Making Windows XP Start 60% Faster

Whenever you start your computer, you are faced with a few moments of thum twidd!ing whi!e Windows XP oots and prompts you to !og on" #!though you shou!d e$pect to wait for a few moments, sometimes Windows XP seems to oot rather s!ow!y" %n fact, you may notice that over a period of time the P& that used to roar to !ife seems a it s!uggish instead" Fortunate!y, you can perform severa! techni'ues that he!p Windows XP get the ootup speed you want" (his chapter e$p!ores how to put these techni'ues to work"

Stopping )nneeded Startup Services #!ong with the core operating system and programs that Windows XP runs when it starts, there is a!so a host of services invo!ved" Many of these services are necessary for Windows XP to operate correct!y" *owever, many of them are for features in Windows XP that you may not use at a!!" +ou can peruse the services and disa !e any service that you do not want to run" (he fewer services that run, the more 'uick!y Windows XP wi!! oot" &aution, -$ercise caution when stopping services" %f you do not know what a service does or are unsure of the ramifications of stopping the service, !eave it a!one" Some services are critica! to Windows XP.s operations, so make sure you understand what the service is efore you disa !e it"

(o reduce the num er of services that start on ootup, you can access two different areas of Windows XP" (he first is the System &onfiguration )ti!ity" (he Services ta shows you the services that start when the computer oots" +ou can stop a service from starting y simp!y c!earing the check o$ ne$t to the service and c!icking /0" *owever, efore you do so, there is another way to disa !e services that you may prefer ecause the interface gives you more information a out the service in 'uestion" /pen &ontro! Pane!1#dministrative (oo!sServices or e!se se!ect Start12un, type services"msc, and c!ick /0" -ither way, you see the Services conso!e" % prefer to use the Services conso!e instead of the System &onfiguration )ti!ity ecause it descri es

what the service does" #dditiona!!y, you can dou !e3c!ick a service and e$amine its properties" 4otice the Startup (ype co!umn in Figure 536" (his information service is automatic or manua!" Manua! services are on!y started in Windows XP when that re'uires the service" Some other process may re'uire the service that has a re!ationship with it8 in this case, the dependency service wi!! start, as we!!" 9ecause not start automatica!!y when you oot Windows XP, you do not need to do anything with !ists whether the you start a process 7dependency7 these services do manua! services"

*owever, a!! services !isted as automatic start when Windows XP oots" (hese are the services that increase oot time" #s % have mentioned, many of them are necessary and important, so you shou!d not stop automatic services from ooting un!ess you are sure of the ramifications" +ou can get this information y !ooking at the :escription co!umn" *ere.s a 'uick !ook at common services you may want to !ive without, #utomatic )pdates, (his service ena !es Windows XP to check the We automatica!!y for updates" %f you don.t want to use #utomatic )pdates, you can disa !e the service" +ou can a!ways check for updates manua!!y at the Windows )pdate We site" &omputer 9rowser, %f your computer is not on a network, you don.t need this service" %f you are on a network, !eave it a!one" :*&P &!ient, %f you are not on a network, you do not need this service" %f you are on a sma!! workgroup, you can sti!! increase oot time y configuring manua! %P addresses ;which % e$p!ore !ater in this chapter<" :4S &!ient, %f you are not on a network, you do not need this service" %f you are, !eave it a!one" -rror 2eporting and -vent =og, +ou don.t have to use these services e very he!pfu!, so % wou!d !eave them configured as automatic" ut they can

Fa$, %f you don.t use your computer for fa$ services, you can disa !e this one" *e!p and Support, %f you never use the Windows XP *e!p and Support &enter ;found on the Start menu<, you can disa !e this service"

%M#P% &:39urning &/M, (his service ena !es you to you never urn &:s, you can disa !e the service"

urn &:s on your computer" %f

%nde$ing Service, +our computer keeps an inde$ of fi!es ut if you rare!y search for fi!es, the service is >ust a resource hog" +ou can stop it and turn the service to manua!" Windows Firewa!!1%nternet &onnection Sharing, %f you do not use these features, you can disa !e them" %nfrared Monitor, %f you do not use infrared devices, you can disa !e this service" Messenger, (his service sends a!ert messages on a !oca! area network ;it is not the same as Windows Messenger<" %f you are not on a network, you can disa !e this service" Print Spoo!er, %f you do not do any printing from the computer, you can disa !e this service" %f you print, make sure you !eave it as automatic" 2emote 2egistry, (his service a!!ows remote users to modify the 2egistry on your computer" %f you are not on a network, you can disa !e this service" System 2estore Service, (his service a!!ows you to use System 2estore" %f you have turned off System 2estore anyway, you do not need to turn off the service" %f you do, you turn off System 2estore" (hemes, %f you do not use themes, you can disa !e this service" Windows %mage #c'uisition, %f you do not use scanners or digita! cameras, you can disa !e this service" Wire!ess ?ero &onfiguration, %f do not use wire!ess networking devices, you can disa !e this service" +ou may have a num er of other automatic services, depending on software and other configurations on your computer" So it.s a good idea to !ook through the services and !earn more a out them" %f you dou !e3c!ick a service, a Properties dia!og o$ appears

4otice that on the @enera! ta , you see a Startup (ype drop3down menu" %f you want to change an automatic service to manua!, se!ect Manua! here and c!ick /0" #s a genera! ru!e, don.t disa !e a service un!ess you are sure you wi!! never use it" *owever, manua! configuration a!!ows the service to e started when you find it necessary, thus speeding up your oot time" *owever, efore you change a service to manua!, !ook at the :ependencies ta Figure 535<" (his ta shows you which other services depend upon the service you are considering changing" ;see

0eep in mind that services are necessary for the vast functiona!ity you get with Windows XP" &hange on!y those services that you understand and do not use" *ow you use your Windows XP computer shou!d e the est guide in terms of optiona! startup services" (ip, (he %nde$ing service and the System 2estore service take up a !ot of disk space and system resources across the oard" +ou can !ive without the %nde$ing service ut % suggest that you keep using System 2estore" %t works great when you are in a ind and this is one case where the !oss of speed may not e worth the ramifications of not using System 2estore"

Speed (ips and (ricks for Windows XP Startup #side from startup programs, services, and the Prefetch fo!der, there are a num er of other startup procedures and issues you can modify to he!p Windows XP start faster" (he fo!!owing sections e$p!ore those tips and tricks" Manua! %P #ddressing on Sma!! /ffice1*ome 4etworks Windows XP is configured to he!p you take care of networking" %t uses the (&P1%P protoco! for networking in workgroups, or what you might ca!! sma!! office or home networks that do not use a dedicated server" (he pro !em is that automatic %P addressing can e s!ow" When your computer oots, it has to 'uery the network to see what %P addresses are a!ready in use and then assign itse!f one" %f you want to speed up the oot time a it, consider manua!!y assigning %P addresses to a!! computers on the network" (his way, the network computers do not have to worry a out !ocating an automatic %P address" 9ecause one is manua!!y configured, the operating system doesn.t have to spend time so!ving this pro !em" (his isn.t a networking ook, however, so % won.t de!ve into the imp!ications of

using a manua! %P address, ut if you are using a computer that functions as a host computer to the %nternet ;using %nternet &onnection Sharing A%&SB<, you can get into connectivity pro !ems if you change the configuration of the %P address" *owever, you can sti!! work around this pro !em y starting with the %&S host computer" Se!ect Start1&onnect (o1Show #!! &onnections" 2ight3c!ick your network adapter card and c!ick Properties" /n the @enera! ta , se!ect (&P1%P in the !ist of services and c!ick the Properties utton" %n the (&P1%P properties, you can see if you use an automatic or manua! %P address" %n the e$amp!e in Figure 53C, % have configured a manua! %P address of D0"0"0"E and a defau!t su net mask" (he other computers on my office network each use a different %P address in the same c!ass, such as D0"0"0"6, D0"0"0"F, D0"0"0"5, and so on" (his way, each computer has a permanent %P address, which he!ps increase oot time" 4ote that if you change the %P addresses of your computers, they must a!! use the same su net mask" # defau!t su >ect mask of 6CC"6CC"6CC"0 wi!! keep you in good shape" Make sure you understand the imp!ications of changing %P addresses on your network" %f you have no networking e$perience at a!!, you may e wiser to !eave the automatic %P addressing as is and try to gain some speed using the additiona! suggestions in this chapter" :isa !ing 2ecent :ocuments *istory Windows XP inc!udes a feature that keeps track of a!! recent documents you have opened or used" (he idea is that you can se!ect Start12ecent :ocuments *istory and 'uick!y reopen any document you have recent!y used" % use many documents each day and never use the feature myse!f" %n my opinion, % can keep up with what % want to use without Windows XP doing it for me" (he ad thing a out 2ecent :ocuments *istory is that Windows XP has to ca!cu!ate what shou!d e put there each time you oot Windows, which can s!ow things down" So, if you never use the 2ecent :ocuments *istory, it.s a good idea to disa !e it" *ere.s how, E" /pen the 2egistry -ditor ;se!ect Start12un, type regedit, and c!ick /0<" 6" 4avigate to *0-+G&)22-4(G)S-2HSoftwareHMcftHWindowsH &urrentIersionHPo!iciesH-$p!orer" F" &reate a 4o2ecent:ocs*istory :GW/2: key" :ou !e3c!ick the va!ue to open it once it is created" 5" Set the :ata Ia!ue to E to ena !e the restriction" C" &!ick /0 and c!ose the 2egistry -ditor" +ou.!! need to restart the computer for the change to take effect" :isa !ing the 9oot =ogo +ou can remove the oot !ogo that appears when you start Windows XP" (his !itt!e tweak pro a !y shaves on!y a few seconds off your oot time ut seconds count if you are serious a out trying to get Windows XP up and running as 'uick!y as possi !e" (he on!y negative is that if you remove the oot !ogo, you wi!! a!so not see any oot messages, such as check disk" ;9ut if you are not having pro !ems with your computer, this isn.t such a ig dea!"< (o remove the oot !ogo, fo!!ow these steps,

E" Se!ect Start12un, type msconfig, and c!ick /0" 6" %n the System &onfiguration )ti!ity, c!ick the 9//("%4% ta " F" /n the 9//("%4% ta , c!ick the 4/@)%9//( check o$ option" &!ick /0" 2emoving )nwanted Fonts /ne trick that increases your oot time a it is to !ose any fonts in the Fonts fo!der in &ontro! Pane! that you never use" (he more fonts you have, the more processing Windows XP has to do to prep a!! of those fonts for use" +ou must e a it carefu! here to not remove fonts that you might want, ut there is a good chance that you can !ive without many of them" For instance, you may have foreign !anguage fonts and other sym o! fonts ;such as Wingdings< that you never use" (o de!ete unneeded fonts, fo!!ow these steps, E" /pen the Fonts fo!der in &ontro! Pane!" 6" Se!ect -dit1Se!ect #!! and then -dit1&opy" F" &reate a new fo!der on your desktop, open it, and se!ect -dit1Paste" 5" %n this new fo!der, de!ete any of the fonts you do not want" C" 2eturn to the Fonts fo!der in &ontro! Pane!" 2ight3c!ick the se!ected fonts and c!ick :e!ete" 6" @o ack to your new desktop fo!der and c!ick -dit1Se!ect #!!" J" 2eturn to your Fonts fo!der and c!ick -dit1Paste" +ou now have on!y the desired fonts in the Fonts fo!der"

(ip, +ou can direct!y de!ete fonts from the Fonts fo!der without creating the secondary fo!der" *owever, % recommend the preceding steps to he!p ensure that you do not make a mistake in the de!etion process"

Stopping 2emote #ssistance and 2emote :esktop Sharing %n Windows XP Professiona!, you have two remote networking features ca!!ed 2emote #ssistance and 2emote :esktop Sharing" (hese remote networking features are very he!pfu! in a variety of situations ut if you don.t use them, it is good idea to disa !e them to save oot time" +ou can a!ways ena !e them !ater if you want to use them" 4ote, %f you are interested in using 2emote :esktop or 2emote #ssistance, see my Windows XP for Power )sers, Power Pack pu !ished y Kohn Wi!ey L Sons" E" /pen the Start menu, right3c!ick My &omputer, and choose Properties" 6" &!ick the 2emote (a " F" &!ear oth check o$es to disa !e 2emote #ssistance and 2emote :esktop" Speeding )p the :ua!39oot (imeout %f you dua!3 oot your computer with Windows XP and another operating system, you see an operating system se!ection menu on startup" %f you typica!!y oot into Windows XP and not the other operating system, you can speed up the dua!3 oot timeout va!ue so that you do not wait so !ong for the oot process to se!ect your ook

defau!t operating system and continue with the oot process" (he defau!t timeout va!ue is F0 seconds ut you can change this setting to E0" (his gives you enough time to se!ect the a!ternate operating system if you want ut a!so speeds up the oot process" +ou can skip this section if you do not use a dua!3 oot configuration" Fo!!ow these steps, E" =ocate the oot"ini fi!e on your computer" %t is a hidden fi!e y defau!t8 mine is !ocated in &,H oot"ini" 6" /pen the fi!e with 4otepad ;which is what opens it y defau!t<" F" &hange the (imeout va!ue to E0 ;see Figure 53EE<" 5" Se!ect Fi!e1Save and c!ose 4otepad" Speeding )p +our PPPo- &onnection %f you use a Point3to3Point Protoco! connection over -thernet ;PPPo-<, you may notice a de!ay in using the PPPo- connection after startup" 9y defau!t, there is a E60 second de!ay ut you can stop this ehavior y manua!!y configuring an %P address for the network adapter card" %f you do not use a PPPo- connection, you can skip this section" E" Se!ect Start1&onnect to1Show #!! &onnections" 6" /pen the (&P1%P properties for your =#4 network interface card" F" Manua!!y set the %P address on the (&P1%P properties to an appropriate %P address and su net mask for your network" 2educing the Wait (ime When you start to shut down Windows XP, it has to 'uit, or 7ki!!,7 any !ive app!ications or processes that are current!y running" So c!ose a!! app!ications first" *owever, some app!ications and processes are a!ways running in the ackground" +ou can reduce the amount of time that Windows XP waits for those app!ications and processes to c!ose efore Windows XP ki!!s them" -dit three different 2egistry settings to change this, E" /pen the 2egistry -ditor" 6" 4avigate to *0-+G&)22-4(G)S-2H&ontro! Pane!H:esktop" Se!ect Wait(o0i!!#pp(imeout and set the va!ue to E000" F" Se!ect the *ung#pp(imeout va!ue and set it to E000 as we!!" 5" 4avigate to *0-+G)S-2SH":-F#)=(H&ontro! Pane!H:esktop" Set the Wait(o0i!!#pp(imeout and set the va!ue to E000" Se!ect the *ung#pp(imeout Hnew!ine va!ue and set it to E000 as we!!" C" 4avigate to *0-+G=/&#=GM#&*%4-HSystemH&urrent&ontro!SetH&ontro!" Se!ect the Wait(o0i!!Service(imeout va!ue and set it to E000" 6" &!ose the 2egistry -ditor" #utomatica!!y 0i!!ing (asks on Shutdown +ou know the dri!!" +ou start to shut down the computer, you wait a few moments, and then you see a dia!og o$ asking if you want to ki!! an app!ication or service that is running" %nstead of prompting you, you can make Windows XP take care of the ki!! task automatica!!y" *ere.s how, E" /pen the 2egistry -ditor" 6" 4avigate to *0-+G&)22-4(G)S-2H&ontro! Pane!H:esktop"

F" *igh!ight the va!ue #uto-nd(asks and change the va!ue to E" 5" &!ose the 2egistry -ditor"

We!! thats a out it""" when you done a!! the steps you machine most run faster"""without #4+ errorsM