Comp gurus: Learn me on speeding up my laptop

[ViPER1313]

download and install SpyBot S&D and make sure it installs TeaTimer and all IE things.

TeaTimer is a process that monitors for registry/system file changes and prompts you to permit/deny every time. You can whitelist/blacklist things to automatically be dealt with. Basically, anytime you're not installing a program or changing something with the system, but TeaTimer pops up something, you're gonna want to hit deny - it means a virus or some background task is doing things without your permission/knowledge.


from the start->run menu, run 'msconfig' and go to the StartUp tab. I would uncheck:
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DVDLauncher] "C:\Program Files\CyberLink\PowerDVD\DVDLauncher.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [UpdateManager] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Sonic\Update Manager\sgtray.exe" /r
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] "C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jusched.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AppleSyncNotifier] C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\bin\AppleSyncNotifier.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [lxdnmon.exe] "C:\Program Files\Lexmark 2600 Series\lxdnmon.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [lxdnamon] "C:\Program Files\Lexmark 2600 Series\lxdnamon.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\QTTask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iTunesHelper] "C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Ad-Watch] C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware\AAWTray.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [cdloader] "C:\Documents and Settings\Lee\Application Data\mjusbsp\cdloader2.exe" MAGICJACK
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [RegistryMechanic] C:\Program Files\Registry Mechanic\RegMech.exe /H


And delete anything from Start->Programs->Startup

Then reboot and see how things go. If you go the SpyBot route, you'll discover what apps incessantly try to run at boot until you tell them otherwise (iTunes for instance, it will try to add itself ad nauseam until you go into the application and tell it no, same for QuickTime).

Get rid of Ad-Aware and Registry Mechanic. Actually, go through your Add/Remove Programs and get rid of everything you don't actually use. That may clean out some other stuff you weren't aware of as well.

This is a good list to start with, I would also check and remove:

O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Reader Speed Launch.lnk = C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\reader_sl.exe

Go to Start/Remove programs and see if you can remove Bonjour (its BS installed by ITunes)

I might not remove
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [lxdnmon.exe] "C:\Program Files\Lexmark 2600 Series\lxdnmon.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [lxdnamon] "C:\Program Files\Lexmark 2600 Series\lxdnamon.exe"

they might be needed by your printer. As always, make backups. You can disable these items in HiJack This, Sypbot S&D or msconfig.

I also recommend running this program -

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it's free and will remove a ton of temp files from your computer.

Also, 1.26 gig of ram is more than enough for XP. Your largest speed gain would be to get a faster HD.