Kitrax’s guide to the System Configuration Utility for WinXP!

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Kitrax’s guide to the System Configuration Utility for WinXP, Vista, and Win7!

Do you want to:
Have faster boot times?
Have fewer programs run at startup?
Get rid of Window’s GUI boot?

Then read on! I will show you how to safely use the System Configuration Utility, which can do all of the above and more!

To get to the System Configuration Utility, go to Start > Run and type: msconfig

Behold the incredible utility you have summoned from the depths of Windows! Just be careful with it, as you can seriously screw your computer over if you do something dumb. For this guide we will ONLY be using the last 3 tabs on the top of the utility, which are ‘BOOT.INI’, ‘Services’, and ‘Startup’.

So let’s get started!

Are you tired of Window’s Graphic User Interface (GUI) during boot? You know, it’s the screen with the little scrolling bars? Well, you can kill it! To do so, click on the ‘BOOT.INI’ tab. Then check the box next to ‘/NOGUIBOOT’ on the lower left hand side. After doing this, do yourself a favor and click the ‘Services’ tab at the top so you don’t mess with anything else in under the ‘BOOT.INI’ tab...bad stuff will hapen if you do.

Now on to the ‘Services’ tab… Windows has a bunch of “helpful” services, some of which are essential, while others just take up space on your RAM. You can safely kill certain services that will save you RAM, boot time, and a headache! Once you’ve clicked on the ‘Services’ tab, a long list will appear...those are all the services on your computer. Now it’s up to you to decide which to kill and which to keep. Be careful and use common sense when doing this. I have a list for some that you can safely kill:
Alerter
Error Reporting Service
Messenger
Net Logon
Remote Access Auto Connection Manager
Remote Access Connection Manager
Remote Desktop Help Session
Remote Registry
Telephony **don’t disable if you need to use a dial-up modem!**
Uninterruptible Power Supply **only disable if you don’t have one**
Automatic Updates **only disable this you can remember to update Windows on a regular basis**
Wireless Zero Configuration **only disable if you don’t have WiFi, or any other type of wireless connection**

There are a lot more that you can safely disable on you computer, but since no one’s computer is exactly the same, I can’t list much more than that...like I said, use common sense when disabling services. If you aren’t sure what a service does, try doing a google search for the exact name of the service, also look at the Manufacturer of the service for clues on what it does. Also, read my edit at the end of this post for an easier way that doesn't require google!!!

**Note, that if you’re having a problem with a program or something else, it may be because you killed a service that it requires to work, (i.e. trying to use a dial-up modem after disabling the Telephony service!) If you encounter a problem like this, just open msconfig back up and enable the service by checking the box next to it.**

Now for the ‘Startup’ tab. This section depends entirely on what programs you have installed on you computer. For this section I highly recommend you do a google search for the name of the programs that you can’t identify. For example I have a startup program that I recently disabled named CTDVDDet, which is a program installed by my Creative Labs USB soundcard that constantly checks to see if a DVD is in my drive. Since I don’t use the Creative Media Source or its DVD player, I promptly disabled it. A google search will bring up websites that will tell you exactly what the program does, what manufacturer it belongs to, and whether or not it is safe to disable it.

All you need to do now is click ‘apply’ and then ‘close’. After clicking close, it will ask you if you want to restart, or exit without a restart. Click 'Exit Without Restart'. The next time you boot up a dialog box will pop up telling you that you've ran the System Configuration Utility...just click the box to "never show this again" and click 'OK'...otherwise it will open the Utility when you click 'OK', and you’ll have to read this paragraph all over again...

Cool little utility huh? You're damn right it is!

[Edit]: Due to popular demand and laziness, I found another way of looking at all the services on a computer: Go to Start > Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance. (If you do not see the Performance and Maintenance icon, you may be using Classic View. Just double-click Administrative Tools.) once in the Administrative Tools folder, click on the 'Services' icon. The list of services here has a description for most of the services and some will even tell you what will happen if you disable them! Just double click the service that you want to know more about, or to change its status. [end of edit]

 

Way cool.

I do think you should list the functions of all of those processes though. Many of us(Me) don't feel like looking them up because we are lazy.

I think I will be tinkering around with that this week though. I just got Windows XP home for my computer and I'll be doing a fresh install and tinkering however much I want.

 

I'm too lazy for all that. I just use Enditall.

 

Interesting, I'll have to look into this...

Thank you all-knowing Kitrax for sharing thy wisdom!

 

The ones I have listed are pretty much self-explainatory...they are to me atleast.

I try. Lately I've been enjoying sharing my knowedge of computers so much that I've been considering a job as a teacher...I know the local high school that I went to is is dire need of a MS Networking teacher.

 

Considering that

Here is a few services Id like to get rid of too. Tell me if any of these are necessary for the comp to run.

Application Layer Gateway Service
Indexing Service
Clipbook
Cryptographic Services
DHCP Client
DNS Client
COM + Event System
IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service
Server
Workstation
Smart Card Helper
Smart Card
Task Scheduler
ICF/ICS

Tell me if I've cured you of your ambitions already

 

Is there any way to get rid of the dreaded "activator"?

 

You lazy bums! I'm not doing your google searches for you!

Although I can tell you that if you kill the Clipbook you won't be able to cut/copy/past anything. You can kill Server and Workstation if you're not on a network IIRC. You can kill the Task Scheduler if you don't use it, (i.e. have the system cleanup wizard or the defrag utility run on a certain day of the month). And that's about as much as I can remember off hand.

@Rednik, I'm not sure what you mean...sorry.

 

That thing that alerts the good folks at Microsoft and tells them everything about your copy of Windows.

 

One of the first things I do when I do a reinstall is go through my config utility.
Why in the world do I need to send an error report everytime something happens or I close a program using the 'x' button?
Does Microsoft really sit and read all those error reports and actually do something about it?

 

Wow! Thanks for the guide, I found ALOT of bad stuff and Im sure my computer will run more smoothly now.

Here is a list of all the bad stuff and you can also do searches yourself (instead of using google)
http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/

[ October 17, 2004, 13:59: Message edited by: Bahir the Red ]

 

Look, I found a better way of doing it...now you don't even have to go online...but that website that Bahir the Red posted is a good one, I recomend it for any services that aren't listed by windows.

Go read my edit at the end of my first post!

 

Many thanks to you, Kitrax. This is most helpful.

 

I'd like to resurrect this as I just found it useful today. Despite the surge of Vista and Win7, our company had a lot of XPs still installed due to certain applications that aren't compatible with the new OS.

Thanks Kits... these are helpful stuff.

 

Errrr...there's only one of me.

Also this guide works just as well in Vista and Win7.

But you're welcome nonetheless.