc)

It's true all A/Vs slow you down some, but the best one out there in my opinion is Eset's Nod32.

Nod32

They offer a free 30 trial, if you uninstall what you have and try this for a month, I think you'll pay the money to purchase it. I have found that it is so efficent, it's all I've needed to run for years. It has a very small footprint, only about 50MB compared to AVGs over 100MB. It also uses very little resources. I too still occasionally do a scan with Malewarebytes, or Superantispyware for safety, but not often. Nod32 doesn't miss much and if you heed it's warnings, you'll be fine.

Hi Musky,

Thanks for your advice. I am unsure if i really need to change anything although I am sure you may be correct that nod32 misses less than avast. This is because I have 2 hard drives one for windows and another for all my files. Meaning if I have something terrible attack my hard drive with windows on then it can easily be fixed without threatening any of my files.

My computer boots up in about 1m 32seconds but that is because I have things like world community grid and gadgets automatically starting which it is seeking from a 2TB hard drive.

If I was to purchase nod32 after 30 days is it a one off payment or does it require a yearly renewal?

I am reluctant to pay money for antiviruses as the free ones are so good and because of the way my computer is set up viruses pose little if any threat to my files.

Please tell me if I am being a Noob.