~ A Tip A Day ~ - Page 23

LoneRanger · #**331** 06-29-2008, 01:47 PM

29 June 2008:

Reinstall Windows over SP2

After being battered by a virus and my meager attempts to eradicate it, my PC is essentially nonfunctional. I need to reinstall Windows XP without erasing my hard disk and all my data. But when I pop in my XP CD and try to run Windows Setup, I'm told that I can't install Windows over a newer version. It doesn't make sense: I'm installing XP over XP!

The problem is that you're not using Windows XP, you're using Windows XP Service
Pack 2 (or SP2), which Microsoft considers a newer version of the operating system. If you're like most of us, the service pack a bundle of patches and updates assembled by Microsoftwas installed automatically as part of the Windows Update service.

Does this mean your old XP CD is useless? Not necessarily. If you need to reinstall Windows, you have two options. First, you may be able to uninstall SP2 via the Add or Remove Programs control panel, and then reinstall XP. Alternatively, you can use your existing Windows CD to create a new Windows disc that includes SP2 and then use the new disc to reinstall Windows. This second process is called slipstreaming, and while somewhat arduous, it's worth the trouble, particularly if you want to be prepared for future PC emergencies (if your PC won't boot you won't be able to remove SP2, which means you won't be able to reinstall Windows, and your remaining option will involve crushing your PC with a large, blunt instrument).

To start, you'll need a real, original Windows XP CD; if you only have a restore disc or an XP CD with SP1 already installed, you can't use this fix. You'll also need a CD writer, a blank disc, and a full-blown CD burning application, such as Roxio Easy Media Creator or Nero Ultra Edition.

Windows Explorer's built-in CD burning feature won't cut it.

First, open Windows Explorer and create two new folders in the root folder of your hard disk: c:\xp and c:\sp2. Pop your original XP CD in your drive, highlight everything in the root folder of your CD (press Ctrl-A), and copy (drag) all the files on the CD into the c:\xp folder you just created.

Next, download the "Full Network Install" release of Service Pack 2. The filename is WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe. Save this 270+ MB file to the c:\sp2 folder on your hard disk, and when it's finished downloading, rename the file to sp2.exe.

Open a Command Prompt window (go to Start --> Run and type cmd.exe), and type: c:\sp2\sp2.exe /integrate:c:\xp

If you get an error stating "This Service Pack cannot be integrated into a destination that also has integrated Software Updates," it means your CD is not a true, original Windows XP CD and thus can't be slipstreamed. If you get a "not a valid Win32 application" error, the patch you downloaded is corrupt; you'll need to delete it and download it again. If you get the cryptic "file too big for memory" error, you're short on disk spaceyou need at least 1 GB of free space after you've copied the setup files.
You'll need one more thing from your original Windows CD. Download IsoBuster from
CD Recovery | CD DVD Data Rescue software, featuring BD HD DVD, and run the program. In the main IsoBuster window, select your CD drive from the list and highlight the Bootable CD folder on the
left. On the right, you should see an .img file (e.g., Microsoft Corporation.img or possibly BootImage.img). Drag this file into the c:\sp2 folder on your hard disk.
Next, open your CD burning software, and start a new "Bootable Disc" project (in Roxio) or "CD-ROM (Boot)" project (in Nero). When prompted, specify these settings:
Bootable disc type: no emulation Boot image data/image file: specify the .img file you extracted with IsoBuster
File system: Joliet
Sector count (boot section): 4 sectors
Load segment: 0x7C0
Volume label: use the same CD volume label as your original XP CD
In most CD-burning programs, you'll be prompted for this information in a piecemeal fashion via a series of dialog boxes once you start the CD project. (Consult your application's documentation for additional settings necessary to create bootable CDs.)

When given the opportunity, add the entire contents of the c:\xp folder to your project, and then burn the CD. When the burn is complete, you should have a bootable Windows XP SP2 CD, which can be used just like your original XP CD. You can test the CD by using it to boot your system, as described in "Boot with the Windows CD." Once you're sure the CD works, you can delete both the c:\xp and
c:\sp2 folders.

To use the CD to reinstall Windows, you have two options: insert the new CD while Windows is running, or if you can't get into Windows boot off the CD. In either case, choose the option to upgrade Windows rather than performing a fresh install, so that Setup can retain your installed applications and all your settings. Then, just follow
the on screen prompts to complete installation.

Unless you choose to format your hard disk, all your data will remain intact.

LoneRanger · #**332** 06-30-2008, 02:45 PM

30 June 2008:

Wipe Your Hard Disk Clean

I had a pretty serious virus invasion recently, and rather than trying to recover my data none of which I care about I want to wipe my hard disk clean and start over. How do I do this?

You'll typically find it much easier to destroy data than to create it. Nonetheless, there's no direct way to wipe your hard disk clean from within Windows, and understandably so.

If you wipe your hard disk using either of the following methods, and you have no recent backup, you will lose all your personal data with no reliable means of retrieving it.

The easiest way to wipe your hard disk clean is to use the "restore disc" that came with your PC. Not only will it erase your hard disk, but it will reinstall Windows, all your drivers, and even much of the software that originally came with your PC. Just
insert the CD and follow the instructions.

Don't have a restore disc, or want more control? Just boot your system off an original Windows XP CD. Wait for a few minutes while Setup loads the drivers it needs and completes initiation, and then press Enter to "Set up Windows XP now." Press F8 to agree to the silly license, and moments later you'll see a list of drives and partitions on your system, like the one in Figure.

How you proceed at this point is up to you, but assuming there's no valuable data on your system, use the cursor keys to select partitions on your drive and then press the D key to delete them. (Deleting a partition instantly erases all data on it.) When there are no partitions left (all you see is "Unpartitioned space"), press the C key to create a new partition, type the maximum size for the partition (in MB), and press Enter. Then, highlight the new partition and press Enter to install Windows on it.

Complete the setup by following the instructions on screen.

LoneRanger · #**333** 07-01-2008, 01:59 PM

01 July 2008:

Create a Usable Restore Disc

I've read that only reinstalling Windows can resolve some problems, and I'm wondering whether or not I have a Windows CD. All I can find is something called a "restore disc." Is this the same thing?

Probably not. Due to licensing restrictions, and in order to save a few cents, many PC
manufacturers do not include original Windows CDs with their computers. The good news is that some manufacturers will send you a Windows CD if you ask; you did pay for it, after all. Some companies require a modest shipping fee; others, not so modest. But odds are that your PC vendor will refuse your request outright. In this case, eBay is a good source for inexpensive XP CDs, or, if you want to pay full price, you can go to any software retailer. Just make sure you get a valid, legal copy complete with an official certificate of authenticity and CD key whether it's used
or new.

In most cases, the recovery CD included with your PC is good for one thing: wiping your hard disk clean and filling it with all the software that was included with the machine when it was new.

Unless you're preparing to sell your computer, this isn't usually a practical choice.

Recovery CDs do typically have a few things your ordinary Windows XP CD lacks, though: namely, drivers for all the hardware that came with your PC, along with the crummy applications that came preinstalled on your system. You probably haven't given much thought to these drivers, since they were preinstalled on your computer, but unless you want to wipe your hard disk each time you need to solve a hardware problem you'd be wise to build yourself a separate driver CD, from which you can easily install individual drivers.

First, visit your PC manufacturer's web site, and download all the latest drivers for your PC. Make sure you get your video, network, wireless, sound, and chipset drivers, as well as drivers for any products you've added after purchasing the PC.
If any drivers are encapsulated in ZIP files, unzip them into separate folders; that way, you'll be able to install them directly from your CD later (without having to manually unzip them first).

When you have everything in hand, burn all the drivers to a CD, write "Drivers" and today's date on the disc with a Sharpie pen, and put it in a safe place. This disc and your original Windows XP CD (and regular backups of your precious data) are all you need to recover your PC from a serious crash.

Note: Having your network drivers on disc is particularly important, because without them you probably won't be able to connect to the Internet and download other drivers later on, when you really need them.

LoneRanger · #**334** 07-02-2008, 12:33 PM

02 July 2008:

Set Up a Dual-Boot System

I'm a holdout, still using good ol' Windows 98 on my everyday PC… but I'm finally getting tired of the crashing, and I'd like to try Windows XP without committing to it. Can I install Windows XP on my machine without losing Windows 98?

Absolutely just use the dual-boot feature built into Windows XP. With a dual-boot (or
multiboot) setup, you can install multiple operating systems side by side on the same computer and simply choose which one to use each time you boot.

Windows 98 doesn't explicitly support a dual-boot configuration, but it doesn't have to. The key is to install Windows XP last, so that its boot manager (installed automatically with Windows XP) can accommodate both your existing operating system and the new one.

Setting up a dual-boot system is easy, but it's not necessarily intuitive. First, you must install XP into a different folder or drive than the one your current version occupies. So, if Windows 98 is installed in c:\windows, you'll need to put Windows XP in something like c:\winxp or d:\windows.(If you're installing XP over another OS that has its own boot manager, such as Windows 2000 or Unix, you'll have to use a different drive for each operating system.)

Note: Already using Windows XP, and want to try out Windows Vista? When setting up any multiboot PC, always install earlier operating systems first, followed by more recent versions. Typically, the boot manager included with the last operating system
installed is the one that is used.

Note: don't install Windows XP from within your current version of Windows, or Setup will perform an upgrade, and you'll lose Windows 98. Instead, boot off your XP CD, and follow the instructions on screen to complete the installation. When Setup detects your existing Windows installation, it will give you the option of upgrading it or installing XP into a different folder or drive.

If, at the end of the installation, Windows XP is the only operating system on your computer, it will boot automatically without giving you a choice. Otherwise, you'll see a menu of installed operating systems each time you boot, from which you can choose the OS you wish to use for that session.

Note: If you don't want the hassle associated with a dual-boot sytem, or if you want to install many different versions of Windows, you can use a program like Microsoft VirtualPC. Instead of separate partitions, you create multiple hard disk images (resizable files on your hard disk), and then launch VirtualPC and install the operating sytems to those images from within your version of Windows. Although there's a performance hit, it's the only way to run multiple versions of Windows on the same PC simultaneously.

LoneRanger · #**335** 07-03-2008, 12:21 PM

03 July 2008:

Windows Won't Start

I turned on my computer this morning, and all I got was a black screen and the rather unhelpful message "Operating system not found" in little white letters. Is my PC trying to tell me that my hard disk has crashed?

When you turn on your PC, the first thing it does after completing its Power On Self
Test (POST) is to scan your hard disk for something called a master boot record (MBR), a pointer to a program on your hard disk that tells your PC which partition contains your operating system.

This error message means that your PC can't find Windows XP's boot information, because the MBR is corrupt, the entry for Windows in the MBR is absent or corrupt, or any of a half-dozen other reasons. But don't panic the solution is often a simple one.
First, eject any disks from your PC's floppy and CD drives, and then reboot. Some computers check these drives for boot information before moving on to your hard disk, and display the above error message if no boot records are detected.

If that doesn't help, determine whether your PC is detecting your hard disk at all. During the self-test, your PC displays a bunch of information about your system, including details about the processor, memory, and hard disks. (Many new PCs display a large logo while this is happening, but you can usually hide the logo and display this information by pressing the Esc key.) If the screen blows by too quickly, or you don't see any hard disk information, enter your system BIOS setup screen, and peruse the information there.

If your hard disk typically identified by manufacturer and model number is not listed, your PC is not detecting it. There are about 50 things that can cause this problem, but it's often nothing more than a bad data cable. Crack open your PC's case, and make sure the IDE, SATA, or SCSI cable connecting your hard disk to the motherboard is firmly attached at both ends. If the problem persists, replace the cable with a brand new one. You could also unplug every drive other than your hard disk (e.g., CD and DVD drives, Zip and tape drives, etc.) to see if one of them is causing the problem.

If your PC is detecting your hard disk but Windows still won't load, fire up the Windows Recovery Console (WRC) and attempt repairs there. To get into the WRC, insert your Windows XP CD in your CD drive and turn on your computer.

After Setup loads all of its drivers, press the R key to start the Windows Recovery Console. When the WRC starts, you'll see a screen titled "Windows NT™ Boot Console Command Interpreter." If you're asked "Which Windows installation would you like to logon to," type the number next to your Windows XP folder (usually 1…c:\Windows), and then type your administrator password. Once you've logged in, the WRC looks and feels a lot like the Windows Command Prompt (a.k.a. DOS), but it supports only a handful of DOS commands.

At the prompt, type dir and press Enter to display a listing of the files and folders in the root folder of your hard disk (usually c:\). If you see a bunch of garbage characters or you get a strange error, stop immediately and take your hard disk to a data recovery expert.

Otherwise, if the listing looks normal (i.e., you see the WINDOWS and Program Files folders), type fixmbr and press Enter. Then type fixboot and press Enter. When the two commands finish, press Ctrl-Alt-Del to restart your computer and see if Windows loads properly.

If Windows still won't boot, your hard disk needs more help than I can provide.

If your drive contains any valuable data, try a recovery utility such as SpinRite or, if you don't want to risk doing more damage, take it to a data recovery expert and hope for the best.

Warning: Checking your hard disk for signs of corruption is a crucial step. If you continue and attempt repairs on a corrupt drive, you may irreparably damage data that otherwise might be recoverable. Windows Setup actually provides another, easier- to-use feature (an alternative to the WRC) entitled "Repair an existing installation," but it's a poor choice because it doesn't let you check for corruption before effecting repairs.

LoneRanger · #**336** 07-04-2008, 12:16 PM

04 July 2008:

Desktop Never Appears

Windows just won't finish loading. I stare at the Windows logo for what seems like an eternity, and then the pulsating progress bar stops pulsating. That's it; Windows never loads. What's going on?

When Windows boots, it loads all of its drivers, initializes its network connections, and
loads its high-level components (Explorer, fonts, etc.) into memory. These things are loaded in order; if one task cannot complete because of a corrupted file or network error, for instance the next task cannot begin and the boot process stalls.

Note: If you're running off a battery, plug your laptop into its charger and wait for about 20 minutes for the battery to accumulate sufficient charge to start Windows.

If the problem started happening as soon as you added a new hardware device, check the device manufacturer's web site for a driver or BIOS update. Otherwise, first unplug your network cable and try again. If Windows loads, there's something wrong with your network connection, Internet connection, router, or whatever else is on the other end of that cable.

Still stuck? Unplug all the USB and FireWire devices connected to your PC. If Windows loads, reconnect them one by one, restarting Windows after each reconnection, until you find the culprit that hangs the system. Really stuck? Start disconnecting any non-USB peripherals (e.g., keyboard, mouse, parallel printer) attached to your PC and, if necessary/applicable, PCI or PCMCIA cards and any other nonessential devices inside your PC. If the above steps don't work, there may be a problem with your hard disk but if you're getting as far as the Windows logo, it's probably not too serious. To investigate, restart your computer, and just after the beep but before the Windows logo appears, press the F8 key. From the Windows Advanced Options Menu, use the arrow keys to highlight Safe Mode, and press Enter.

Safe Mode allows Windows to load without network support, hardware drivers, some services, and a handful of other components that can sometimes cause this problem. If Safe Mode works, open Windows Explorer, right-click your hard disk (e.g., drive c, select Properties, and choose the Tools tab. In the "Error-checking" section, click the Check Now button. Check the boxes next to both options in the "Check disk" section and click the Start button, and ScanDisk will open and check your drive for errors. When it's finished, restart Windows normally.

LoneRanger · #**337** 07-05-2008, 12:16 PM

05 July 2008:

Un-Hobble the Windows Recovery Console

There's a virus-infected file on my hard disk that I can't delete, so I'm trying to use the Windows Recovery Console to excise it. But the WRC apparently will only let me delete files in the root directory and in c:\Windows. What gives?

The WRC does more than repair master boot records; it provides access to the files on your hard disk when Windows isn't running, allowing you to copy, delete, or rename them as you see fit. However, it won't let you do this until you release a
restriction that's in place by default.

Return to Windows, go to Start --> Run, type secpol.msc, and press Enter to start the Local Security Settings editor. Navigate to \Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options in the tree on the left, and double-click the "Recovery Console: Allow floppy copy and access to all drives and all folders" entry on the right. Select Enabled, and click OK.

Next, return to the WRC and type:
set AllowAllPaths = true

Make sure to include the spaces before and after the equals sign, and press Enter. Thereafter, you can delete any file in any folder. Although the change you made in the Local Security Settings is permanent, you'll have to issue the above set command once each time you use the WRC.

You may have noticed a Catch-22 of sorts in this fix. If Windows won't boot and you're using the WRC to effect repairs, you won't be able to release the Local Security Settings restriction. In this case, you'll either have to live without the ability to delete files in other folders, or install a second copy of Windows XP on another partition and delete the file from there.

LoneRanger · #**338** 07-06-2008, 02:06 PM

06 July 2008:

Windows Won't Shut Down

When I try to shut down Windows, it hangs at the "Saving Settings" screen. Why can't Windows even handle a simple shutdown?

Every time you shut down your PC, Windows attempts to close all running applications, stop all active services, and unload all drivers in memory. If just one of these components stops responding, Windows will wait until it can be closed successfully. As you can probably guess, all it takes is one crashed program or one stubborn driver to prevent Windows from shutting down.

The most common culprit is a power management bug found in many PCs. If you ever put your PC to "sleep" by pressing the power switch or closing the laptop lid, Windows may not be able to complete a formal shutdown thereafter. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do about this, other than checking your PC manufacturer's web site for a BIOS update.

If you never hibernate or sleep your PC, the problem may be spyware which can be adequately described as "stubborn"that refuses to be unloaded.

If an antispyware scan doesn't solve the problem, the errant program is likely a legitimate software component, and it may take a bit of sleuthing to track it down. Close all open applications, and then right-click an empty area of the Windows Taskbar. From the menu that appears, select Task Manager. Then choose the Processes tab to see a list all the programs running on your PC, including those running in the background; click the Image Name column header to sort the list alphabetically (see Figure).

Note: For an alternative to the Task Manager that allows you to see the full paths of the processes in memory, fire up the System Information tool (go to Start --> Run and type msinfo32.exe), expand the Software Environment branch on the tree, and select Running Tasks.

Your goal: find the programs that are causing your shutdown problem. Although the Task Manager won't give you this information directly, it will let you close almost any running program, one by one. Any program that you close with the End Process button in the Task Manager won't be running when you shut down, and thus can't prevent Windows from shutting down properly.

(This isn't foolproof, but it works pretty well most of the time.) Most of the programs listed in the Task Manager's Processes tab are Windows components necessary for the operating system to function (e.g., csrss.exe, inetinfo.exe, rundll32.exe, svchost.exe, winlogon.exe, etc.); the rest are either applications you've started or malware (viruses, spyware, etc.). A few processes will be self-explanatory, such as explorer.exe and firefox.exe, but odds are that you'll recognize very few others. So how do you tell the difference between the good processes and the bad?

The best way to research a particular process is to look up the filename in an online database of "known" processes, such as Windows process and task list. If you need more information, search for the filename with Google. However, there are two big complications that make identifying your running processes more difficult.

First, some forms of malware use the same filenames as common Windows components to disguise themselves. For instance, csrss.exe is the main executable for the Microsoft Client/Server Runtime Server Subsystem, a Windows component, but it also can be a virus (the W32.Netsky.AB@mm worm or the W32.Webus Trojan, specifically). The good news is that such
ambiguities are almost always chronicled in the online process databases.

Note: Rather than trying to painstakingly distinguish valid processes from Trojan horses, just scan your system with trusted antivirus and antispyware utilities. If the shutdown problem persists once that's out of the way, odds are that the culprit is nothing more than a valid yet misbehaving driver or application.

The other complication is that some entries in the Task Manager's Processes list are simply loader programs for background processes. Case in point: each instance of svchost.exe corresponds to a running service, but the Task Manager won't tell you which ones are which; all you'll see are multiple entries labeled svchost.exe. To see which services are running, and to stop, restart, or configure any services on your system, go to Start --> Run, type services.msc, and click OK.

When you've closed a handful of suspect programs, go ahead and shut down (or restart) Windows. If Windows shuts down normally, one of the programs you just closed was indeed the cause of the problem. Try updating or uninstalling the offending program or driver, and your shutdown problems should vanish.

LoneRanger · #**339** 07-07-2008, 03:10 PM

07 July 2008:

Unattended Shutdown

I thought I shut down my computer before leaving the office, but when I got back the next day I saw that it was still running. On the screen was a window that said an application had stopped responding. Why didn't Windows just close the program and shut off my PC?

As noted earlier Windows tries to close all running applications, stop all active services, and unload all drivers each time it shuts down. Often,
Windows just sits and waits if one of those programs won't cooperate and close. All it takes to grease the wheels and change how Windows treats hung applications is a few quick changes to the Windows Registry.

Note: Another problem that may cause an interminable delay when shutting down is an inability to "save settings" in a timely fashion. The fix, which is perplexingly not offered by the Windows Update service, is to apply the User Profile Hive Cleanup Service, available at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/.

Open the Registry Editor (go to Start --> Run and type regedit), and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. Double-click the AutoEndTasks value in the right pane, type 1 (one) in the "Value data" field, and click OK. Next, double-click the WaitToKillAppTimeout value, type 1000 in the "Value data" field, and then click OK. Close the Registry Editor when you're done, and restart Windows so the changes can take effect.

Thereafter, Windows will close stubborn programs automatically and with all due haste (whenever possible) when it's time to shut down.

LoneRanger · #**340** 07-08-2008, 05:47 PM

08 July 2008:

Faster Application Startups

Sometimes it seems to take an eternity for programs to load. I stare at an
hourglass while listening to the hard disk thrash about, and then the application's window finally appears. There's got to be a way to speed this up.

Before Windows can load an application, it must set aside enough room in your PC's memory. If you have a lot of applications already loaded, you'll probably run out of memory, at which point Windows will use part of your hard disk called virtual memory to make up for the deficiency. Since hard disks are much slower than RAM, this technique (called swapping) slows down your computer considerably. You can temporarily alleviate this problem by closing unneeded programs before opening any new ones, but a better long-term solution is to install more memory
(RAM) in your PC.

Of course, no matter how much memory you have, Windows will still use your hard disk to some extent. To keep your hard disk and thus your system running optimally, run Disk Defragmenter routinely (go to Start --> Run and type dfrg.msc). Also, the more space you set aside for virtual memory, the more efficiently Windows can utilize it. At a bare minimum, make sure you have half a gigabyte (500 MB) of free hard disk space at all times.

LoneRanger · #**341** 07-09-2008, 12:46 PM

09 July 2008:

Faster Windows Boot

Why does Windows take so long to load? Is there anything I can do to speed it up?

All the software and hardware devices you add to your PC eventually take their toll, creating more for Windows to load each time it boots. The most effective way to combat this bloat is to routinely format your hard disk and reinstall the operating system and all your applications. Unfortunately, reinstalling can be a time-consuming and frustrating process, and when all is said and done, it'll only be a matter of time before Windows once again becomes bogged down. Instead, optimize a few key areas of your PC to effect a more permanent performance increase.

First, add more memory (RAM) to your system. You should have a minimum of 384 MB of RAM to run Windows XP, but 512 MB or even 1 GB is better. The more memory you have (up to a point), the easier it will be for Windows to find space for all those drivers and programs during boot time.

The rest of the time, that extra RAM means Windows will use slower virtual memory less often.

One of the biggest contributors to a slow bootup is the long list of programs configured to load at boot time. Not only do these programs take time and processor cycles to load, but they eat up memory and even more processor cycles while they're running, further sapping your PC's performance. Most of the startup programs you can control are listed in your Startup folder and in the Registry.

The Startup folder Start --> All Programs --> Startup) is merely a collection of shortcuts to programs that load every time Windows boots. This folder is empty by default; anything you see in your own Startup folder has been added presumably by you or by an application you installed since Windows was installed, and thus none of them are actually required by Windows. To stop a startup item from loading with Windows, just drag it into another folder for safekeeping (or straight into the Recycle Bin if you want to delete the shortcut).

Note: Startup Delayer, available for free at r2 Studios, allows you to have your proverbial cake and eat it, too. Instead of
deleting startup programs, Startup Delayer simply staggers when they're loaded, allowing you to begin using Windows more quickly.

So how do you tell what belongs and what doesn't? The names of most of the shortcuts in your Startup folder should be self-evident; the Microsoft Office Startup Assistant, for instance, is a component of Microsoft Office that's supposed to help Office applications start faster. Delete the Startup Assistant from your Startup folder, and you likely won't notice any difference… except that Windows will load slightly faster. Deleting other shortcuts here may disable some (typically noncritical) features, so be sure to check the program's documentation for the purpose of the shortcut.

Note: If you want to see all your startup programs in one place, whether they're listed in the Registry or your Startup folder, open up
the System Information tool (go to Start --> Run and type sinfo32.exe), expand the Software Environment branch, and select Startup Programs.

Programs configured in your Registry to start with Windows are typically listed in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Run and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Run. (Use the Favorites menu in the Registry Editor to bookmark these locations, making it easy to return to each key
and clean out any unwanted programs as they appear.)

To remove an unwanted program from either Registry key, just highlight it and press the Delete key. You'd be wise to back up both keys before making any changes, though: to create a backup, just highlight a key, select File --> Export, and type a filename for the .reg backup file.

Then, if you need to reinstate a deleted value, just double-click the .reg file to merge its contents with the Registry.

Programs listed in these Registry keys are typically less self-descriptive than their counterparts in the Startup folder, so you may need to do some research before you remove anything.

While you're at it, open the Services list (go to Start --> Run and type services.msc) to see some other programs Windows loads at startup. Any service that says "Automatic" in the Startup Type column is set to load when Windows starts, and ones that say "Started" in the Status column are currently running. (Click either column header to sort the list to make these services easier to find.) If you double-click a service, you can stop it by clicking the Stop button, or prevent it from loading the next time Windows starts by selecting Manual or Disabled from the "Startup type" drop-down list. Be warned, though: most services listed here are essential Windows components.

Read the description shown to learn more about any particular service.
Aside from startup programs, sometimes having too many files in your Temp folder can not only slow Windows startup but, in extreme cases, prevent Windows from loading at all. Windows and your applications use this folder to temporarily store data, usually from documents you have
open. When you close applications (or when applications crash), temporary files are often left behind, and these files can proliferate faster than rabbits in spring. To clean out this folder, open Windows Explorer, navigate to \Documents and Settings\{username}\Local Settings\Temp, and delete any files with modification dates earlier than the last time you started your PC. (You can use Creative Element Power Tools, available at Creative Element Power Tools, to
clean out this folder automatically.)

If you have hundreds of fonts installed on your system, they may be adding to boot time as well. If you can survive without 400 different decorative typefaces (especially if all you ever use is Times New Roman), thin out your fonts to speed Windows bootup. Open the Fonts control panel and uninstall any unwanted fonts by dragging them to another folder (or to your Recycle Bin to delete them permanently). Be careful not to delete any Windows fonts, though, such as Marlett, Fixedsys, MS Sans Serif, or any other fonts that start with "Microsoft" or "MS" (you can find a list at Standard Windows fonts). If you do delete a system font by mistake, don't sweatXP's Windows File Protection system will restore it.

If you periodically need a lot of fonts, invest in font-management software such as Adobe Type Manager, which can remove and reinstall fonts in groups at the click of a button.