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Get rid of those pesky Windows startup programs

Numerous companies over the years have joined the computer-industry bandwagon and have added their own quick launch and/or startup shortcuts of their applications in Windows.  

Though their intent is good, it most of the time results in system slowdowns and user unproductivity.  What happens is system resources, i.e., memory, are used unnecessarily that could otherwise be used in some other, more efficient, way like playing graphic-intensive games.  =0)

So in this post, I’ll show you techniques I implement to get rid of the pesky startup programs.

  1. Startup folder – Check what’s in this folder; anything in here “starts up” whenever Windows boots. 
    1. In Windows XP, simply right-click the Start button and go to Explore All UsersNote: You must be an administrator to do this.
    2. Then go to Programs > Startup.
    3. Delete or move out the applications that you believe you don’t need, since these are normally shortcuts to the actual application only. 
  2. MSConfig – This built-in Windows boot configuration utility allows you to modify what programs should startup, edit configuration files, and modify Windows Services. 
    1. To access, go to Run.
    2. Type msconfig then OK.
    3. In this post, we only want to modify anything/everything only in the Startup tab.
    4. So navigate to the Start tab and uncheck what you don’t need.  Again, search Google to find out if it’s needed.
  3. Windows Registry‘s RUN subfolder – Some programs add their executable in here too.  You only want to go in here if the MSConfig steps above don’t resolve your problem.  Be warned that modifying the registry is not recommended unless you know what you are doing.
    1. To access, go to Run like step #1 in MSConfig.
    2. Type regedit then OK.
    3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Run.
    4. Before deleting anything in here, search Google to make sure you don’t need it.  Also, backup the whole Run subfolder just in case.
  4. Preferences or Properties of the app – If all else fails, you can access and disable the system startup options through the application itself; for example, Yahoo! Messenger.
    1. Login into Yahoo! Messenger.
    2. Then go to Messenger > Preferences > General.
    3. Uncheck the Automatically start Yahoo! Messenger option, which is under When I start up my computer.

That’s pretty much it.  There are tools out there that you can also use, but I’d rather try the steps above first, as they might install their own quick launch or startup to their program themselves.  =0)

OS X Leopard will not be released at WWDC in June

I’ve been running Tiger OS X on my MacBook Pro since I got it and because I’m an early-adopter type of person, I’m pretty excited to install and check out Leopard (new toy!).  Unfortunately, due to Apple‘s push of the iPhone, Leopard won’t be released at the WWDC this coming June.  Instead it will be some time in October.

WWDC stands for Worldwide Developers Conference and is a yearly conference hosted by Apple to showcase their creations.

According to news on the Apple Hot News website, the delay is due to the iPhone team borrowing Mac OS X’s software engineering and QA resources to get the iPhone released on time.  The reason, they say, is that the iPhone contains the most sophisticated software ever devised on a mobile phone.  We’ll see.

In any case, I applaud Apple for making the right decision to delay Leopard so they can deliver the quality that we, the consumers, expect.  Here’s their statement:

We think it will be well worth the wait.  Life often presents tradeoffs, and in this case we’re sure we’ve made the right ones.

So what can you learn from these guys?  Quality over quantity.  Good going Apple!  =0)

Where’s the disk monitoring?

I was doing research on a development project I’m currently working on and encountered this error on a developer-resource website (anonymous to prevent any legal action):

Fig. 1.1 – ASP.NET 2.0 Error: Not enough disk space

ASP.NET 2.0 error

Googling for “disk monitoring tools” came up with a TON of results. The lesson to learn from this:

Monitor the back and frontend servers that is the bedrock and foundation of your website/business.

Use systems like MOM (if a Windows shop), Nagios for open-source, or if unsure try external monitoring providers.

I personally use mon.itor.us. It’s still in beta, but it’s free and easy to use.

IE Tab for Firefox

If you’re security-conscious, you always try use Firefox for anything browser-related, right? There are times, however, when you need to test something you’re building, e.g., web application, in Internet Explorer.

Well, thanks to the Mozilla Developers community, specifically to PCMan (Hong Jen Yee), you can use IE Tab and avoid the need to launch IE.

IE Tab is basically a plugin (now called an Add-on) that embeds Internet Explorer’s engine in a Mozilla/Firefox tab. Pretty cool, huh?

Simply install it like you normally install other plugins, and once installed, you can switch back-and-forth from IE to Firefox with a click of a status bar button.

Here’s a screenshot:

IE Tab for Firefox

Having the IE Tab also allows you to run Windows Updates within Firefox! The only unfortunate thing is it’s a Windows-only plugin.

So, give it a go and enjoy the looks from the faces of your coworkers, not to mention the increase in your productivity. =0)