by slopsbucket » Thu Mar 24, 2016 23:17
A bit of self help, part of a tutorial I wrote a long time ago. I don't know if it's still valid in Win10 but it's correct for any other version of Windows.
Background Programs
This is the most common problem with Windows, programs running in the background. Some programs like
your antivirus software have to run constantly in the background so that they can check every file as it's
opened and make sure you're not about to trigger a virus. Some programs will set themselves up to be running
in the background so that when you click the icon to start the program it appears to start quickly. But most just
start in the background so that it puts their logo in the taskbar next to your clock.
All these programs, and there are usually dozens of them, are using the computer's main processor and RAM
to run so the more you have running the slower your computer gets. Many of these programs are poorly
written and quite often interfere with each other and with the Windows system as well, this can make Windows
start to behave very strangely, maybe Office won't open, maybe the internet won't work any more, all sorts of
problems.
The fix is simple, we stop those programs from starting up when Windows first starts. We don't need to remove
any programs, just stop them from starting up automatically, you'll still be able to start any of them by double
clicking on their icons. Windows has a built in program for doing this, it's called MSCONFIG. Just type
msconfig into the program search bar and click on it to start it.
When msconfig opens you'll see a few little tabs across the top of the window, click on the one that says
“Services”. On this page click on the little tick box at the bottom that says “Hide All Microsoft” and a lot of
programs suddenly disappear from the list. That means anything crucial to the Windows system itself has now
been hidden, therefore anything remaining in the list is not necessary for Windows to run. It's all just extra
bullshit running in the background and slowing you down. Technically, once “Hide All Microsoft” is ticked, you
can go down that list of programs and untick all of them.
Then click on the tab at the top of the page labelled “Start Up” and untick all of the programs in that list too.
Windows 8 has done a new thing, it gives you a separate program for the “Start Up” programs list so you'll
need to apply the changes in msconfig first and then go to “Start Up Programs”. Any earlier version of
Windows you can do the whole lot in one go.
There are some exceptions you will want to leave in there, the antivirus and security software for one. Some
people also run programs that require a database running as a service, if so ask them what that program is
and leave it running too. It doesn't matter if you accidentally remove too much, you can always go back into
msconfig and just tick the appropriate box again.
Once you're done click “Apply” down in the bottom right corner and then close the program, it'll ask you if you
want to restart the computer. Yes, you do. When Windows starts back up it'll be like a different computer, some
people have told me that their computer now runs faster than it did the day they brought it home from the
shop.
On some computers you'll find that the user doesn't have an administrative login. This means that when you
click the “Apply” button in msconfig a box will pop up telling you that you don't have permission to make these
changes. Don't worry, no Windows has any real security. Just click OK on that box then click “Apply” in
msconfig again. That “permission denied” message will only pop up 2 or 3 times then Windows will accept your
changes and offer to restart.
If you do this to a computer in a large company network you'll very quickly get a phone call from the IT desk
asking how you did that, don't tell them. If they're getting paid to do this professionally then they should know
better.
Cheers,
Andrew.