Clean boot profile?

[patrickd]

When I log on to my Vista Ultimate desktop, numerous startup programs that I
have acquired over the years fire up, many of them parking themselves in the
system tray. Since 95% of my computer use is low-demand web surfing and word
processing, the many running programs don’t bother me, and I am glad to have
them at hand. But once in awhile I like to run Flight Simulator or edit home
videos; at those times, I’d like Vista to be running nearly bare-bones.
Many of the startup programs exist for all users, so it doesn’t really help
to simply create a new user for gaming or graphics. Is there any way to have
a pre-prepared profile having a radically minimized set of startup programs?
I know I can simply click them off through msconfig or control panel, but
that is pretty cumbersome. I’ve considered a separate install with
dual-boot. (Side issue – would that present any validation issues?)
Suggestions?

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

Save your run keys as reg files (both blank, and 'full'), and run the
desired .reg files for your 'run configuration' before the restart.
HKEY_Current_User/....
AND
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

I forgot to demo the syntax for deleting the run, then creating a blank one.

--blank.reg--
....
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
....

 

[patrickd]

Thanks for the prompt response!! I think you are saying (1) Save my "regular"
registry keys (the two keys you named) (2) configure my settings as I would
like to have them (3) save the resulting "cleanboot" registry keys, thus
giving me two sets of keys, "regular" and "cleanboot" (4) Just before a
restart, copy to the registry the keys I'd like to have at the next startup.
Is this right? Is there a utility that will copy the keys into the right
place?

 

[solon fox]

When I log on to my Vista Ultimate desktop, numerous startup programs thatI
have acquired over the years fire up, many of them parking themselves in the
system tray. Since 95% of my computer use is low-demand web surfing and word
processing, the many running programs don’t bother me, and I am glad to have
them at hand.  But once in awhile I like to run Flight Simulator or edithome
videos; at those times, I’d like Vista to be running nearly bare-bones.
Many of the startup programs exist for all users, so it doesn’t really help
to simply create a new user for gaming or graphics.  Is there any way tohave
a pre-prepared profile having a radically minimized set of startup programs?  
I know I can simply click them off through msconfig  or control panel, but
that is pretty cumbersome.  I’ve considered a separate install with
dual-boot.  (Side issue – would that present any validation issues?)
Suggestions?

I'd recommend getting autoruns. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

The instructions for installing it aren't too clear, but it worked
wonders for me. A very nice way to get a look at all that cruft and
get a good handle on it. Including the stuff in the registry. To
install, I unzipped it to C:\Program Files\SysinternalsSuite, then
create a shortcut to autoruns.exe, run as Administrator, or just run
it from the file location.

-solon fox

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Yes. Use msconfig as explained in this KB:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/331796

 

[patrickd]

OK, I have found a good way to do this, using “Autoruns†from Microsoft.
(Thanks, solon fox)
Here’s what I did:
1. Get Autoruns here:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

To install, simply unzip it to a folder and run autoruns.exe from that
folder. (The other .exe is a command-line version)
2. Go to the “options†tab and check “Hide Microsoft Entriesâ€
3. Go to “file† “save†and save your current configuration as
“Autoruns_Full†with the default .arn extension
4. Go to the “Logon†tab and unclick everything you don’t want to run at
startup.
5. Go to the “Services†tab and unclick everything you don’t want to run at
startup – (Here, I think, you won’t get into too much trouble if you clicked
“hide Microsoft†as above. Visit blackviper.com if you want to be braver
than that.)
6. Go to “file† “save†and save the new configuration as “Autoruns_Cleanâ€
with the default .arn extension
7. With autoruns still running, reboot, and you will reboot clean.
8. When you want all the startup stuff back, open autoruns, go to “file†
“load†and load the “Autoruns_Full†file you created in step 3, then reboot
with autoruns still open.