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Unfortunately, what’s necessary for startup is different for different PC’s. Here’s what I do for my PC and for friends… Get a list of the startup programs on your PC from msconfig (the Startup tab). Jot down all the names (make sure you spell them properly). Then go to:

www.castlecops.com/StartupList.html. If you scroll down the page a little, you’ll see a Search field. Key in the name of one of the programs on your startup list, and click on the Search button. Scroll down the resulting page, then click on the program link that it found. This will bring up a page that will tell you what the program does, and whether it is necessary. You’ll still have to make some decisions (like is that Adobe speed loader really necessary), but it will at least give you some information to make an informed decision.

Probably the best suggestion was already made. Msconfig, to view and change apps that open at starrtup.  This can really bog your system down at startup.  Also it never hurts to upgrade the RAM, I have Vista and it only takes me about 45 seconds to boot up.  Thanks mostly to the amount of RAM I have.

Mine loads up real slow , it has 512 mb of ram , I don’t want to tinker with it because I can end up with less than desirable results considering that it is the main computer in the house and supports another  with a shared internet connection, and is burdened by all the firewall /antivirus soft ware needed in today’s environment, I am considering getting a wireless router and out fitting all ours with wireless cards but have had a lot of trouble trying to use conventional cable routers, the drawback is the security issues created by the wireless system.

How long does your PC take to start up?” Our desktop, an HP Pavilion m7463w Media Center PC, 3GigRAM, has been on 24/7 since we bought it last year in May 2006. AVG-free, SpywareBlaster, Spybot-Search&Destroy, ZoneAlarm, AdAware SE and Windows Defender are all loaded and run in the background. No problems, so far. We do disable the wireless connection when the PC is not being used for ‘net access.

We agree that Norton & McAfee are total system hogs and should be avoided. Windows Defender is all you need for spyware (it does work very well actually) and it doesn’t seem to slow down my machine at all. For virus and worm protection, there is a program called Avast that is totally free for home use. I discovered it when I once had a virus that no other app would detect. Avast monitors email, web browsing, P2P file sharing, IM and general network access and yet starts quickly and has a minimal impact on system performance. You just have to re-register it every 6 months or so (for free) by confirming your name and e-mail address with them.

Ditch McAfee & Norton and you will free up several minutes each morning, and will also free up minutes during your day because the apps mentioned above won’t bog down your system.

Ok…so HOW do I prevent certain programs from autoloading? We’ve stated exacly how to create a new start up point but then forget to mention how to stop those auto load programs from loading.

Those with slower processor speeds running 98 take longer or about the same time as those running ME or XP with 2 to 10 times faster processor speed and similar quantity of memory.

If you seldom remove cookies and temp files or defrags the hard drive, you’ll have another thing coming.  My making sure those duties got done didn’t help.

Removing a few programs from the start menu which helped a little bit.

I’m hesitant to remove any more lest I mess up the PC so we can’t get it started. I’m not smart enough to know what is essential for starting the PC safely and protecting it from a virus and so on.

I’ve asked a few forums about deleting unnecessary programs from the start menu. They all agreed that should help. But, would not clarify what is absolutely essential for me.

So if one of you out there doesn’t mind telling me what would be considered essential, I sure would appreciate it.

Anyone who can express the experience of waiting for an OS to boot when faced with a monumental work day by drolly saying “I don’t know about you, but I love spending the first 10 minutes of every workday watching Windows start up. It’s like a Zen thing.” will forever be a hero of mine.

Here (in addition to the above stated) is my main gripe: I download hundreds of pages to some obscure, weirdly-named temporary file every day and my PC winds up more clogged than my little nosey during a bad bout of the flu.

But on the other hand, why turn off your computer?  Leave on 24/7 and then you won’t have that problem.  On the few occasions I do reboot due to an installation, etc., it takes no more than 30 sec. or so.  Most of this time is due to McAfees Security Center.  It needs to start so many processes…

Which applications should you leave checked so that they continue to autoload? First and foremost, you don’t want to operate without your antivirus, firewall, and other security programs.

Yes, these programs slow your PC’s boot-up and shutdown, and they can even cause conflicts, but the cost of not having them running is too high to bear.

For any other program in the list, use your judgment. Don’t ask yourself “Is it a good program?” but “Does it need to be on all the time?” For instance, I unchecked Adobe Elements’ Photo Downloader, a program that I use whenever I download photos from my camera, because it serves no purpose when I’m not downloading photos. On the other hand, I allow Copernic Desktop Search to autoload because it needs to index my data files continually.

After unchecking the programs that you don’t need to autoload at startup, click OK and reboot. Windows will load with a very wordy message box that might look like an error message. Just check Don’t show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows starts (the wording is slightly different in Vista) at the bottom of the dialog box and click OK.

I don’t know about you, but I love spending the first 10 minutes of every workday watching Windows start up. It’s like a Zen thing. If you’d rather get right to work, though, the following tips should help you make Windows start much more quickly.

A typical PC loads a lot of programs every time it starts. Each of the icons in your system tray (the area near your clock) represents an auto-start application. And there are probably other programs on your machine that start automatically but don’t make their presence known so easily. Each autoloading app slows your boot time–a little or a lot. And because most of them continue to run in the background, they rob you of a little performance.

Before you start eliminating autoloaders, though, make sure you can undo your changes. In Windows XP, Select Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore. Select Create a restore point, click Next, call your restore point something like before removing autoloaders, and choose Create. Click Close once you’ve created the restore point.

In Windows Vista, select Start, Control Panel, System. Under ‘Tasks’ on the right side of the window, click System Protection. In the System Properties box that comes up, click Create at the bottom of the window.

XP users should now select Start, Run, type msconfig, and press <Enter>. (In Vista, select Start, type msconfig into the Search box, and press <Enter>.) Click the Startup tab, and you’ll see a list of all your autoloading programs, each with a check box. Uncheck an item, and it will no longer load at startup.

Bsod is caused by many things:over clocking to far, software issues, power supply issues and over heating issues.

If your system is not getting enough power when you start playing a game the voltage will drop just enough not to cause the system to shut down but to cause software issues. system chips are very sensitive to voltage changes. most can handle up to 2volts +/- when it goes over that it will cause heat issues or intermittent system shut downs.

I know it’s late but baghira stated you should look into a graphics card with direct x10 over direct x9. This is not important and direct x10 cards right now do not offer anything better than a direct x9 card. Performance is about the same and the graphics arent any better switching to direct x 10.

I have an idea for an invention that involves technology.  I have been searching for someone to help assist me with the program and direction to take to get it developed.  So far all I have found is companies that promote researching and developing but want a big percent of royalties. Is this the norm?

Ascension NOLE and Machinehead420 well the power supply depends on what you have in your system the more hard drives, expansion slots filled and the type of video cards.

when i build systems for people i will put in a 600watt power supply unit. if you do sli depending on the card you might have to get a larger power supply. if i build a quad with 2 or more hard drives and 2 cd/dvd burners along with nvidia 8800 video cards in sli mode, i will put in a 1000 watt psu.

If you are still depending on the card you might have to get a larger power supply. if i build a quad with 2 or more hard drives and 2 cd/dvd burners along with nvidia 8800 video cards in sli mode, i will put in a 1000 watt psu.

Video memory, video memory, video memory. 128 MB at least, and not on-board. Get a good card that you can pull out and upgrade later. More (256-512) would be better, but it can wait if the cost is prohibitive. 128 MB will run most current games, but newer ones will demand more for good performance. Make sure you can upgrade your video to get the most life out of the system.

And a good 1GB of system RAM (or more) helps too. If cost is an issue, you could get a comp that has less RAM right now but space for more as he starts playing more demanding games.

The processor should be better than 2GHZ. If you can go a lot better than that, you should.

Sound is important but not as critical as video. It doesn’t have to be extreme unless he is a sound geek. I went with on-board sound and then upgraded later to a low-end card - but then I don’t try to listen to music while I’m playing. My husband does though, so I got him a mid-range card and some decent headphones.

If you can afford it, get a comp that will run DirectX 10. It’s well worth it for gamers. I don’t know the requirements, but you should be able to find them on the DirectX site.

I had a buddy of mine in high school use McAfee products and he hated them.  He had viruses on his computer that needed cleaning so he went with Norton and after his complete scan with Norton, his computer was virus free.  I would recommend everyone getting Ad Aware.  Its a free program and it does a good job at detecting and eradicating spyware.

With 91% of the fortune 500 companies who actually have the need to protect their assets using CA (Computer Associates) you should ask yourself why?!  Trend Micro is the same system which is used by Microsoft, hello…

We have and continue to use CA only on our business and personal equipment because it is not at all a system-hog and is tunable and completely adjustable.  It is cheaper to buy online from CA.com and it is bullet-proof.  By the way the spyware scan takes seconds rather than hours.