I was looking at the path and noticed the entry "C:\Program
Files\Executive Software\Diskeeper\"
The Path was important for DOS
The path is just as important in Windows; it serves the same function as it did in DOS.
does a program like Diskeeper really need to be on the path under Windows XP?
No.
If I don't plan to run Diskeeper from a command prompt, could it be
removed from the path?
Yes (probably).
Some programs are pretentious and add themselves to the path even though they don't need to be there. Not only does this clutter
the path, but it slows things down since the system has to check every path in there until either it finds the program, or runs out
of paths. Others do it because they are poorly designed and come in a few hundred tiny modules which need to be accessible. The
pretentious apps you can remove, but the poorly designed ones may not function correctly or at all if you take them out. (Symantec
is notorious for writing it's software in hundreds of tiny little files, and ATI and Creative are pretty bad too.)
The best strategy is to make a note of the exact path, then take it out and see if anything breaks. If not, leave it out, if so,
put it back.
I highly recommend optimizing the path, which includes both trimming the fat, and reorganizing.
