SLOW startup in WIN98 help needed!

[kbaasit]

could somoene pls tell me how i can go about getting this PC of mine to startup quicker than it presently does? Also, it runs not as fast as I would want it to!
I know it is only a PII 300 (lol) but it still could run better. The only thing I can think of doing is to format and do a re- install of the OS. I would like NOT to do that if at all possible!

Here is the config of my PC, and below is a description of s/ware in Autostart.:

Summary

Computer:
Operating System Microsoft Windows 98
OS Service Pack None
Internet Explorer 6.0.2800.1106 (IE 6.0 SP1)

CPU Type Intel Pentium II, 300 MHz (4.5 x 67)
Motherboard Name Asus P2L97-S (2 ISA, 4 PCI, 1 AGP, 3 DIMM, SCSI)
Motherboard Chipset Intel 82440LX
System Memory 384 MB (SDRAM)
BIOS Type Award Modular (09/09/97)
Communication Port Communications Port (COM1)
Communication Port Communications Port (COM2)
Communication Port Printer Port (LPT1)

Display:
Video Adapter RAGE II+ (English) (DirectX)
3D Accelerator ATI 3D-Rage II+
Monitor Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 930SB [NoDB] (3Z00893YA)

Multimedia:
Audio Adapter Analog Devices AD1816A Sound Card

Storage:
Floppy Drive GENERIC NEC FLOPPY DISK
Disk Drive GENERIC IDE DISK TYPE46
Optical Drive SONY CD-ROM CDU-415

Partitions:
C: (FAT32) 3320 MB (677 MB free)

Input:
Keyboard Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Mouse Logitech MouseMan Serial

Network:
Primary IP Address 67.61.60.24
Primary MAC Address 00-05-5D-FF-25-22
Network Adapter D-Link DL10050-based FAST Ethernet Adapter (67.61.60.24)
Network Adapter PPP Adapter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date 2004-02-18
Time 11:24
Auto Start
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Application Description Start From Application Command
Advanced Tools Check Registry\Common\Run C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\Norton AntiVirus 2003 Professional\AdvTools\AdvChk.exe
AtiCwd32 Registry\Common\Run Aticwd32.exe
AtiKey Registry\Common\Run Atitask.exe
ccApp Registry\Common\Run C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe
EM_EXEC Registry\Common\Run C:\PROGRA~1\LOGITECH\MOUSEW~1\SYSTEM\EM_EXEC.EXE
LoadPowerProfile Registry\Common\Run Rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme
LoadQM Registry\Common\Run loadqm.exe
MemTurbo StartMenu\User C:\Program Files\Silicon Prairie Software\MemTurbo\memturbo.exe /starthidden
Microsoft Office StartMenu\User C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\OSA9.EXE -b -l
msnmsgr Registry\User\Run C:\PROGRAM FILES\MSN MESSENGER\MSNMSGR.EXE /background
MULTIMEDIA KEYBOARD Registry\Common\Run C:\Program Files\Netropa\Multimedia Keyboard\MMKeybd.exe
NPROTECT Registry\Common\Run C:\Program Files\Norton SystemWorks\Norton Utilities\nprotect.exe
PalNetaware StartMenu\User C:\Paltalk\pnetaware.exe
Prayer StartMenu\User C:\HAD\PTW.EXE
Protection Registry\Common\Run C:\WINDOWS\runtask.exe C:\WINDOWS\protection.exe
QD FastAndSafe Registry\Common\Run
ScanRegistry Registry\Common\Run C:\WINDOWS\scanregw.exe /autorun
SystemTray Registry\Common\Run SysTray.Exe
TaskMonitor Registry\Common\Run C:\WINDOWS\taskmon.exe
updmgr Registry\Common\Run C:\Program Files\Common files\updmgr\updmgr.exe

Scheduled
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Maintenance-Defragment programs ]

varius scheduled tasks set for 3-5 am

[Craig100]

You Could try;

�› Clearing out any Unsued programs
�› Using Ad-aware / Other Spyware programs just to check there is no spyware slowing your system down
�› Defragmenting Your Drive
�› Deleting unused files
�› Using MSCONFIG(Start/Run/MSCONFIG) to remove some programs from startup/removing any programs form here which are resource intensive.
�› Run your Virus Scanner

[raftero]

all the usual things-defrag,empty temporary files,scan disk,check start up programs and delete or disable what you dont need(usually on av is what i leave)and on 98 i have found you need to shut down and restart about every 12 hours depending on how much you use the computer,there is a reason but i have forgotten why.run av,adaware or spybot or both,run a reg.cleaner(like easy cleaner to weed out old applications and files.prob.other thin;gs someone will come up with.
i'm always late,craig answered while i typed.

[Cricket]

Exactly how long is it taking to boot up? I had a 300MHz PII system running Win98SE up until a short while ago and it took at least 45 seconds to boot up (probably longer). I would turn it on and then go get coffee...when I returned, the computer would be ready to go .

Cricket

[WalterK]

I'm not familiar with Autostart...but if I'm interpreting that log correctly, I'm not surprised that your PC is slow to enter Windows fully. Among other things, it looks like you're loading MSN Messenger, along with its pesky automatic search-for-update companion, LoadQM.exe; an MS Office background program; Norton Antivirus; and MemTurbo. Msconfig will tell you for sure. I also like Codestuff Starter for managing startup programs.

If I'm right about those programs loading, try disabling all of them unless you have a particular need to have them running automatically.

[GaryRouth]

If you're in the mood for some research, pacs-portal has lots of information and resources about background processes. http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php

The background ATi processes usually aren't necessary [I've had several generations of Ati cards, love them, but rarely let thier unnecessary background resource hogs run]

MS Office starts up fast enough without that silly item in your Startup folder on your Start/Programs/Startup menu. Another resource waster. Findfast is a waste too - you won't miss it.

MemTurbo doesn't really make much difference. You can try life without it. [in one version, it actually leaked memory = the author of the prog apologized & fixed it: but I've never been convinced it's necessary]

Seems like you have a awful lot of programs looking after your Registry. Is that all from Norton?

If you no longer have a Logitech mouse and mm keyboard, you can remove their background processes. The drivers built into Windows will do fine for generic mice & keyboards [non-mm]

All this sort of thing is pretty well explained at that link at the top. Highly recommended.
. . . Gary

[hmmm... one more thing: if you haven't optimized your Registry in a while, it couldn't hurt. You boot to DOS, and type "scanreg/opt" ... but you have a bunch of Registry apps, so perhaps they are doing this for you already - just a thought]

[kbaasit]

thanks fort he suggestions... I will do the registry from Norton. (manually) as far as the rest are concerned I used MSCONFIG last bit and took out about a dozen ticks of the list. I just looked a it again and MSN Messenger is now there with a second box.. (does that come from closing it in MSN?)

Also, I have something there called: Protection from C:\windows\runtask.exe C:\windows\Protection should this go?

Memturbo... I will try the PC with it.. for a few days and see how it goes.

I also have a question posted in the Internet/www forum showing the 'HIJACK' log...

I am still waiting for someone to reply to it.

Thanks again

[GaryRouth]

You can stop MSN Messenger from running at startup by changing a setting in it's "Preferences" or "Options" menus somewhere. I don't use MSN Messenger, so I'm not sure of which menu it's in, but I know it's in there somewhere. Changing that will remove the item from Startup. You can always just start it manually when you want it to run.

The nprotect item is from Norton. I don't know where your C:\Windows\protection.exe comes from. . . Took a quick look on Google, and there were some shareware handydandys that do special things like protect folders with passwords - do you have any special shareware titles for added security? Far as I know, it's not a MS Windows file (it's not Windows File Protection, for example).

You might get good feedback from your HijackThis post on the Internet forum here, but you also might get even more feedback from the forums from the site HijackThis originates - those guys spend a lot of time looking through those entries and are pretty familiar with spyware.
. . . Gary

[cdnref]

I know you can get msconfig for win 2k. If it's availabloe for 98 then you can disable cirtain things that boot up when you do. If any knows the answer can you provide the website? I lost it.