Startup help requested

I understand that there a a lot of applications which are unneccessary or at the very least use up resourses and stoppint them running on statup can boost performance.

I am using Windows me.. (please don't giggle in the back!) I have 128 meg memory and find on startup and with no applications running I find that anything up to 70% of memory is being used. After opening another application that reaches almost 100%. I have a neat little programme running which recovers memory from programmes which are closed down.

Using msconfig I have found 19 items in the start folder. and I think some of these need not run from startup and all that is required is to de selct from the checkbox.

My problem is how do I know which applications are not really needed at startup.

Some like AVGServ9 and ZoneAlarm are easy to understand AVG being a virus scanner and ZoneAlarm is a firewall.

But what are things such as true vector and scan registry etc, and do I need them running.

I could show you all the items in the start up file if this would help, I simply think that a better performance would happen if some were not running unneccessarily

 

You're absolutely right.

Do let us see your startups:

Go to Start/run, and type Msinfo32, followed by OK.
Go to Software Environment/Startup Programs.
Now click Edit/'Select all', and then 'copy'
Paste the contents in your post.

 

There you go, I can identify the obvious ones.

*StateMgr c:\windows\system\restore\statemgr.exe All Users HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
AVG_CC c:\progra~1\grisoft\avg6\avgcc32.exe /startup All Users HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Avgserv9.exe c:\progra~1\grisoft\avg6\avgserv9.exe All Users HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
data789 regedit.exe /s c:\windows\data789.tmp All Users HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Eac_Download c:\program files\common files\eacceleration\download.exe -k All Users HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
IncrediMail c:\progra~1\incred~1\bin\incredimail.exe /c All Users HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
LexmarkPrinTray printray.exe All Users HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
LoadPowerProfile rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,loadcurrentpwrscheme All Users HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
LoadPowerProfile rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,loadcurrentpwrscheme All Users HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
Machine Debug Manager c:\windows\system\mdm.exe All Users HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
MiniLog c:\windows\system\zonelabs\minilog.exe -service All Users HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
Mirabilis ICQ c:\program files\icq\icq.exe -minimize .DEFAULT HKU\.DEFAULT\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Netline User c:\netchk.exe All Users HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
PCHealth c:\windows\pchealth\support\pchschd.exe -s All Users HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Pop-Up Stopper All Users HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
ScanRegistry c:\windows\scanregw.exe /autorun All Users HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
SchedulingAgent mstask.exe All Users HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
SSDPSRV c:\windows\system\ssdpsrv.exe All Users HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
Steganos SysLock c:\progra~1\stegan~2\syslock.exe .DEFAULT Startup
SystemTray systray.exe All Users HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
TaskMonitor c:\windows\taskmon.exe All Users HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
TrueVector c:\windows\system\zonelabs\vsmon.exe -service All Users HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
WinampAgent "c:\program files\winamp\winampa.exe" All Users HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
ZoneAlarm c:\progra~1\zonela~1\zoneal~1\zoneal~1.exe -nopopup All Users Common Startup

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On loading widows an error box appears with "windows cannot find data789.tmp and I click ok and windows runs fine. I have tried to locate 789tmp and have failed so I deselected that in msconfig startup folder which stopped the window appearing on boot up to windows.

Grisoft / avg are all anti virus applications, zone alarm relates to my firewall. Popup stopper can be disable as I have another stopper atached to internet explorer to do the task. Steganos is a security application which at startup prevent unauthorised use by requesting a password.

The rest are a mystery.

BTW you are very quick with responses and my name is also Tony>

 

You have some stuff there that's routinely responsible for causing errors, and slowing your machine down.
data789 regedit.exe is probably a baddie as well.

Let's remove all unnecessary and harmful stuff from startup.

Go to Start/run, and type msconfig.
On the Startup tab, uncheck EVERYTHING, EXCEPT for the following items

StateMgr c
AVG_CC
Avgserv9.exe
IncrediMail
LoadPowerProfile
LoadPowerProfile
MiniLog
Mirabilis ICQ (optional)
Netline User
PCHealth
Pop-Up Stopper
ScanRegistry
SchedulingAgent
Steganos SysLock
TrueVector
ZoneAlarm

Click OK, close Msconfig, and reboot (important!)

The items marked 'optional' aren't neccessary for Windows to run either, and you may experiment later by unchecking them as well.

Download and install Ad-Aware . This is a program which scans your system for spyware.

After having downloaded AAW, also download the latest Signature file (Reflist.sig) : http://www.lavasoftusa.net/aaw/binary/reflist.zip
Unpack it to the Lavasoft Ad-Aware folder in Program Files, and have it overwrite the one that's there.

Then have your drives and registry scanned for spyware, check all found files and reg keys, click continue, and have them removed.
Reboot one last time.

Your computer will thank you for this, and you'll be amazed about how much more smoothly your system will run.

 

"I have a neat little programme running which recovers memory from programmes which are closed down"

Also note that Windows does not need any help "recovering memory". All of these programs that purport to do this, do NOT do this on their own. It is Windows that is creating the free memory.
AND, this is exactly what will happen when/if Windows needs memory for a real program.

The memory that is "recovered" is largely VCache, the file cache. And, this is the first thing that Windows will shrink when it requires more memory. Forcing windows to shrink it early is a complete waste of time.

 

Your link to adware does not work (cannot find url).

I accept what you say about grabbing back memory but when I see 100% memory used and click on recover memory it goes to something in the region of 50% memory used and things seem to speed up, so it seems to be doing no harm.

 

Yes, it does. Or here it does at least.

Here's a direct download at another site: http://www.lurkhere.com/~nicefiles/aaw562.exe

Good luck,

 

Well I installed aaw and the overwrote the signature file with the later one as advised. I then scanned c: and ticked all the found files about 70 of them, I then scanned the registry and selected all of these also. I made a backup of all registry files in case of problems but failed to backup those found on C:

I re booted and was faced with a blank screen, and the system seemed totally dead, no reassuring beeps or anything.

I put the rescue boot up disk in the floppy and pressed the reset button. The screen popped into life and I selected start in safe mode. The prompt a:\ appeared and I tried to start c:\ windows but nothing happened the a:\prompt remained impassively staring back at me.

I pressed reset again and removed the floppy disk. The prompt for choosing safe start etc appeared and I selected help and then help files were apparently uploaded, it happened so fast. windows started and everything seemed ok. I thought I had better re boot to make sure the system was ok and I did so. Everything seems settled now, but I must admit I was scared for a while.

Will have to ensure I make backups in future and not to be reckless in downloading / opening unknown files.

he he best wishes

Tony the second

 

oobydooby, giving you a separate thread for your problem, so we don't get into tangle trying to keep two people happy

 

Well 'puter running for a while and all seems well. I believe the problem has been solved, of course there is always tomorrow. he he