Can I remove some pgms @ startup?

[Guest]

I just got a msg about "Virtual memory set too low & Windows was rasing the
page area". When I was running ME I came accross a list of pgms that could
be removed from startup with the msconfig cmd. Cannot find that list & am
running XP anyway. I'll try to be brief: I just new installed a copy of XP
on my old P3 & wow does it start up fast, faster than my P4. Of course my P4
came with all kinds of stuff preinstalled from the maker, I deleted AOL-
netzero- earthlink-etc but what else can I get rid off? I remember a pgm
that allows for hot-swapping batteries, I only have one battery. Does anyone
know where such a list is & should we still remove pgms in XP?
Will removing unused pgms relieve virtual memory?
Also a side bar: the P3 shows a ton of Optional software updates @
Microsft's Update site like .net framework 1 thru 3, root certificates, smart
card crytographic, etc. Do I really need these. .net framework is optional,
should I remove that on the P4? Do I run anything using .net Framework(you
are probably saying -how would I know?)? Info seems to indicate that it's
for developers. Is .net using RAM?
Sorry if this is too many questions for one post!

 

[Guest]

I think I confused myslef. I realize AOL, Earthlink & other preinstalled
applications don't use RAM, please disregard that part.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I just got a msg about "Virtual memory set too low & Windows was raising
the
page area". When I was running ME I came accross a list of pgms that
could
be removed from startup with the msconfig cmd. Cannot find that list & am
running XP anyway. I'll try to be brief: I just new installed a copy of
XP
on my old P3 & wow does it start up fast, faster than my P4. Of course my
P4
came with all kinds of stuff preinstalled from the maker, I deleted AOL-
netzero- earthlink-etc but what else can I get rid off? I remember a pgm
that allows for hot-swapping batteries, I only have one battery. Does
anyone
know where such a list is & should we still remove pgms in XP?
Will removing unused pgms relieve virtual memory?
Also a side bar: the P3 shows a ton of Optional software updates @
Microsft's Update site like .net framework 1 thru 3, root certificates,
smart
card crytographic, etc. Do I really need these. .net framework is
optional,
should I remove that on the P4? Do I run anything using .net Framework(you
are probably saying -how would I know?)? Info seems to indicate that
it's
for developers. Is .net using RAM?
Sorry if this is too many questions for one post!

I think I confused myslef. I realize AOL, Earthlink & other preinstalled
applications don't use RAM, please disregard that part.

First - help with 'startups'...

There are lots of services on your PC that are probably turned on by default
you don't use. Why have them on? Check out these web pages to see what all
of the services you might find on your computer are and set them according
to your personal needs. Be CAREFUL what you set to manual, and take heed
and write down as you change things! Also, don't expect a large performance
increase or anything - especially on today's 2+ GHz machines, however - I
look at each service you set to manual as one less service you have to worry
about someone exploiting.

Service Configuration Tips
http://www.tweakhound.com/xp/xptweaks/supertweaks6.htm

Configuring Services
http://smallvoid.com/tweak/winnt/services.html

Task List Programs
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm

Processes in Windows NT/2000/XP
http://www.reger24.de/prozesse/

There are also applications that AREN'T services that startup when you start
up the computer/logon. One of the better description on how to handle these
I have found here:

Startups
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php


Second - a program that allows you to 'hot swap' a laptop battery?

I do not see how a program could do that. You could hibernate and swap the
batteries and then come up out of hibernation - but you aren't *truly*
hot-swapping doing that. It's 'save system state, do what you want, return
to system state'. A true hot-swap could be done by having the laptop
plugged into power, removing the battery, putting in the new battery. You
could then unplug the old battery.

As for the optional updates - unless you install something that needs them -
don't bother. You will *know* when you install something that needs them
because either it will tell you or it just won't work. .NET is *not* just
for developers - in the end many people have used it for such things as
video drivers, etc.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I think I confused myslef. I realize AOL, Earthlink & other preinstalled
applications don't use RAM, please disregard that part.

*All* applications use memory, and unless that memory hasn't been
recently used (in which case it's in the page file) it's RAM. It has
nothing to do with whether the application is preinstalled.

Here's my standard post on autostarting programs:

On each program you don't want to start automatically, check its
Options to see if it has the choice not to start (make sure you
actually choose the option not to run it, not just a "don't show icon"
option). Many can easily and best be stopped that way. If that doesn't
work, run MSCONFIG from the Start | Run line, and on the Startup tab,
uncheck the programs you don't want to start automatically.

However, if I were you, I wouldn't do this just for the purpose of
running the minimum number of programs. Despite what many people tell
you, you should be concerned, not with how *many* of these programs
you run, but *which*. Some of them can hurt performance severely, but
others have no effect on performance.

Don't just stop programs from running willy-nilly. What you should do
is determine what each program is, what its value is to you, and what
the cost in performance is of its running all the time. You can get
more information about these at
http://castlecops.com/StartupList.html. If you can't find it there,
try google searches and ask about specifics here.

Once you have that information, you can make an intelligent informed
decision about what you want to keep and what you want to get rid of

 

[Guest]

Thanks all! Will need some time adsorb all this info & will most definitely
be cautious when picking services to stop.

 

[Gerry]

Is the machine left on 24/7?

What programmes are you using when the message appears?

Are you using Adobe Acrobat Reader? If yes, which precise version?

Try Ctrl+Alt+Delete to select Task Manager and click the Performance
Tab. Under Commit Charge what is the Total, the Limit and the Peak?

How large is your hard disk and how much free space. Right click on
your C drive in Windows and select Properties to get this information.

How much RAM memory?


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Guest]

The machine goes into standby/hibernate thruout the day but gets restarted @
least every other day.
Funny you should mention Adobe, had recently upgraded to Reader 8.1.0 & just
that morning got another accept/decline msg for license. Also installed
Adobe Photoshop downloader (I don't know why) but I actually just removed
that this morning, don't know how to use it I thought perhaps it was just
eating RAM.
Commit charge: Total = 367M, limit = 1258M, Peak = 420516
Hard drive = 34.2 GB, free space = 23.2 GB
512MG RAM

 

[Gerry]

There were reports of Adobe Reader 8 having a memory leak. Version 8.1.0
is an update, which hopefully addressed the problem. The symptoms of a
memory leak are an ever rising pagefile usage. Normally when you close a
programme the pagefile being used is returned to the pool but this does
not happen with a leak until you restart your computer.

Adobe Photoshop being involved with graphics will require lots of
memory. If you do photo editing and use an Undo feature the demand for
memory will be even greater.

The Peak of 420,516 is less than your RAM so an excessive pagefile usage
is not being indicated but you need to watch the peak, especially if you
get more low memory messages.

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Messenger & netWaiting both had options for NOT starting - how
simple. --
Regards snerdly

Evolution Occurs thru Mutation!

 

[jim1242]

....
Also a side bar: the P3 shows a ton of Optional software updates @
Microsft's Update site like .net framework 1 thru 3, root certificates, smart
card crytographic, etc. Do I really need these. .net framework is optional,
should I remove that on the P4? Do I run anything using .net Framework(you
are probably saying -how would I know?)? Info seems to indicate that it's
for developers. Is .net using RAM?
Sorry if this is too many questions for one post!

If you are using an RSS feed reader to automatically aggreate information
from the www....... then that requires .net.framework to run. At least, the
version of RSS that I use requires .net.framework to be installed.