The Gang of Five

Beyond the Mysterious Beyond => Hobbies and Recreation => Computer and Electronics => Topic started by: landbeforetimelover on June 29, 2007, 04:29:32 PM

Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on June 29, 2007, 04:29:32 PM
I am surprised by how many people have unneeded fonts on their computer.  It really slows it down at startup.  The font like symbol, most people will never use.  All you really need are like 20 fonts.  If ya have a lot of them, it slows down your computer at startup cuz it has to determine which fonts to load.  Give it little options and you'll see great speed improvements.  A guy just brought me his computer cuz it was so slow.  It was almost brand new and it took nearly 15 minutes to start up.  He had several thousand fonts on his computer.  I removed all but 36 of them and it solved all of his problems. ;)

Another way to speed up your computer is to reduce the amout of colors to 16 bit.  Honestly, most people don't need more than that.

Increasing the size of your virtual memory paging file will help with computers that don't have a lot of ram.  Don't set it to some insane amount like 4096mb.  Your computer can only use so much.

Remove your background entirely.  This will really help you.  I would never do this though cuz I like my LBT background.

Get a registry optimization program.  They arn't that expensive and they'll do ya a lot of good.

Remove startup programs.  If there's something you don't want to start at startup, just go to the start menu and go to all programs and then go to startup.  If there's a program in there that you don't need at startup, just delete the item from the menu.  If the program you want to remove from startup isn't in the startup menu, just launch the program and go into the properties.  It will most likely have an option to start at startup or not.  This will REALLY help with startup speed.

for gods sake, don't have your computer try to start with the cd drive before the hard drive unless you're about to install an operating system.  Just go into the BIOS setup menu and change the boot priority.  This will shave as much as 45 seconds off startup time.

Same goes with other devices including floopy drives, slave hard drives and other removable media.  Always set the master hard drive as the first boot device in the BIOS.

Reduce the amount of icons on the desktop.  If necessary, just create a folder on the desktop called "desktop" and put everything that's currently on your desktop  in it.

Remove the startup sound.  It takes some time to load sometimes and is hard on your computer.

Using all of the methods above, I was able to make a computer that normally started up in 5 minutes to start up in 19.7 seconds.  No hardware upgrades were required.  

You must face the inevitable though.  Sometimes, ya just need a hardware upgrade and there's nothing ya can do about it. :p

Does anyone else know other ways to speed up a computers startup time besides the methods I mentioned?  I have just learned this by trial and error. :lol
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: action9000 on June 29, 2007, 05:44:53 PM
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Does anyone else know other ways to speed up a computers startup time besides the methods I mentioned? I have just learned this by trial and error.
Relating to your deleting startup programs:

msconfig is your friend. B)
Click the start button --> Run...
type msconfig and click run.
A window should pop up, with various tabs.  Click the startup tab.  This lists many of the applications that start when your computer is booting up.  Deselect as many of these as you can get away with.  It will free up RAM and improve your boot-up time.  

Be sure you know at least roughly what the program is before you deslect it, especially if you're on a laptop.  Many of the laptop's core drivers appear on here, such as the touchpad, media buttons, etc.  If you deselect those, you'll quickly be wondering why suddenly your touchpad won't scroll anymore. :lol

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Using all of the methods above, I was able to make a computer that normally started up in 5 minutes to start up in 19.7 seconds. No hardware upgrades were required.
I have Never had a computer boot in even Close to 19.7 seconds.  I don't know how you pulled that off.  The computer must have been basically empty.
Unless you installed Windows 3.1 onto a brand-new system; then maybe it would boot up pretty dang fast. :P:
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on June 29, 2007, 05:47:08 PM
LOL.  I didn't want to tell anyone about msconfig here.  It can REALLY screw ya up if ya don't do it right.  Don't wanna be blamed when the stupid thing doesn't do anything but display error messages. :lol
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: action9000 on June 29, 2007, 05:48:45 PM
That is true.  If you don't touch anything but the Startup tab, you probably won't break anything.  You only start breaking stuff really when you edit boot.ini and things like that.

I modified boot.ini to allow access to 3 GB of RAM for applications instead of the detault 2 GB but most people have no use at all for that, and it does make some features on the computer a bit unstable.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on June 29, 2007, 05:49:04 PM
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I don't know how you pulled that off. The computer must have been basically empty.

It had xp pro and I removed the spash screen.  It was empty except for the os.   :lol
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on June 29, 2007, 05:50:38 PM
removing the spash screen is the stupid thing that always says "windows xp" with the status indicator.  Ya really don't need it.  It's just microsoft's way of saying "this is my product".
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: action9000 on June 29, 2007, 05:57:18 PM
Most of my boot time is after the splash screen, when I can see my desktop.  I spend a good 1 minute there before any apps respond well at all.  I wonder if this is fixable without formatting my computer.  I'm too lazy to do that anytime soon. :p

As for fonts, I have 334.  Probably too many...
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: DarkHououmon on June 29, 2007, 05:59:16 PM
I have, multiple times, closed some programs in Startup to prevent them from loading up the next time. But they keep on returning. Windows constantly reselects them and loads them up. There have been multiple times when *everything* in Startup is selected.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on June 29, 2007, 06:00:37 PM
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As for fonts, I have 334. Probably too many...

LOL.  I'd say so.  Remove similar ones.  There are some that only have a minuscule differnece.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: action9000 on June 29, 2007, 06:09:41 PM
I'll keep my fonts to a minimum on my workstation computer when I get it.  For now, there are times when random fonts such as the symbols are useful.  I don't want to remove too many.
I can be a bit of a packrat sometimes, especially when it comes to computers :p
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on June 29, 2007, 06:14:07 PM
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I don't want to remove too many.

Trust me my friend, removing them would be a good idea.  Just back them up to a flash drive and use it when ya need it.  I think you'll be surprised at how infrequently you actually use it.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: DarkHououmon on June 29, 2007, 06:15:36 PM
LOL! I just checked how many fonts are on my computer, and it says I have 522. XD I don't know where they all came from. I don't download fonts.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on June 29, 2007, 06:15:54 PM
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I can be a bit of a packrat sometimes, especially when it comes to computers

LOL.  Me too.  I have used about 30,000 GB already. :o
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on June 29, 2007, 06:16:58 PM
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I don't know where they all came from. I don't download fonts.

when you install a printer, it puts a bigillion of them on there.  Remove them.  Ya don't need them.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: DarkHououmon on June 29, 2007, 06:20:45 PM
My brother also installs some fonts, so some of them are probably his.

I don't really want to remove any of them because my family, particularly my sisters, like using different kinds of fonts, and I don't know which ones they like and which ones they don't.

And it would take too long have them point out all the ones they use.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on June 29, 2007, 06:21:44 PM
Currently on my master computer (this one), I have 87 fonts.  Looks like I better clean it out again.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: action9000 on June 29, 2007, 06:44:47 PM
I just removed a bunch of fonts.  I cut it down to 79.  I'm not sure I can cut much more than that.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on June 29, 2007, 06:49:19 PM
if ya still need some of those fonts, there may be some that you'll never need to bold or italisize.  You can just delete those elements. ;)
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on June 29, 2007, 06:51:10 PM
Removing fonts in windows 98 is VERY dangerous.  It doesn't have all of the safegaurds that xp has.  Did you get any "cannot delete" messages?
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: action9000 on June 29, 2007, 06:51:58 PM
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Did you get any "cannot delete" messages?
Just one.

Yeah, I removed most of the Italic and Bold fonts; if I ever need them, I'll just use the italic or bold features of a word processor.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on June 29, 2007, 06:53:29 PM
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Just one.

If windows protection wasn't there, you'd be screwed! :lol
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on June 29, 2007, 06:57:08 PM
If you had actually deleted that file, I beleive that it's associated with the operating system so yeah.  That's why you'd be screwed.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: pokeplayer984 on June 30, 2007, 01:40:12 PM
LBTlover, you are a computer nut! :huh: But that's why we love you! :^.^:

My computer is pretty fast as is, and gets it started in less than 30 seconds.  If it ever gets to being more than 1 minute, I'll make sure to try these out. :)

Until then, I don't have much use for these methods. :D
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: Petrie. on June 30, 2007, 01:54:08 PM
Man you guys nitpick when most computers today can easily handle fonts.  :rolleyes:  I have whatever came with my computer and Microsoft Office.  Most computers these days, even barebone machines are going to be able to handle fonts...its the OS that slows them down.  :lol:  Startup sounds taking a ton of ram and hurting a computer?  You've got to be kidding me....I've been doing that since 95 without losing a hard drive and major problems....


Some of this advice is good (startup folder, registry scans) but some of it in my opinion is just like "why????"  :unsure:
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on June 30, 2007, 02:04:46 PM
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Startup sounds taking a ton of ram and hurting a computer? You've got to be kidding me....

Appearantly, there's been some sort of misunderstanding.  Startup sounds don't hurt your computer.  They're made to do it.  It's when ya start screwing around with msconfig and ya don't know what you're doing that your life turns to crap.


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Man you guys nitpick when most computers today can easily handle fonts.  I have whatever came with my computer and Microsoft Office. Most computers these days, even barebone machines are going to be able to handle fonts...its the OS that slows them down

Actually, the OS has to load the fonts for like the start button and all your icons and stuff.  It has to read the fonts folder.  If ya have too many fonts in there, the computer slows down cuz it has to process all of those fonts that are in your font folder just to load three of four of them.  I guess you've never had this problem before. <_<

Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on June 30, 2007, 02:06:17 PM
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I've been doing that since 95 without losing a hard drive and major problems....

well that makes sense.  Ya acutally know what the heck you're doing! :lol:
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: Petrie. on June 30, 2007, 02:09:27 PM
For the heck of it I went and checked, and I tip the scales at 432 fonts installed and no sluggish problems.

You'd do better to keep a clean registry and defragged harddrive.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on June 30, 2007, 02:24:15 PM
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For the heck of it I went and checked, and I tip the scales at 432 fonts installed and no sluggish problems

Well, if you have like 4ghz, then this wouldn't really help ya much.  I bet if you got rid of a couple hundred, you would still see some improvement in preformance.  It has always worked for me. ;)


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You'd do better to keep a clean registry and defragged harddrive

That's good advice for us all.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on July 01, 2007, 11:30:25 PM
Okay.  Another tip.  If you have an older computer system and you have Norton antivirus, remove it.  It takes a lot out of older computers.  Use avg instead.  I would recommend avg anyway, but what the heck.  If you wanna spend $60 a year for norton when you can get better service for free, that's your choice.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: DarkHououmon on July 01, 2007, 11:48:24 PM
I honestly have a hard time believing one could get better survive for free.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on July 02, 2007, 01:32:32 AM
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I honestly have a hard time believing one could get better survive for free.

Well, it's true.  AVG only survives cuz most people buy the full version.  They make the free version incredibly difficult to find unless you actuall type in "avg frre" into google.  See what I mean.  Go to www.grisoft.com and try to locate AVG free there.  It's almost impossible!  They want you to buy the full version and they keep the free version as hard to find as possible.  Why they offer this for free, I don't know, but I'm sure glad they do!
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: Megatoph on July 02, 2007, 03:09:36 AM
to tell the truth. I find the Norton security virus program to be a waist of memory. (Depending on what you use your computer for) I simply removed it and it works alot faster then it did in the past. also it helped with booting time. it used to take two friggin hours just to load when Norton was on but now that it was removed it works exelently. and I have more room to store my favorite pictures.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on July 02, 2007, 03:59:54 AM
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to tell the truth. I find the Norton security virus program to be a waist of memory. (Depending on what you use your computer for) I simply removed it and it works alot faster then it did in the past.

Me too.  Computers usually work faster without norton slowing them down. <_<
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: Megatoph on July 02, 2007, 04:05:42 AM
yeah. plus after a few months it becomes out-of-date and they expect you to buy a newer version of it.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on July 02, 2007, 04:28:34 AM
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yeah. plus after a few months it becomes out-of-date and they expect you to buy a newer version of it.

Bottom Line:  stay away from norton and mcaffee.  Mcaffee is pretty bad, but norton is the ultimate worst.  They sometimes even want you to pay per virus you want to get rid of.  The best antivirus system in the world currently is stop sign.  they charge you about $70 per virus removed though so it really isn't worth it.  AVG is the most complete, secure, comprehensive, and trustworthy antivirus system I've ever seen.  And the best thing is that it's free!  It's resistance shield is awesome.  It'll block just about any virus from penetrating your system so you don't even get the virus.  It automatically updates itself and you can set it to run at a certain time of the day in the background.  They have an excellent virus dictionary so you can see if the virus you had was the problem.  For example, if your files started being moved to weird locations, you would scan for a virus and it would detect somthing like trojan 82.  You would remove it and then look it up and discover that it randomly moves files around.  This is handy so ya don't have to run a disk check.
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on July 02, 2007, 04:34:34 AM
Another tip.  If you don't scan your hard disk for errors at least once a week, you're not doing it right.  I'm not talking about defrag or virus check.  I'm talking having the computer restart and go into the blue screen and physically check the disk surface for read/write errors.  Here's how you do it:

double click the my computer icon

right click the hard disk you want to check (usually drive C)

go to properties

Click on the tools tab

click the check disk for errors button that says "check now"

Check both boxes and click start

when the little notice comes up, just click yes.

click okay to get out of the properties box

close all programs and restart the computer

when the computer starts up, it does it's little windows xp thing and then it goes to the blue screen.  Just walk away cuz it's gonna take from 1-17 hours depending on the size of your hard disk and the ratio of data to free space.

This program is a life saver.  It'll fix just about any error.  I hope this helps someone here. :)
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: Megatoph on July 02, 2007, 04:39:43 AM
also Norton also gave me so many problems when I tried to run a game online. it drove me bonkers!
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: landbeforetimelover on December 31, 2007, 09:49:16 AM
Here's another tip:

If you go into msconfig, you'll see a services tab.  Click it and then check "hide all microsoft services".  That'll get ya everything you've personally put onto your computer and what's starting up automatically with your computer.  Many people have crap such as messenger automatically starting with their computer.  WHY???  Unless that's all you use your computer for, there's no reason to have it booting MSN every time you startup. :rolleyes: This is also a good way to check for spyware and other unwanted applications.  Most  malicious software will appear here, but some of them don't.  Just look up what the service is on google if you don't know what it's supposed to do.  A good site to look up what the services do is www.castlecops.com (http://www.castlecops.com).  They don't have a search function so just go into google and type something like "adobe LM service castle cops" into google.  Getting rid of all but microsoft applications is not recommended because some printers and other devices require a program at startup to work.  Basically, if you see something you obviously don't need, get rid of it.  It'll save you loads of startup time. :D

(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa146/tlordame/services.jpg)


Here is an example of what adobe LM service is:

http://www.castlecops.com/o23list-23.html (http://www.castlecops.com/o23list-23.html)

As you can see, it's rated L for legitimate and it's required by photoshop.  It's harmless.


Here's something I can get rid of.  Windows live setup service. :rolleyes:

http://www.castlecops.com/o23list-2886.html (http://www.castlecops.com/o23list-2886.html)

It's for compiling blogs for christs sake. :p


If you remove all unnecessary items from the services and startup tabs, you'll see a great decrease in startup time.  This test computer has a 2.4ghz processor, 2gb of ram, and a 120gb hard drive.  It's been crammed full of crap for years now.  It used to take nearly 6 minutes to boot, but after doing all this stuff to it that's been discussed in this thread, the startup time is less than 25 seconds without having to wipe the thing! :wow
Title: Speed Up Your Computer's Startup Time
Post by: Petrie. on December 31, 2007, 11:53:38 AM
There's a program called Easy Cleaner that can do that as well, as well as many other things. :)  That's been my savior.

http://personal.inet.fi/business/toniarts/ecleane.htm (http://personal.inet.fi/business/toniarts/ecleane.htm)