Windows tweakdown | Forums

[sunflower1]

My computer has never run faster, this has been a great experience.

I've got a couple stupid questions.

I have a few startup items I can't quite figure out and I want them off if I don't need them. The startup utility comes up and makes me feel guilty about it when I take something off- tells me its starting in a special mode because I've been messing with it. Can I do myself real damage taking things off the startup list?

I've worked my way down to 25 processes 142/1606, 10 of which have to do with non windows things that I need running to game- antivirus, saitek, hotkey, and 3 for internet. I can't find ctfmon.exe listed at any site but suspect it has to do with hardware. Is that the exe that is responsible for the "safely add/remove hardware" icon? That leaves 13 processes running for windows xp, the browser and whatever else I haven't ferreted out. I've gotten about as far as I can get following links, how much further is there to go?

(BV, answers that work, not a geek, etc, etc, etc.)

BV talks about finding hidden programs running in the background and shutting them down but he doesn't go into any detail, is that for smart guys only?

I'm down to 11 services running. I assume, but am not sure, that I need to keep the Nvidia display driver service running in order to see the screen and the others are on BV's don't touch list along with antivirus and communications, I think I have that one done, true? In the gaming hardware profile, something I stopped is keeping disk defrag from running. I've checked, it doesn't appear that I should have nixed that by anything I shut down, but I obviously did. Anyone encounter this or should I just start turning them back on one at a time?

I installed the freeware Lucky mentions in the users guide to keep the page file clean. As I've defragged the whole disk, the page file keeps moving to the right a little each time. Does that mean its getting closer to the center of the hard drive disk? I seem to remember reading that you want to keep files as near the edge as possible. Is this a tweak I just haven't read about or is this nothing? Do I just do a manual defrag of the whole disk with the page file protection turned off?

[sunflower1]

My computer has never run faster, this has been a great experience.

I've got a couple stupid questions.

I have a few startup items I can't quite figure out and I want them off if I don't need them. The startup utility comes up and makes me feel guilty about it when I take something off- tells me its starting in a special mode because I've been messing with it. Can I do myself real damage taking things off the startup list?

I've worked my way down to 25 processes 142/1606, 10 of which have to do with non windows things that I need running to game- antivirus, saitek, hotkey, and 3 for internet. I can't find ctfmon.exe listed at any site but suspect it has to do with hardware. Is that the exe that is responsible for the "safely add/remove hardware" icon? That leaves 13 processes running for windows xp, the browser and whatever else I haven't ferreted out. I've gotten about as far as I can get following links, how much further is there to go?

(BV, answers that work, not a geek, etc, etc, etc.)

BV talks about finding hidden programs running in the background and shutting them down but he doesn't go into any detail, is that for smart guys only?

I'm down to 11 services running. I assume, but am not sure, that I need to keep the Nvidia display driver service running in order to see the screen and the others are on BV's don't touch list along with antivirus and communications, I think I have that one done, true? In the gaming hardware profile, something I stopped is keeping disk defrag from running. I've checked, it doesn't appear that I should have nixed that by anything I shut down, but I obviously did. Anyone encounter this or should I just start turning them back on one at a time?

I installed the freeware Lucky mentions in the users guide to keep the page file clean. As I've defragged the whole disk, the page file keeps moving to the right a little each time. Does that mean its getting closer to the center of the hard drive disk? I seem to remember reading that you want to keep files as near the edge as possible. Is this a tweak I just haven't read about or is this nothing? Do I just do a manual defrag of the whole disk with the page file protection turned off?

[Weather_Man]

Ctfmon.exe -- http://www.it-faq.pl/mskb/282/599.HTM

As far as display driver entry, if it's in MSCONFIG, you can disable it. It just runs the icon in the toolbar and display control panel. You can still start it manually when you open the display setup.

[sunflower1]

Arrggghhhh, a mircrosoft one, I must be staying up too late doing this, I'm sorry, I thought I had covered all the bases.

[zjulik]

Some essential tweak utilities - list based on years of trying out stuff:P :

JV16 Power Tools - the best reg++ celaner there is - I still discover new things in it:
http://www.jv16.org/

TuneUp Utilities - feature-packed system utility:
http://www.tune-up.com/

X-Setup Pro - an alternative to the one above, bigger but perhaps more confusing:
http://www.x-setup.net/

SafeXP - focused on security settings:
http://www.theorica.net/safexp.htm

XPLite (or Win2K) - (not for the newbies, as you have to know what you are doing) utility to disable and remove loads of surplus system features:
http://www.litepc.com/

[dieg777]

I have some suggestions to tweaking in my thread in User fixes-If you have read that then try FSAutoStart at http://www.fs-gs.com/downloads.htm
This will automatically shutdown applications and services and start IL2. It will automatically restore them once you have finished and need to use your PC for normal usage. The program follows Blackvipers recommendations on services and I found it easy to use. If unsure about any program entry then google it and youll probably find if its safe to close or not.
If anything is listed in MSconfig it is safe to close -if not happy you can just untick and reboot-again I have listed what is essential to keep running in other post.
One piece of advice I would give is that as you get involved in tweaking one day you will realise that you will want a backup -usually 2 seconds after you have done something wrong and that you cant get back. dont rely on System restore ( it is one service that is usually disabled as it hogs resources) but invest in Norton Ghost and follow Radifieds guide listed in same post. Back up to seperate partition as boot sector, seperate harddrive or cd and you can restore in minutes and keep your sanity.

Good Luck

GUNNER
Gunner get a decent signature
Gunner learn to fly
Gunner learn to shoot
Gunner not run out of bullets just as I get on his six

[sunflower1]

thanks, all of you. I have a link to making a "slipstream CD" as a boot CD and its on my list of things to do. I guess I should move that one up the list a little!

I just can hardly wait to see if the 9800pro and A2 get my framerates into the 30's on perfect....or even excellent....next week.

Or if I'll be on these boards with echoing machine guns and bluescreens!!