how many users ok?

[TRABEM]

I have to do a complete wipe and reinstallation of XP. It runs slow,
reasons unknown.

Anyway, on the old system, we had 2 users, both with administrative
privileges.

I need to know whether multiple users will cause the performance to
drop in a major way. I understand the answer is yes IF both users
remain active with programs running. But, we close our programs and
log off completely when we switch users.

Will multiple users on a system bog it down if only one user has
programs running and the other user is logged off?

Thanks,

T

 

[Galen]

In TRABEM <TRABEM> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

I have to do a complete wipe and reinstallation of XP. It runs slow,
reasons unknown.

Anyway, on the old system, we had 2 users, both with administrative
privileges.

I need to know whether multiple users will cause the performance to
drop in a major way. I understand the answer is yes IF both users
remain active with programs running. But, we close our programs and
log off completely when we switch users.

Will multiple users on a system bog it down if only one user has
programs running and the other user is logged off?

Thanks,

T

The number of users is not really important. I'm sure there's a finite limit
but two certainly is not that limit. Try this first:

Malware Cleaning :
http://kgiii.info/windows/all/general/malwarefix.html

Galen
--

"Chance has put in our way a most singular and whimsical problem, and
its solution is its own reward."

Sherlock Holmes

 

[lvee]

No, if only one user is logged on, there will be no delays in performance.
If you have multiple users, they remain logged on and you utilize Fast User
Switch, yes, you will notice delays in performance.
For best performance, all users should log off when their session is
through.
If you have several, I don't know the number of users xp allows, but if you
have several, it is possible that not all of them will be present at the
welcome screen.
You can test this yourself by leaving users logged on with all their
programs still running, then switch to a new user. You'll notice a
difference.

A slow computer does not necessarily mean you have to reinstall.
Maybe we could help you with that.
There are many reasons why a pc runs slowly, but if you'd rather not get
into it, and just do a reinstallation, that's okay, your call.

 

[TRABEM]

There are many reasons why a pc runs slowly, but if you'd rather not get
into it, and just do a reinstallation, that's okay, your call.

No problem at all-but I've looked and scanned and followed
recommendations of others.

I've been through HELL.

Worst of all, after all the recommendations, scans, changes to the OS
etc etc, I still haven't gotten an indication why it slows down. When
I look at the resource summary, there appears to be nothing wrong.

I have put the brakes on XP's niceties, scanned, defragmented, we use
Norton antivirus, have a hardware firewall and already use an
alternative startup which is minimized.

I've gotten down to needing more ram, only have 256 MB in a Dell
Inspiron 1100 laptop........or, the services running is allowing to
much to run in the background.

There are 40 services running after a fresh boot. Problem is I don't
know what all those lines mean, so I am hesitant to discontinue any of
those services....and, not really sure it's the problem anyway:>:

Thanks

T

 

[Fitz]

256 mb is about the minimum for XP. Have you run scumware and virus scans
in Safe Mode? Free programs you can download: SpyBot Search & Destroy,
Ad-Aware (from lavasoft), Spyware Blaster. Navigate to your Windows
directory. Find a subfolder called Prefetch. Delete all files in Prefetch.
Don't delete the folder itself. Go to Start>Run. Type MSCONFIG. Go to the
tab labeled Startup. Uncheck items you don't need from starting.

 

[lvee]

40 services is about par for windows, however, you can adjust what you see
when you are looking at to see what's eating your resources.
open task manager, click on view >set columns>and add mem usage and peak mem
usage.
Also, msconfig>startup tab will show programs that are loading when you
start your pc, most of which you don't need at startup.
Norton is a huge resource hog.
As for the Prefetch folder. I disagree that it needs to be emptied. If you
empty it, it will reload as soon as you reboot, and it will only contain
128 items, if more are needed, it will automatically rid itself of
something, therefore maintaining the 128.


Prefetch myth,
http://www.edbott.com/weblog/archives/000743.html

here is an article that helps explain task manager, etc.
http://www.expresscomputeronline.com/20030915/techspace01.shtml

Also, check your add/remove programs to see if you have any old, unused
programs in there, if so, remove them.

Then, there is the Trojan effect.
you can download this,
http://majorgeeks.com/TrojanHunter_d1232.html
it has a 30 day trial, ( I think it's 30 days) which will find Trojans that
may not be detected by other products. I thought my system was clean, but it
seemed a bit sluggish, and to my surprise, it found one.

 

[Fitz]

Hi Ivee...

I had a problem once that resided in the Prefetch folder and caused my
computer to have a problem when starting Windows. When I found the entry in
Prefetch, I removed it and the problem was solved. Later I noticed that
when I examined the Prefetch folder, a lot of entries existed that were no
longer on my computer. Examples were multiple entries for setup programs,
all with the same name. I've found that periodically (every couple of
months) empting the Prefetch folder improves my computers performance
because, as you said, Windows rebuilds the Prefetch folder. When it
rebuilds the folder, only those current items that are loaded will be placed
there. Anyhow, it works for me.

Regards,
Fitz

 

[TRABEM]

here is an article that helps explain task manager, etc.
http://www.expresscomputeronline.com/20030915/techspace01.shtml

OK, the Task Manager explanation was very nice-just the sort of basic
info I needed. Thanks to you and Fitz for getting me there
(eventually).

This is a problem that started when the computer was new. It was
always a slug, right from the Dell factory. Willie in India, which was
the Dell chosen technical representative didn't know his keyboard from
a hole in the ground and basically told me if I couldn't give him more
specific information, he couldn't help me.

So, the warranty came and went......we ended up with this mess.
Perhaps I should have been more persistent, but I repeatedly asked to
talk to a technician in the US, then a US based Service Manager. No
good, they told me this wasn't possible. I basically gave up at that
point.

I should also say that I found their phone number with a google search
and called directly (to the headquarters in the US). When I asked to
talk to Mr. Dell, they told me he didn't talk to customers and the
operator told me she would be fired if she put me through to him. She
offered me his fax number, but I never followed through.

Anyway, in the last couple of months, the problem has gotten worse.
Each time I look into something, the computer comes up clean. To this
day, I cannot identify WHY it's so slow..everything I look at says
it's ok or scans clean.

I did go online to update drivers last week and there was a link to
talk to a Dell technician. Since I couldn't find my hard drive in the
list of driver updates, I clicked on the link. A few minutes later, a
tech came on.verified I had the latest driver already and told me to
flash the bios (which failed when I had tried it earlier in the day).
So, they told me to try again, and I went from an A25 to an A32
bios......but it made no difference in the problem.

The technician told me the first step in this troubleshooting
procedure would be to access the Dell Diagnostics, which are hardware
diagnostics in ROM (I think). Anyway, my system passed all the
hardware tests.........

So, Dell Service has gotten better, but we were still stuck with the
lemon and they sure aren't going to do anything about it now (almost 2
years later)!

Hopefully new buyers aren't exposed to the off-shore out-sourced
technical assistance they used to provide:>:

Anyway, I did look at the url's you gave, and in some detail, looked
at the task manager. Even with the more advanced information, I'm not
seeing WHY or WHAT the problem is.

I'm working on step 9 of a 13 step process given to me by a Microsoft
MSIE. It's also very detailed and there is a backup for the backup.if
you know what I mean. But, nothing seems to show up as an error.

Before closing, I should say that my brother in law has the Dell
Inspiron 1150, which is nearly identical (same processor speed, PC2700
instead of PC2100 ram, both systems are bottom end systems that sold
for the same price). When we ran them side by side, he had
applications opened, edited files and closed before my computer
finished displaying the desktop!

I do Spice electronic circuit simulations, which are computationally
intensive. The support group for the software has an unofficial
'benchmark' circuit for testing computer speed. My system runs the
benchmark 3 times slower than other similar systems do.

I'm resisting the reinstallation of the OS, especially since I have no
evidence it is corrupted....hopefully it won't come down to that.

I did add another 128 MB of ram (going from 256 to 384 MB), but my
wife says it didn't seem to make any difference to her. I noticed that
it boots faster and the time between the login and the desktop being
displayed is faster. Other than that, the additional ram made little
difference.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

T

 

[lvee]

okay, if you want, here goes.
there are a few things you can do.
First off, did you download and install Trojan hunter?
also, you can go to that same Major Geeks site, and download and install
Hijack This. Follow instructions then post your HT log at Castlecops,
http://castlecops.com/forums.html

Also, what specifically do you have in your msconfig startup tab, how many
items and what are they?
Don't flash your BIOS anymore, it can be very risky.
I personally would ditch Norton, easier said than done..it's a bugger to get
rid of. I'd go with AVG, or Avast, both have free versions.
Task manager..look for anything that has an enormous amount of RAM usage,
jot it down and post it.
I don't remember if you posted your internet connection info, dialup, or
what?
Also, have you run a disk cleanup? Right click your Local C:
drive>properties>disk cleanup.
This will delete a bunch of files. Now, while you are there, and before you
hit okay to cleanup those files, click on the MORE Options tab, there you
will find an option to remove all but the most recent restore points. You
can do that, or you can turn off system restore entirely, which will free
up some space, but be advised it removes all restore points. Once done, you
can turn it back on.
What is your browser, IE, I suppose..oh well, that's okay.
If you use IE, go to tools>internet options> then on the temp internet
files, delete cookies, and files.

Don't mess with Services.

Now, do this,
click start>administrative services>event viewer.
What you are looking for are entries with a red error indicator. You can
click on those for a brief explanation, then each will have a link that you
can click that will open a Help & Support article, that may ( or may not )
have a bit more info, or at least yet another link.


Okay, now do this,
right click MY computer>properties>advance tab>performance >settings. Click
'Let windows choose what's best for my computer' okay, or apply your way out
of that.

 

[TRABEM]

okay, if you want, here goes.
there are a few things you can do.
First off, did you download and install Trojan hunter?
also, you can go to that same Major Geeks site, and download and install
Hijack This. Follow instructions then post your HT log at Castlecops,
http://castlecops.com/forums.html

I did both Trojanhunter and hijackthis. I did not postt he hijackthis
log however.

Also, what specifically do you have in your msconfig startup tab, how many
items and what are they?

I am showing 40 processes running and do a custom startup as suggested
by other users.

Don't flash your BIOS anymore, it can be very risky.

Dell said there was a major change made and that it should be done for
my computer.

I personally would ditch Norton, easier said than done..it's a bugger to get
rid of. I'd go with AVG, or Avast, both have free versions.

We got Norton at the suggestion of our local computer shop because
McAffee often allows virus to infect the computer anyway and McAffee
uses many more resources than Norton. This suggestion is 4 years old
however, maybe it's time to go to another vendor.

Task manager..look for anything that has an enormous amount of RAM usage,
jot it down and post it.

Have looked there, everything runs clean. I've even done some of the
more advanced setups and changed the priority of some of the processes
to see if they were causing problems. The more I look, the less I see
as a possible problem. I'm stumped-it all looks good.

I don't remember if you posted your internet connection info, dialup, or
what?

Recently upgraded from 128K dsl to 384K DSL. Our ISP says we should
expect 360K actaul download speeds, but even under ideal conditions,
we get 20 to 30 percent less than they say we should have. This has
been verified by using different computers here and by taking my
laptop to my neighbors house and testing it on their DSL (same speed,
same ISP, same DSL modem and setup). Our system has a slower speed
than our neighbors does-reasons unknown.

Also, have you run a disk cleanup? Right click your Local C:
drive>properties>disk cleanup.

I've done that and more. Norton cleanup digs even deeper. Fat
temporary internet files and long history files aren't the problem.

This will delete a bunch of files. Now, while you are there, and before you
hit okay to cleanup those files, click on the MORE Options tab, there you
will find an option to remove all but the most recent restore points. You
can do that, or you can turn off system restore entirely, which will free
up some space, but be advised it removes all restore points. Once done, you
can turn it back on.

I've deleted restore points before-it doesn't change anything except
that it makes more space available on the HD.

What is your browser, IE, I suppose..oh well, that's okay.
If you use IE, go to tools>internet options> then on the temp internet
files, delete cookies, and files.

Done all of this and MUCH MORE.

Don't mess with Services.

Services seem to be the last frontier, but not much has been
written/suggested regarding them.

Now, do this,
click start>administrative services>event viewer.
What you are looking for are entries with a red error indicator. You can
click on those for a brief explanation, then each will have a link that you
can click that will open a Help & Support article, that may ( or may not )
have a bit more info, or at least yet another link.

OK, hadn't done this before.

Under 'application, I see all the errors I've been getting. The vast
majority of them are Application Hangs and Application Errors. I get
these all the time, the usual problem is that the computer times out
and telles me there has been an error.

Under Security, I get a Failure Audit sometimes, which appears to be
an error entering passwords from time to time.

Under System, I see errors that result from time outs (this or that
didn't register with DCOM within the allowed time period). And this:

The Application Layer Gateway Service service failed to start due to
the following error:
The service did not respond to the start or control request in a
timely fashion.

All of these errors result from the computer virtually stopping, the
hourglass icon comes on saying 'wait', and eventually we have to
manually close and ap or an error occurs because a particular
application times out while waiting to be run.

These are the types of error we get all the time.

Doesn't everyone have these???

Okay, now do this,
right click MY computer>properties>advance tab>performance >settings. Click
'Let windows choose what's best for my computer' okay, or apply your way out
of that.

Ok, I had been here before, and I had the 'adjust for best
performance' checked. Honestly, when I did what you suggested, all the
XP fancy niceties were enabled-the vast majority of them I don't want
and don't care about. While some might want custom icons for folders
and other fancy stuff, I don't really want ofr need these 'features'.
By doing this, didn't I just re-enable many resource hogging luxury
items?

Comments?

Thanks so much for your suggestions and taking the time to write back.

T

 

[Guest]

I have just discovered that the user profiles have a very small amount of
memory allocated to them, and I don't know how to change the "limited"
setting - this is making my daughter's settings run very slow.

 

[Tinkerer]

<<<I have just discovered that the user profiles have a very small amount of
memory allocated to them>>>

This simply isn't true. If (only) your daughters profile is running slow
there are other culprits than memory.

--

Cheers,
Tinkerer


I have just discovered that the user profiles have a very small amount of
memory allocated to them, and I don't know how to change the "limited"
setting - this is making my daughter's settings run very slow.

 

[TRABEM]

I have just discovered that the user profiles have a very small amount of
memory allocated to them, and I don't know how to change the "limited"
setting - this is making my daughter's settings run very slow.

Go to control panel>user accounts and select your daughter's account.

Once that page opens, you will see a list of things you can do IF you
have administrative priveleges.

We actually tried this, just last night. It made no difference, It was
a brief test, maybe it can use further evaluation tho.

Regards,

T

 

[lvee]

Please don't post your problem in someone else's thread..it's considered
rude, and it makes it more difficult to keep track of who's asking and who's
answering.

 

[lvee]

Also, what specifically do you have in your msconfig startup tab, how many

items and what are they?

Sorry, wasn't asking about processes, I was asking about what you have
clicked to load at startup in the msconfig utility startup tab.

 

[lvee]

Please don't post your problem in someone else's thread..it's considered
rude, and it makes it more difficult to keep track of who's asking and who's
answering

 

[lvee]

Sorry, didn't mean to post this under your reply.

 

[TRABEM]

Also, what specifically do you have in your msconfig startup tab, how many
items and what are they?

I don't see any way to select text in startup items, so I can't cut
and paste....that's a lot of typing.

I have one item which is unlabeled, which looks odd to me.

Anyway, here's the list.


igfxtray
hkcmd
syntplpr (norton)
syntpenh (norton)
dadapp (dell)
tfswctrl
dsentry
sgtray
bcmsmmsg
blank line, has no name or command column entry, it is in the run
folder, same location as all the above items.
cfgwiz

There are unchecked boxes there for skype and OO, both of which are
uninstalled and will probably stay uninstalled.

I am no great fan of the bloatware concept, XP has many features which
I neither want or desire. It's possible some of these items aren't
needed, but without knowing the ramifications of what each item does,
I am hesitant to exorcize them.

Examples of this are media player, Internet Explorer, activeX (a real
disaster), vbs etc. When possible I do not use microsoft utility
programs. I also refuse to play online bridge and other microsoft
games becasue Bill makes me accept and use more of his
software...which shouldn't really be necessary...but, he makes the
online games unavailable unless I choose to install more of his
software.

Additionally, I do not want to run IE because of the activeX problem,
which I believe is still unrepaired to this day. I do not an will not
run his email and usenet software.......

So, if I have items in the startup that aren't necessary and can be
trimmed, I'm all for it:>:

The item with a blank line showing in the startup is a mystery to
me.....is it possible it's the problem???

Thanks,

T

 

[lvee]

Just to make sure, you found those via, Start>run>type in
msconfig>startup tab?
None of those are needed to run at startup, but what does concern me is it
appears there is nothing familiar at all in your msconfig startup tab.
Anyway, you can uncheck all of them, first click selective startup on the
General tab, and put a check in the last three radio buttons, then go to the
startup tab and remove the check next to any of those that, from the
descriptions below, you feel you don't need at startup. Remember, that this
does not remove the programs or functions, just prevents them from loading
at startup.
Then, you can, instead of having 'Windows Choose what's best, you can of
course, change that to your preferences. Turn off screensavers, etc.

The blank item is not to worry about. If it bothers you, as the ones that I
had bothered me, you can clear them entirely.
go to Start>run> type in regedit

Navigate to Hkey_local>Software>Microsoft>msconfig>startupreg. Highlight
that folder, and expand it. There you will see a list of all unused
entries. You can delete them by right clicking that folder and deleting.

As far as the X-tras, you can eliminate many by going to add/remove windows
components.

I keep I.E. strictly for updates as it's needed in order to get them, and I
use Firefox as my browser...works great.


igfxtray----- igfxtray.exe is a process which allows you to access access
the Intel Graphics configuration and diagnostic application for the Intel
810 series graphics chipset. This program is a non-essential system process,
and is installed for ease of use via the desktop tray.

hkcmd---- hkcmd.exe is installed alongside Intel multimedia devices and
allows configuration and diagnostic options for these devices. This
program is non-essential process to the running of the system, but should
not be terminated unless suspected to be causing problems
syntplpr (norton) I don't think this is Norton, I think it's Synapics
touchpad... syntplpr.exe is a process installed alongside the Synaptics
TouchPad for laptop computer touchpads. It provides additional
configurations and support. This program is a non-essential process, and
is installed for ease of use.
syntpenh (norton)---Same, touchpad.... syntpenh.exe is a process installed
alongside the Synaptics TouchPad for laptop computer touchpads. Provides
additional configurations and support, and is essential on some machines
for the functioning of this input device. This program is a non-essential
system process, but should not be terminated unless suspected to be
causing problems.
dadapp (dell)programmable keys.. dadapp.exe is a part of the Dell
AccessDirect Applet. Implements the Dell programmable keys on your Dell
laptop. Alsi installs an icon on your system tray (DadTray). This program
is a non-essential system process, but should not be terminated unless
suspected to be causing problems
tfswctrl --- Process File: tfswctrl or tfswctrl.exe

Process Name: HP DLA Packet Writing Software

Description:
tfswctrl.exe is an essential process for HP's packet writing software which
burns data to CD's using Microsoft Windows explorer. This program is a
non-essential system process, but should not be terminated unless suspected
to be causing problems.

dsentry.......

dsentry - dsentry.exe - Process Information
Process File: dsentry or dsentry.exe
Process Name: Dell DVD Sentry

Description:
dsentry.exe is an application provided by Dell. It stops the autorun
application from executing on disc insertion. This is a non-essential
process. Disabling or enabling this is down to user preferenc

sgtray.....

sgtray - sgtray.exe - Process Information

Process File: sgtray or sgtray.exe
Process Name: VERITAS StorageGuard Tray Application

Description:
sgtray.exe is a utility from VERITAS Software Corporation which installs
itself on the system tray bar, and serves to remind you to backup your
files. This is a non-essential process. Disabling or enabling this is down
to user preference

 

[TRABEM]

WOW...I'm stunned.

I just read your post a few minutes ago, and had to read it over and
over. I'm still absorbing it.

Not sure where you got all the information you provided on each of the
items in startup, but it's great to have. I'll be sure and archive it
so I have it later on.

Just to make sure, you found those via, Start>run>type in
msconfig>startup tab?

Yes, that's exactly how I got to the startup tab and the listing I
gave you was from that screen with the startup tab selected.

None of those are needed to run at startup, but what does concern me is it
appears there is nothing familiar at all in your msconfig startup tab.

I'm concerned too.........I thought these were standard items, and
thought everyone had a large percentage of all of these running also.

Anyway, you can uncheck all of them, first click selective startup on the
General tab, and put a check in the last three radio buttons, then go to the
startup tab and remove the check next to any of those that, from the
descriptions below, you feel you don't need at startup. Remember, that this
does not remove the programs or functions, just prevents them from loading
at startup.

OK, this is where I start to lose it. If I'm not removing the
software, but only stopping it from loading at startup, why would
anyone want it running in the first place?

I started to do this, but got confused by the 'radio buttons' term. On
my general tab, I have 5 items that I can check or uncheck. The first
4 items are squares, the last item is a round check box.

From top to bottom, they are:

process system.ini
process win.ini
load system services
load startup items
use original boot.ini

When you say that I should check the last 3 radio buttons, do you mean
that process system.ini and process win.ini should be unchecked? And
that load system services, load startup items and use original
boot.ini should be checked?

Please confirm.

Then, you can, instead of having 'Windows Choose what's best, you can of
course, change that to your preferences. Turn off screensavers, etc.

The blank item is not to worry about. If it bothers you, as the ones that I
had bothered me, you can clear them entirely.
go to Start>run> type in regedit

Navigate to Hkey_local>Software>Microsoft>msconfig>startupreg. Highlight
that folder, and expand it. There you will see a list of all unused
entries. You can delete them by right clicking that folder and deleting.

As far as the X-tras, you can eliminate many by going to add/remove windows
components.

I keep I.E. strictly for updates as it's needed in order to get them, and I
use Firefox as my browser...works great.

OK, we ran Netscape until we heard it was purchased by AOL. The first
AOL version of Netscape we got was a disaster, and we dumped Netscape
for that reason and VERY RELUCTANTLY switched to IE. My feelings about
AOL are quite similar to my feelings about Microsoft.....'nuff said:>:

If there is another alternative, I'd run it.

But, some of Bill's programs require you to use IE-and I DON'T like
that. I really want it off my drive to start with along with it's
defaulted to 'on' security risks. I've been to several sites in the
last week that told me I needed activeX enabled. I left them all
without going any further, any website that requires activeX is
definately not OK with me. Been there, done that-don't want any part
of that crap.

I'm also going to dump the Media Player. I have no interest in the
internet lookups it does or seeing album covers for mp3's that I have.
We dumped all Real Player programs several years back when they got
caught red handed downloading music and video lists of files played
though the software. Figured I didn't need any software that did any
of that crap, especially without telling me.

igfxtray----- igfxtray.exe is a process which allows you to access access
the Intel Graphics configuration and diagnostic application for the Intel
810 series graphics chipset. This program is a non-essential system process,
and is installed for ease of use via the desktop tray.

OK, but we will add more ram, and eventually want to go to a higher
resolution on the laptops display. If we want to change the display's
resolution, we would probably need to enable this??? Or, does the
windows OS call this program if needed and start it if it's needed to
change the monitors resolution?

OK, I use an optical mouse connected to the expansion USB port in my
outboard KB. The mouse works great and the low throughput of the KB
USB ports is not a problem. Since I don't use the stock synaptics
touch pad or the buttons associated with it, do I need to have this?

Also, if I should want to take the laptop with me and use it as a
portable device, would I have to enable this in order to have the
stock touchpad function?

Process Name: HP DLA Packet Writing Software

Description:
tfswctrl.exe is an essential process for HP's packet writing software which
burns data to CD's using Microsoft Windows explorer. This program is a
non-essential system process, but should not be terminated unless suspected
to be causing problems.
dsentry - dsentry.exe - Process Information
Process File: dsentry or dsentry.exe
Process Name: Dell DVD Sentry

Description:
dsentry.exe is an application provided by Dell. It stops the autorun
application from executing on disc insertion. This is a non-essential
process. Disabling or enabling this is down to user preferenc



sgtray - sgtray.exe - Process Information

Process File: sgtray or sgtray.exe
Process Name: VERITAS StorageGuard Tray Application

Description:
sgtray.exe is a utility from VERITAS Software Corporation which installs
itself on the system tray bar, and serves to remind you to backup your
files. This is a non-essential process. Disabling or enabling this is down
to user preference

I've never seen a warning anything like this. We tend to keep
nonessential information on the PC and anything essential is archived
on burned CD's every so often. The result being that we would still
have essential data if the hard drive blew up without warning one day.
Our data is protected and the computers contents are expendable.

This is a prime example of the type of software that I despise,
especially since it was put there without telling me. I don't need it,
don't want it, wouldn't use it and appreciate that you told me about
it.otherwise i never would have known:>:OK, we have DSL and our outboard DSL modem connects directly into the
NIC card. Since I will probably never use the internal 56 K modem, is
this item totally un-necessary?
I'll check this one out, thanks.

Still need to know about the radio buttons asked about at the
beginning of this message. Thanks fso much for taking hte time to
write all of this-I feel so much better knowing what all those startup
items do!

Regards,

T