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.