Number 303 - August 2008

Lose Unneeded Windows Services
by Ron Graham, Space Coast PC Users Group
When the discussion turns to ways to reduce the time for boot-up of Windows XP and possibly Vista, one major point is which of the Services found in the System Configuration Utility could we eliminate. To see this utility, go to Start/Run/and type msconfig and click OK. This will bring up the display which has six tabs. The listings under the Services tab may not be self-explanatory. The names shown under Services may be confusing. The "Essential" column will say "yes" when applicable. The Manufacturer column may give you a clue in some cases. And, finally, you can see how many are running.    A similar situation exists with the Startup tab. These may be even more mysterious. However, there is help available.	I know of two websites which try to help you decide which of these entries you may drop. The first is: www.blackviper.com. Scroll to 'Features' in the column on the left and click on the 'Services Configurations'. You'll see comprehensive descriptions and charts with recommendations.    Another such site is: www.answersthatwork.com. Click on the 'Task List' button to see the display of services and others with recommendations arranged alphabetically. The whole point of this exercise is to streamline your startup process. Each item dropped will help.    Reprinted from the July 2008 Space Coast PC Journal, themonthlu publication of the Space Coast PC Users Group, Inc.
Number 303 - August 2008