BOOT CAMP 494 (18/09/07)
Vista Tuning Tips part 3
Following on from last
week’s cull of Startup items that launch automatically with Windows Vista, this
week we’re turning our attention to ‘Services’. These are basically small
programs that carry out configuration and housekeeping tasks, but like the
Startup entries, many of them are redundant and waste resources.
You might be wondering why,
if these Services are part of Windows, they are not needed? The point is Microsoft
has no idea what you are going to use your PC for, it could be anything from
emailing to video editing, so by default Vista is installed with a highly
conservative configuration, with most of the behind the scenes bits and bobs it
thinks you might need one day switched on.
Normally that’s not a
problem and when all of the Windows Services are behaving themselves it only
adds slightly to boot up time and CPU workload but when you start installing
new programs new Services are added, and over time some of them may become
corrupt, squabble with each other or run amok, eating up memory reserves, at
which point you will notice an increase in boot up time and a general slow
down.
The solution is to prune
unnecessary and troublesome Services, however, this procedure really is only
for more experienced users. It is a fairly big job so only tackle it if you are
having serious performance issues. If your PC is booting up in under 90 seconds
I would leave well alone but if you do decide to proceed then before you do
anything, as always set a new System Restore point (see this week’s Top Tip).
You can easily find out if
Services are responsible for your problems with a simple test and switch them
all off. Go to Search on the Start menu and type ‘msconfig’, double click the
icon that appears and the System Configuration utility opens. On the General
tab click Selective Startup and uncheck ‘Load System Services’ then OK. You
will be prompted to reboot. Do so, note how long it takes to re-boot and
compare it with your benchmark boot time. During re-boot you may see one or two
pop-ups warning that such and such is missing but just click OK or cancel to
clear the box. If the boot up time is significantly faster, and by that I mean
it is shaving a minute or more off the normal time it takes then it is worth
looking into. To finish off open the
System Configuration once again and on the General tab re-check the Load system
Services box, click OK and reboot.
Next, go to Search on the
Start menu and type ‘services.msc’ (without the quotes). A list of at least 120
Services will now appear (depending on which version of Vista you are using and
the software installed on your PC). The columns show the name of each Service
along with a brief description of what each one does and whether or not it
starts automatically with Windows, and whether or not it is currently running.
To change a Service’s
start-up status simply right click on it, select Properties then change the
setting on the Startup Type drop-down menu to either Manual or Disabled and
click OK. The effect will take place after a reboot. Manual is usually the
safest bet because this means the Service will only start if it is actually
needed. Disabling a Service stops it running altogether and if for some reason
it is needed you will see an error message or something (possibly important)
may stop working.
Now we come to the big
question of what should be allowed to run, and what can be switched off and for
this I refer you to the comprehensive and very well-researched list at blackviper.com.
This lists all of the standard entries you will find in the four main versions
of Vista, their default settings and the suggested ‘Safe’ and ‘Bare Bones’ or
experts-only settings. Additionally, if you click the entry it shows you the
Microsoft description of what it does along with a more comprehensible
explanation that will help you to decide if you need it or not.
Work your way through the
Black Viper list switching no more than three or four Services at a time to the
suggested Safe setting then reboot. Watch the screen carefully when Windows is
loading to make sure there are no error messages and quickly test your Internet
connection and any other vital applications before moving on to the next batch.
Once you have finished with
the all of the Windows Services you can tackle the third-party ones, which
belong to the programs and occasionally the hardware you have installed on your
PC. It should be fairly obvious from the Name column what they are. If you
decide to switch any that belong to vital applications, like your anti-virus
program, firewall or security programs, remember to switch them back to their
former setting if it turns out they are having no impact on boot up time or
performance.
Next Week – Vista Tuning Tips, part 4
JARGON FILTER
Benchmark
Boot Time
The time it
takes for a PC to boot up to a useable state (see Boot Camp 492)
CPU
Central
Processor Unit - the main microprocessor chip in a PC
Selective
Startup
Diagnostic
facility for enabling or disabling groups of system files loaded during Windows
boot up
TOP TIP
System Restore in Windows
Vista is based on the utility in Windows ME and XP and the idea is it stores a
selection of key system files – a so-called Restore Point RP) -- so that if any
of them are damaged in a crash you can quickly restore your computer to its
former state. Restore Points are set automatically once a day and whenever you
install a program or item of hardware that makes changes to system files. In
Vista to manually set a RP press Winkey + Break > System and click the
Create button (or System Restore button if you need to restore your computer
after a crash). You can also get to the System Restore menus by typing ‘system’
in Search on the Start menu.
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© R. Maybury 2007, 2108
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