(e-mail address removed)...
Well this was a learning experience. I have been successful. Outlook
Express does not auto load when I start my computer anymore. I am
grateful
to all of you who contributed and gave me the confidence to make these
changes. It feels great to solve your own computer issues.
I did use the Run msconfig route. After starting back up. There is a
warning popup and it takes me to the System Configuration Utility tool
right
away. I guess I could click on the option to turn this window off. My
system starts up faster too since it doesn't have to open all those
programs
at startup.
There were some items that probably needed to auto startup, but I can't
figure out which ones since I don't know what programs the strartup files
(and there were a lot of them) were connected to.
Can you recommend a good book for using these maintenance tools in this
operating system (Windows XP Professional)? I would like to learn more
about
managing the available tools on my own operating system. Thank you very
much.
<snip>
Hmm, books. Well for a overall look at XP there is Ed Bott's book,
Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out. Also:
Windows XP Annoyances by David Karp
Windows XP Power Tools by Jim Boyce
Windows XP Resource Kit put out by Microsoft Press
Take a look at what's available at your local big book seller or look on
Amazon.com.
Yes, when if you make changes through msconfig, and you want those changes
to remain on subsequent boots, when the computer restarts the first time
after making the changes, and the msconfig screen displays, just check the
box to have it not display that message again. It won't until the next time
you make another change with msconfig.
You don't really need a book to research everything that is starting and
running. There are some excellent online resources. Open task manager by
right clicking a blank area of the taskbar and click Task manager. On the
processes tab it will show everything that is running. Some of these are
essential services, some are the things shown on the startup tab in
msconfig, and some of these you don't nee to have starting. There could
also be items on the startup tab in msconfig that run once when the compute
starts then close, so you might not see it at all in task manager. It could
be you don't need some of those items to run either. So use the online
resources I have listed below to check on what all the items are in the
process tab of Task Manager and on the startup tab of msconfig to find.
Once you know what they are and some of the research sites will give a
recommendation on whether they need to run at startup and the impact if you
don't let it run, then you can make a decision what you want to keep.
Just a couple of notes. In msconfig there is a services tab. Do not
uncheck any services in there. Services should only be disabled through the
services console, Start | Run | services.msc | Ok. Don't be turning off
services unless you know what you are doing. I have listed a link to the
Elder Geek services guide. It's good to see what each one is, and those
that are started will be seen on the process tab of Task Manager.
Research sites
www.google.com
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm
http://castlecops.com/StartupList.html
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_index.htm
http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php
http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm