Computer question

[Kickflip_Burrito]

When I start up my computer, it used to load up pretty quickly, once I've entered my p/word, my desktop would load up within a few seconds and my McAfee thing would come up within say 5-10 seconds to which I enter another p/word to activate it and then I do whatever.

But now it takes a good 30 seconds or so to get to my desktop and I'd say about 50 seconds for McAfee to load up. Whats going on here?

I know it sounds trivial but its annoying me and I want to know why this is happening.

Any help greatly appreciated.

[Phill]

Start>Run> type 'msconfig' if you select the 'selective startup' mode and then go to the startup tab and remove all programs that you look like you dont need (by checking the paths) But don't remove the Mcafee.

Many programs installed from disk, programs downloaded from the Web, printer software and Microsoft applications contain computer code that inserts the programs into the startup menu. This is done, we suspect, so that the program icon will appear in the System Tray (right side of taskbar near time display), an inexpensive method of promoting the program. Non-essential programs in the startup menu gobble up system resources. New machines from major manufacturers are replete with programs of dubious value that consume disk space and system resources. In quite a few cases, we have seen system resources reduced considerably on account of the large number of programs that load when the system starts. To improve system performance and to reduce the time that it takes for your computer to boot, look at the startup items and remove the check from programs that you recognize. One program that you might not recognize is LOADQM.EXE (MSN Explorer Query Manager). While there is much speculation as to the precise purpose of this program (Does it check for updates to the MSN browser or does it monitor browsing habits?). For the record, Microsoft claims that the program, "loads the MSN Queue Manager component which manages queuing for the background file-transfer mechanism that is known as the drizzling service." Now, you understand precisely what the program does, right? If it appears in the startup items, remove the check in the box preceding the program. Another item in the startup group that you might not recognize is run=hpfsched. This program generates a periodic reminder to clean the cartridges in your HP DeskJet printer. Remove the check in the box preceding this item. If you are in doubt about a program, don't touch it.

Hope that helps

[Kickflip_Burrito]

Thanks, that has been useful, another thign I should mention is that in the bottom right of the taskbar, next to the clock, is an icon with a green arrow above a grey box. It says 'Safely Remove Hardware' and no matter what I do, (i.e. right click or left click), it always says 'Safely Remove Hardware or it'll tell me what are plugged into my USB ports. I can't get rid of this and I don't know what its doing there. Could this mean something?

When I double click, a window opens asking me what I want to unplug and remove :confused:

[Phill]

Try:

1. Right click in the system tray
2. Select Customise Notifications
3. Click Safely Remove Hardware
4. In its drop down box select Always Hide
5. Click OK

Or you can right click on the task bar. Go to properties. Tick the hide inactive programs box, then customise button and Work from there.

[Pop music sucks]

yeah, cutting down that crap through msconfig really starts a computer up fast.

I've only got essentials on startup and the only non-essential is Steam login. Everything else is shut off.

[Kickflip_Burrito]

Okay, my comp has gone mad, I disabled some of the stuff I thought was pointless, then it kept saying everything was in Diagnostic and Normal mode but I kept switching it to Selective Startup but a prompt kept coming up when I started up. I enabled everything back to how it was, had to restart, so I did, and now everything has gone like Windows 98 style :confused: the taskbar is grey and window/pages are like '98. What the fúck?!

[Kif]

Sounds like it's restarted in safe mode. You can change it back with msconfig.

[The Haitian]

like Kif said, under the General tab in msconfig, set it to Normal Startup to revert it back to how it was.

Here is my two cents. I just did this to my Dad's pos Dell computer yesterday and it helped it out quite a bit.

First, clean your computer out.
Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Disc Cleanup
then run Disc Defragmenter in the same directory

then scan your computer for spyware with various programs.

Go to Start/Programs/Startup
and delete everything in there with the exception of McAfee if it is in there.

After that stuff do like others recommended with Start/Run/msconfig and select the Startup tab.
If you are unsure about a specific file, expand the command section so you can read the whole filename. Then check this site http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/
and locate the file on there. It will give you a description of what the file does and if it is safe to remove.

Next up is the services tab. First right click on My Computer, click Manage, then expand the Services and Applications tab, then click Services and maximize the window. On the right side, you want to expand the name and description columns. This will give you a description of what the services are for so you know if you should disable them. Now back in the System Configuration Utility (msconfig.exe), click the Services tab. Check the box that says Hide all Microsoft Services, and if there are any services listed after checking the box then look at the Computer Management tool to see what the service does and if you should disable it. I don't recommend disabling any Microsoft services unless you know what you are doing.

You can also get rid of the splash screen for Windows. In the System Configuration Utility (msconfig.exe), click the boot.ini tab, and check the /NOGUIBOOT option.

You can also google bootvis and run that. You have to let it do a test run first by clicking Trace / Boot + Driver Delays. Then when your computer restarts, run the program again and click Trace and then Optimize. I wouldn't really recommend this solution unless you are capable of fixing any problems that may occur from using it.

Oh and when you restart your computer, it should say press <key> to enter setup. Press whatever key it says (f1, f2, del, etc) and look through the BIOS. Don't change anything, and move through it until you see an option called Fast Boot. Make sure it is set to On or True.

There are other things that you can still do but this should take care of everything.

[B Radd]

When I start up my computer, it used to load up pretty quickly, once I've entered my p/word, my desktop would load up within a few seconds and my McAfee thing would come up within say 5-10 seconds to which I enter another p/word to activate it and then I do whatever.

But now it takes a good 30 seconds or so to get to my desktop and I'd say about 50 seconds for McAfee to load up. Whats going on here?

I know it sounds trivial but its annoying me and I want to know why this is happening.

Any help greatly appreciated.

i dont know if anyone has already said this, but if you have to many installed programs, that might do it, or viruses. my computer is startin to get slow, we found viruses in it, my sisters dating this dude who works at best buy in the computer section, so we're probably going to ask him to fix our hard drive

[Kickflip_Burrito]

like Kif said, under the General tab in msconfig, set it to Normal Startup to revert it back to how it was.
I did that it didn't work :confused: Is there anything else I can do?

Whats Launch System Restore? Its in the General tab in msconfig. Would that revert it back to how it all was before or will that totally format my computer?

[Kickflip_Burrito]

Okay, after 2 hours of work, contacting a friend and McAfee via a technical support chat room, I've fixed my problems. All I did was deactivate and then re-activate 2 little things in the MSConfig and that fúcked up my McAfee Spamkiller and my desktop theme. I hope nothing else is screwed up :confused: I had to go into services.mcs to fix the problems.

[TojesDolan]

You might have turned off some programs that were neccesary. I'd have checked that htey were programs I knew were useless (usually programs you have installed, or start-up browser bars, those are the ones that crap up the computers usually)

[Kickflip_Burrito]

I thought they were, they didn't have a major program name next to them or anything. Maybe it was a cumulutive thing, turned one thing off, screwed up another then that screwed up my programs.

[Zakath]

Microsoft Bootvis