Start Up - What are all these things?

The only problem I could see is if one of those Toshiba utilities manages your network connection. You can check that now by looking in the System tray where most of those startup freeloaders camp. Is it a Toshiba network icon or Win7's little tv screen (ethernet wired) or 5 bars (wireless connection) that is active? If it's Toshiba's then turn it off and connect by rightclicking Win7's icon.

Factory bloatware causes many tech enthusiasts to find a clean copy retail WIn7 Installer for their version to clean reinstall with the Product Key on COA sticker.

Hey Greg ...
by network connection I assume you mean the icon showing
that my dial up is connected (stop laughing ...I'm in regional Aust. and we're waiting
for proper broadband to arrive ..meanwhile it's like the stone age)
anyway ... it's the Win tv screen icon
So are you saying all the others can be turned off?

nithig said:

Hey Greg ...
by network connection I assume you mean the icon showing
that my dial up is connected (stop laughing ...I'm in regional Aust. and we're waiting
for proper broadband to arrive ..meanwhile it's like the stone age)
anyway ... it's the Win tv screen icon
So are you saying all the others can be turned off?

If there is a Toshiba network manager then yes it can be turned off. I mention this only because you could turn off everything in that startup list (besides AV) and miss nothing yet gain back performance.

However the one thing that might occur is you would lose your connection on startup IF Toshiba is managing your Dial Up. Find this out and you're cleared to uncheck everything except AV in msconfig>Startup. Google each if you want to know more about what it does.

Using a lightweight free AV like MS Security essentials is also key to fast performance.

Ok, thanks for that Greg.
Have turned nearly everything off and computer looks fine.
Connection to inter-net is normal.
So ... just goes to show ...the comment about marketing (above)
probably is quite accurate.

You mention MS Security ... so this is an anti virus program?
And if so one could run it and that would be enought protection?
No need to keep paying Zone Alarm?
(BTW - I'm really enjoying this steep learning curve - with the help
of all the guys like yrself ... much appreciated!)

Here is free utility that you may want to take a look at called "Soluto":

Download Soluto | Soluto

I used it to speed up the boot time for my Win XP computer. It works well with Win 7 also. It lists all the programs that can be safely removed from startup and those that can be delayed in startup. From Soluto you can remove or delay from the startup menu and if you decide later you want them back then it allows you that option also.

A neat little utility.

nithig said:

Hey Greg ...
by network connection I assume you mean the icon showing
that my dial up is connected (stop laughing ...I'm in regional Aust. and we're waiting
for proper broadband to arrive ..meanwhile it's like the stone age)
anyway ... it's the Win tv screen icon
So are you saying all the others can be turned off?

@nithig - In case you don't know, the AU Fed Govt will pay for a satellite link install if you're stuck on dial up out of metro areas. That's worth about AU$3K, you have to pay the ongoing costs of course. Optus, Westlink and Reach are 3 names that come to mind. Its better than dial up, and you dont have to be back of Bourke to get the subsidy, I've got it on a property just 30K west of Kempsey NSW, 512K down, 64K up.

I cant get any mobile though, the old analogue mobiles worked, by GSM, CDMA and 3G are all useless - we call it the NBN - No Bloody Network

pjd

Thanks pjd,
nice spot you've got! I love the hinterland all up the East Coast.
I'm a little further north.

I'm not so permanent here so I don't expect to have to hang
on much longer.
With d/loads and updates getting bigger each yr (my AV used to be
@ 20MB ...now it's 140MB) using dialup is becoming increasingly
outmoded ... but watch...there will be loads of activity and offers
as companies start positoning themselves for that No Bloody Network!

Just look at the top of every page on this forum and you will see Tutorials. There is a world of goodies there.

MS Security Essentials is made to work perfectly with the Win7 firewall.

Uninstalling Zone Alarm using Revo Uninstaller in Advanced mode should improve performance greatly.

Run Revo uninstall of ZA, don't restart when prompted by uninstaller, instead click Next to delete bolded Registry keys and files Revo digs up.

Now run System File checker to make sure the ZA bloatware didn't damage System Files.