You just got a new PC for the holidays! Congratulations! You turn it on, to find that you are bombarded with "elves" and "gremlins". What is going on?
In my (too many) years in business, I have often noted that the pendulum always swings from one side to the other - it never finds a happy medium in the middle. Up until a few years ago, PCs shipped from the manufacturer had relatively little software on them - usually just the OS (Windows) and perhaps an application suite (word processor, etc.). The perceived problem was that new users would turn it on, watch the OS boot up, and then stare at a blank screen saying "Now what?"
Well, the pendulum has now swung in the other direction. PCs now come loaded with so much stuff that they are already "constipated" before you even get to use them. There are free offers for this and that, Internet dial in services that you don't want, and blatant commercial advertisements. I hope this column can help you get rid of some of that stuff (so, as George Carlin would say, you can put on MORE STUFF!)
(As I usually warn: if you are uncomfortable doing any of the following procedures, get someone with the appropriate background and experience to help you).
The first thing to do is to de-clutter your screen (desktop). Your new PC probably has icons scattered all over the screen - most of which you don't need or want. The way I handle this is to create a new folder on the desktop (right click on desktop, select New then Folder, and pick any name for it). Then open this new folder, and drag-and-drop any icons from the desktop that you don't want to normally use to the new folder. When you are done, just close up that folder, which will now be an icon on your desktop. In this manner, you are not actually erasing anything; you can always open that folder and get them later. But, it sure does clean up the appearance of the desktop and lets you more quickly find what you DO need.
The second and more significant problem is programs and utilities that automatically start up when Windows starts. These programs tend to take up precious system resources and also make the taskbar at the bottom of the screen too crowded. Removing them is a bit more difficult. Fortunately, Windows (98 and above) provides a utility to do this. It is called MSCONFIG and you can run it either by clicking Start / Run and typing in MSCONFIG.EXE and press Enter or by clicking Start / Programs / Accessories / System Tools / System Information, and then selecting System Configuration Utility from the Tools menu (whew!).
Once you are in this utility, you will see a tabbed display that lets you configure all of the startup options of your PC. In particular, we are interested in the Startup tab. Clicking on this will bring up a list of all the programs that are automatically started when Windows starts. You will see a checkbox to the left of each one. Any one you don't want, merely click off the check. When you reboot, the unchecked programs will not run automatically. If you have unchecked something that you do need, merely check it again and reboot.
Now, the question is: What do I need to run and what not to run? For an inexperienced user, this is not always easy. You just have to go by the name or by the location of where the program file is. In general, I would not uncheck anything in the \Windows or \Windows\System folders. Do not uncheck SYSTRAY, SCAN REGISTRY, TASK MONITOR, TIPS, POINTER, or LOAD POWER PROFILE. If you are unsure about any entry, don't uncheck it.
These steps should unclutter your new PC and free it up for many hours of enjoyment.
(Bob Seidel is a local computer consultant in the Southport / Oak Island area. You can visit his website at www.bobseidel.com or e-mail him at bsc@bobseidel.com).