Does your computer seem to take forever to start up? Ever wondered how to speed it up a bit? There are several easy ways to take your boot time from minutes to seconds.
Startup Folder
The first option is to edit what’s in your start up folder. Go to Start – All Programs – Startup. If there is anything that is not absolutely necessary during startup, simply right click the item or program and choose Delete. The fewer items in this folder, the faster your pc will start up.
Application Properties
Often times, programs have an option within the application about start up. Normally this option will be located under a Tools or Options menu and say something similar to “start this application when Windows starts.” You can also check to see if the item is listed in your system icon tray at the bottom right corner of your screen. If so, right click the icon and see if there is an option to prevent the application from starting as Windows starts.
Services
Sometimes you can simply stop services or change them from Automatic to Manual. Open the Services module by going to Start – Control Panel – Administrative Tools – Services. If you do not see Administrative Tools, look to the left of your screen and choose Switch to Classic View.
Once in the Services module, you can choose how each service starts or whether it starts at all. If you are unsure of any service, please check the related application’s help guide or research it online. You can usually type of the name of the service into Google or Yahoo! for more information.
This option is for more experienced users. You should not change anything with this option unless you are absolutely certain about the changes you are making.
Go to Start – Run – type msconfig and click OK. This opens the System Configuration Utility. For the purposes of this tutorial, we will only be using the Services and Startup tabs. Please do not change anything on the other tabs unless you know exactly what you are doing.
The Services tab allows you to change services associated with hardware and software on your computer. For instance, on Microsoft Windows XP Professional, there is a service called Server which allows my computer to act as a server. Since I have no intentions of using the server feature or service, I can uncheck this option. You can always change it later. You do not delete anything only stop it from starting and running.
The Startup tab is going to be one of the most effective ways of speeding up your boot time. These are the programs and drivers that start when Windows starts. Once again, this is a simple check box to stop or start the program or driver. On my computer, the wireless application was originally checked to run when Windows starts. Since I currently have no need for the wireless, I unchecked this item. I can always check it back later or start it manually when needed.
Click OK when finished and reboot your machine. On your first boot after the changes, a message box will appear stating changes have been made. Check the box at the bottom of the message to prevent the message from displaying every time you restart your computer.
Consequences of changing start up items and services
Sometimes even the most careful user will change the wrong item. If you receive an error message, restart your computer, press F8 to go into the boot options menu. Choose Safe Mode, let your pc finish booting and reverse any changes you made. Restart your computer as usual and your pc will be back to normal.
Enjoy spending more time actually using your computer instead of waiting for it to start up.
