Windows ME: Removing unwanted background programs

Factual Questions
1

Well, last Christmas, my dad bought his computer (a Compaq… don’t laugh). Well, I’m anal about system resources (I like to keep it at least 85-90%), so I decided to randomly take a gander at how the resources on his computer added up.

Pathetically, the resources were at 78% immediately after it finished starting up. Bleah.

So, whenever I get on the computer, I CTRL-ALT-DELETE to close down all the built-in Compaq crap to streamline the system resources. Stuff like “Buddyizer” and “Pctvoice” and “Bttnserv” and a whole slew of other little background apps (to date, I haven’t noticed any difference in computer operation with these programs closed down). I’m wondering… how would I go about removing these permanently? I can probably hunt down which specific files on the hard drive activate all this unwanted crap, but is there an easier method of automatically having this stuff gone as soon as the computer starts up?

2

There’s a great -->free<-- program called startup cop which lists all of the little background aps and lets you permanently remove any or all of them.

You can download startup cop from zdnet.com

3

Go to your Windows System folder and look for a program named MSCONFIG.EXE.

Open the tab “Startup” and uncheck the progs you don’t want to load on bootup.

4

Msconfig.exe is meant to be a diagnostic tool to temporarily disable startup programs, but it does not remove them.

5

True, but neither does Startup Cop. It merely disables or deletes the registry entries. If you delete the entry, should you change your mind in the future, you will have to mess with the registry.

MSCONFIGURE, on the other hand, disables only, and not temporarily. The entries will stay disabled. You can, however, enable them again by simply running MSCONFIG again.

6

Or just re-install the program.

The main purpose of the startup tab of msconfig is to troubleshoot your bootup. You can use it to permanently disable stuff but it’ll get very cluttered with junk if you keep using it for that purpose.

Startup cop can disable a startup program the way msconfig does, or if you choose, completely remove it from the registry. True, it doesn’t delete the actual program.

The prescribed way to remove startup programs is to uninstall the program itself, remove the driver from the control panel, or disable the startup option from the program. Of course, that isn’t always an option.

7

Thanks much, everyone. MSConfig also showed the locations of the files running the programs… turns out one of the draining apps was the Logitech Wingman joystick program (we don’t use our joystick on this computer anymore) which was just a waste of space.

Again, muchas grassy ass (or whatever). :smiley: