I would add one more criteria – auto update. Chrome(Browser) and Digsby(Messaging client) are worst. Digsby does not even allow login until the update is completely.
We can avoid such nuisances if we use portable applications.
ron
12 years ago
Excellent article. This is the sort of thing that is great to be able to point to, to explain slow computers.
It would’ve been beneficial, also, I think, to list good programs to BLOCK programs from starting on boot. I use WinPatrol mainly because I’ve used it for so long AND they have a FREE portable ver. I can use on other machines.
Soluto is just ANOTHER start-up item.
Downloaded their Beta yesterday and doubt I’ll keep it.
Anyway, as long as people keep doing this crap I’ll keep charging them to get rid of it.
Works for me.
That might be a good subject indeed, for a future article. Thanks for the suggestion.
GeorgiaCowboy
12 years ago
I mentioned Winpatrol above as a tool to help control programs that don’t NEED to startup on boot. Autoruns is another and also Ccleaner. Both need to be on your machine anyway.
I’m kindda anal about what’s running in the background taking up even minimal resources. I don’t print a whole lot and don’t even let my printer drivers load on boot. If I NEED to print, I’ll just turn it on and it loads them (drivers) and when I’m through I’ll open “task manager” and stop them again.
There are many programs that work just fine when you need them that DON’T need to run ALL THE TIME.
I understand your perspective. Most times I have similar computing habits. I’ll check with the team and maybe, in the next couple of weeks, we will make a thorough analysis and publish something on this topic.
Some would probably argue that msconfig is all you’d need, but I’D argue that point. Msconfig doesn’t even always list ALL the objects and works about half the time. Doesn’t list whos program it is and with all the excellent freeware out that can be used for this there’s just no reason not to.
I not JUST talking UN-needed startup items but services as well.
Besides the BASICS, I have a multi-clipboard manager, evernote, and Process Lasso (also Avast and Threatfire, but I count these as necessary) running on boot and WITH these I still have only 33 processes running.
Check task manager at the lower left and see how many processes Yall have running.
Anonymous
12 years ago
As bad as that is, have you seen CNet lately?! OMG! Absolutely everything you can download from them (on download.com) requires you to run CNet’s little download widget in order to download the file you’re interested in. This widget will download anything from toolbars to outright spyware. And that’s assuming that whatever you download doesn’t also install more crapware. (Anyone remember the promise CNet made when they bought out that little web site called Winfiles – that they would NEVER do this?!)
@ Anonymous … FWIW I recently learned that if you are a registered user with CNet/download/com you will not get the CNet installer included with their downloads. Supposedly, they found out that a large % of their downloads were not completed and they added their installer (along with the crapware) to help the users to completely install the software … IMO that does not justify it!!!
GeorgiaCowboy
12 years ago
Speaking of installing software, today I tried installing FF9 final and downloaded the .exe. Double clicked and the run dialog came up and I clicked run. A box popped up with a progress bar that said “extracting” then……………NOTHING. WTF. Tried this a few times. REdownloaded more than once. The one thing I do know is it doesn’t have anything to do with admin. rights.
WTF is it extracting from an .exe? Where the frig did it go?
I’m tired right now and my eyes are crossing, but your ideas would be appreciated.
The .exe you downloaded is a self-extract archive. I used it too yesterday and had no issues with it, even though it seemed to me I had to wait a bit more than usual for it to extract all the setup files. I think it is best to try one more time today. If it doesn’t work, then simply wait for Firefox to auto-update itself in one or two days. That should work smoothly.
jthelw
12 years ago
The absolute worst example of this for me has been HotSpotShield (VPN software, which was, incidentally, recommended to me by an article in a legit publication. This garbage very nearly trashed my netbook. It took me hours just to back out of the toolbar they installed and, after that was done, to restore my homepage in my browsers.
HLAScarlet
12 years ago
Great article. I always wondered if I should do custom installs but was afraid I didn’t know enough. I’m more confident now. It would have been nice for you to kinda sum it up and say OK do this or how can I fix it now. Would you recommend going back and re-installing/fixing those programs you mentioned and others? Thanks for the good work.
The simplest way is to uninstall them and all the unwanted stuff they installed and then make a custom install and select only what you want.
I will continue writing a series of articles on this subject in the next few weeks. So… if you keep following us, you will get more useful advice.
Andrew
12 years ago
File Hippo (.com) is a good source for hundreds of application downloads. And their (free) “Update Checker” lets you know whenever there are updates for your programs. Have used it for about 2 years without problems. Do NOT recommend Cnet’s TechTracker. It pretty much tells you everything on your computer is out of date, and installs a lot of crapware. I consider it a virus in itself. As for WinPatrol (mentioned above), I’ve been using it for several years and am very happy with it. Recommend the PRO version which you only pay for once and all updates are free. It has many features including being able to DELAY the startup of any program and stopping what you don’t want to run automatically, cookie control and letting you know when something tries to install itself. The PRO version has enhanced INFORMATION about what’s on your computer.
Eugene
6 years ago
I have overcome this problem by using portable apps every time I can and installing in my HD on,ly those very few apps that are better run from the HD for speed purposes like the web browsers and few others. This way I have been able to keep my laptop rather clean and uncluttered over time.
Nice article.
I would add one more criteria – auto update. Chrome(Browser) and Digsby(Messaging client) are worst. Digsby does not even allow login until the update is completely.
We can avoid such nuisances if we use portable applications.
Excellent article. This is the sort of thing that is great to be able to point to, to explain slow computers.
Thanks. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the appreciation Ron.
It would’ve been beneficial, also, I think, to list good programs to BLOCK programs from starting on boot. I use WinPatrol mainly because I’ve used it for so long AND they have a FREE portable ver. I can use on other machines.
Soluto is just ANOTHER start-up item.
Downloaded their Beta yesterday and doubt I’ll keep it.
Anyway, as long as people keep doing this crap I’ll keep charging them to get rid of it.
Works for me.
That might be a good subject indeed, for a future article. Thanks for the suggestion.
I mentioned Winpatrol above as a tool to help control programs that don’t NEED to startup on boot. Autoruns is another and also Ccleaner. Both need to be on your machine anyway.
I’m kindda anal about what’s running in the background taking up even minimal resources. I don’t print a whole lot and don’t even let my printer drivers load on boot. If I NEED to print, I’ll just turn it on and it loads them (drivers) and when I’m through I’ll open “task manager” and stop them again.
There are many programs that work just fine when you need them that DON’T need to run ALL THE TIME.
I understand your perspective. Most times I have similar computing habits. I’ll check with the team and maybe, in the next couple of weeks, we will make a thorough analysis and publish something on this topic.
Some would probably argue that msconfig is all you’d need, but I’D argue that point. Msconfig doesn’t even always list ALL the objects and works about half the time. Doesn’t list whos program it is and with all the excellent freeware out that can be used for this there’s just no reason not to.
I not JUST talking UN-needed startup items but services as well.
Besides the BASICS, I have a multi-clipboard manager, evernote, and Process Lasso (also Avast and Threatfire, but I count these as necessary) running on boot and WITH these I still have only 33 processes running.
Check task manager at the lower left and see how many processes Yall have running.
As bad as that is, have you seen CNet lately?! OMG! Absolutely everything you can download from them (on download.com) requires you to run CNet’s little download widget in order to download the file you’re interested in. This widget will download anything from toolbars to outright spyware. And that’s assuming that whatever you download doesn’t also install more crapware. (Anyone remember the promise CNet made when they bought out that little web site called Winfiles – that they would NEVER do this?!)
The only “good” thing about CNet is that they stopped using that widget for open source software.
@ Anonymous … FWIW I recently learned that if you are a registered user with CNet/download/com you will not get the CNet installer included with their downloads. Supposedly, they found out that a large % of their downloads were not completed and they added their installer (along with the crapware) to help the users to completely install the software … IMO that does not justify it!!!
Speaking of installing software, today I tried installing FF9 final and downloaded the .exe. Double clicked and the run dialog came up and I clicked run. A box popped up with a progress bar that said “extracting” then……………NOTHING. WTF. Tried this a few times. REdownloaded more than once. The one thing I do know is it doesn’t have anything to do with admin. rights.
WTF is it extracting from an .exe? Where the frig did it go?
I’m tired right now and my eyes are crossing, but your ideas would be appreciated.
The .exe you downloaded is a self-extract archive. I used it too yesterday and had no issues with it, even though it seemed to me I had to wait a bit more than usual for it to extract all the setup files. I think it is best to try one more time today. If it doesn’t work, then simply wait for Firefox to auto-update itself in one or two days. That should work smoothly.
The absolute worst example of this for me has been HotSpotShield (VPN software, which was, incidentally, recommended to me by an article in a legit publication. This garbage very nearly trashed my netbook. It took me hours just to back out of the toolbar they installed and, after that was done, to restore my homepage in my browsers.
Great article. I always wondered if I should do custom installs but was afraid I didn’t know enough. I’m more confident now. It would have been nice for you to kinda sum it up and say OK do this or how can I fix it now. Would you recommend going back and re-installing/fixing those programs you mentioned and others? Thanks for the good work.
The simplest way is to uninstall them and all the unwanted stuff they installed and then make a custom install and select only what you want.
I will continue writing a series of articles on this subject in the next few weeks. So… if you keep following us, you will get more useful advice.
File Hippo (.com) is a good source for hundreds of application downloads. And their (free) “Update Checker” lets you know whenever there are updates for your programs. Have used it for about 2 years without problems. Do NOT recommend Cnet’s TechTracker. It pretty much tells you everything on your computer is out of date, and installs a lot of crapware. I consider it a virus in itself. As for WinPatrol (mentioned above), I’ve been using it for several years and am very happy with it. Recommend the PRO version which you only pay for once and all updates are free. It has many features including being able to DELAY the startup of any program and stopping what you don’t want to run automatically, cookie control and letting you know when something tries to install itself. The PRO version has enhanced INFORMATION about what’s on your computer.
I have overcome this problem by using portable apps every time I can and installing in my HD on,ly those very few apps that are better run from the HD for speed purposes like the web browsers and few others. This way I have been able to keep my laptop rather clean and uncluttered over time.