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Start up manager and bloating software


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Hello,

I'm in the process of tuning up my cpu (it is a year old) and I've done things like CHKDISC, cleaned the registry, deleted temporary files, defrag, etc. However, I'm not sure what programs I can take off in the startup manager. All I want is for my security programs and necessary drivers to come online when i log in, everything else I want off.

Also, I have some software in my cpu that I haven't the slightest clue what they do. I want to uninstall every program not needed and I don't use on a regular basis. But I don't know what's important for the functionality of my cpu. I don't want to delete a program accidentally that my cpu uses out of ignorance.

Could someone take a look and offer up some suggestions?

Thanks

AutoRuns.zip

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Hello again byte_king :)

I have a list of entries for you to disable, should you discover that you require any of them to run at startup in the future all you need do is open Autoruns and re-check the box to the left of the desired entry:

Disable Autostart Entries Using Autoruns:

Please open Autoruns.exe again and allow it to perform its scan. Once it finishes please proceed with the following:

  • Click on the Logon tab and click the checkbox on the left side of each of the following so that they are unchecked:



    • BDRegion brs (Verified) CyberLink c:\program files\cyberlink\shared files\brs.exe Note: Only disable this entry if you do not watch any Blu-Ray DVD's on your computer
    • dellsupportcenter Dell Support Center Updates (Verified) Dell Inc. c:\program files\dell support center\bin\sprtcmd.exe
    • PDVD9LanguageShortcut PowerDVD Language Application (Verified) CyberLink c:\program files\cyberlink\powerdvd9\language\language.exe
    • PDVDDXSrv CyberLink PowerDVD Resident Program (Verified) CyberLink c:\program files\cyberlink\powerdvd dx\pdvddxsrv.exe
    • RemoteControl9 PowerDVD RC Service (Verified) CyberLink c:\program files\cyberlink\powerdvd9\pdvd9serv.exe Note: Only disable this entry if you do not use a remote control for controlling PowerDVD
    • msnmsgr Windows Live Messenger (Verified) Microsoft Corporation c:\program files\windows live\messenger\msnmsgr.exe Note: You will still be able to start MSN Messenger manually if you wish to use it, this just prevents it from running at startup, it's startup can also be configured via the settings in MSN Messenger itself instead of using Autoruns if you wish

    [*]Once that is complete, restart your computer.

Now you can disable some unneeded services so please do the following so I can see which ones are running:

  • Please copy and paste the following text exactly as written into notepad (not wordpad or any other text editor):
    @echo off
    net start>"%userprofile%\desktop\services.txt"
    "%userprofile%\desktop\services.txt"
    del /f /q "%userprofile%\desktop\services.txt"
    del /f /q %0

    Once you've done that click on File and select Save As...

  • In the Save dialogue box click on the drop down menu next to Save as type and select All Files
  • Name the file <insert file name>.bat (the .bat extension is very important)
  • Save the file to your desktop and double click it to run it.
  • Once it finishes it will open the file it created in notepad, please copy and paste the file's contents into your next reply.

Thanks :)

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Hello again byte_king :)

I have a list of entries for you to disable, should you discover that you require any of them to run at startup in the future all you need do is open Autoruns and re-check the box to the left of the desired entry:

Disable Autostart Entries Using Autoruns:

Please open Autoruns.exe again and allow it to perform its scan. Once it finishes please proceed with the following:

  • Click on the Logon tab and click the checkbox on the left side of each of the following so that they are unchecked:



    • BDRegion brs (Verified) CyberLink c:\program files\cyberlink\shared files\brs.exe Note: Only disable this entry if you do not watch any Blu-Ray DVD's on your computer
    • dellsupportcenter Dell Support Center Updates (Verified) Dell Inc. c:\program files\dell support center\bin\sprtcmd.exe
    • PDVD9LanguageShortcut PowerDVD Language Application (Verified) CyberLink c:\program files\cyberlink\powerdvd9\language\language.exe
    • PDVDDXSrv CyberLink PowerDVD Resident Program (Verified) CyberLink c:\program files\cyberlink\powerdvd dx\pdvddxsrv.exe
    • RemoteControl9 PowerDVD RC Service (Verified) CyberLink c:\program files\cyberlink\powerdvd9\pdvd9serv.exe Note: Only disable this entry if you do not use a remote control for controlling PowerDVD
    • msnmsgr Windows Live Messenger (Verified) Microsoft Corporation c:\program files\windows live\messenger\msnmsgr.exe Note: You will still be able to start MSN Messenger manually if you wish to use it, this just prevents it from running at startup, it's startup can also be configured via the settings in MSN Messenger itself instead of using Autoruns if you wish

    [*]Once that is complete, restart your computer.

Now you can disable some unneeded services so please do the following so I can see which ones are running:

  • Please copy and paste the following text exactly as written into notepad (not wordpad or any other text editor):
    @echo off
    net start>"%userprofile%\desktop\services.txt"
    "%userprofile%\desktop\services.txt"
    del /f /q "%userprofile%\desktop\services.txt"
    del /f /q %0

    Once you've done that click on File and select Save As...

  • In the Save dialogue box click on the drop down menu next to Save as type and select All Files
  • Name the file <insert file name>.bat (the .bat extension is very important)
  • Save the file to your desktop and double click it to run it.
  • Once it finishes it will open the file it created in notepad, please copy and paste the file's contents into your next reply.

Thanks :)

Thank you exile, as requested, here is what I got.

services.txt

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Thanks :)

For future reference, please use the AddReply button instead of the "Reply button so that you don't end up quoting my entire response in your replies. This will make it easier to read. Thanks :)

There was no need to attach the file, if you click on Edit at the top of notepad and click on Select All then right-click and select Copy, then use Paste to paste it into your reply it will show up as text, this way you save some space in your uploads as the forum limits the amount of space you have. It's alright though, I've looked at the list you posted and here's the results:

Disable Some Services on Windows Vista and Windows 7:

  • Click on the Start vista-7-start.png button and type services.msc and press Enter
  • Click Continue at the User Account Control prompt
  • Once the Services window opens, scroll down the list until you find each of the following and for each one double click on it
  • Click the Stop button to stop the service from running, then click the drop down menu next to Startup Type and select Disabled
  • Click the Apply button and click on Ok
    • Apple Mobile Device Note: Only disable this service if you do not use an actual iPod device with your computer (ie syncronizing with iTunes etc), if you do then leave this service alone.
    • Bonjour Service
    • SupportSoft Sprocket Service (DellSupportCenter)
    • Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant Note: Only disable this service if there are not more than a single user of Windows Live Messenger. Please refer to this link for details.

    [*]Close the Services control panel and restart your computer

Please let me know how it's running now and we'll move on to the next steps.

Thanks :)

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Hello,

I did as you suggested and so far things seem to be allot smoother, especially during the logoff and logon process. I was impressed just hot fast my desktop loaded as soon as i logged on.

Just a couple of questions. I do not use Cyberlink, but my sister does to play HD DVDs. I disabled the BDRegion in autoruns logon menu, would this hinder that feature? If so, I'll have to recheck it.

Another thing with the logon autoruns menu, I unchecked all the items related to PowerDVD. Would this impact in any way on its functionality? I mean, all I'll care about is if it works. Though to be honest, I may get rid of PowerDVD and keep the Cyberlink software. I'm assuming the autoruns step only impacted on which software kicks in during logon and not the software itself. Like if I double click on them after logon they should still run? Am I correct in assuming this?

Thanks for the suggestions, thus far. You implied there were more steps so....what next?

Everything seems to be working great thus far.

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Yes, HD-DVD's should still work. I have CyberLink PowerDVD on my system that I use for watching HD-DVD's and after disabling all of it's startup items, I'm still able to watch them, but if there are any issues you can re-check that item and restart the PC and it will function as it did previously :).

None of the items disabled will break the functionality of software with the exception of the 2 services I had you disable that had the notes next to them. Basically, if you or anyone has an iPod that they use with iTunes on this PC, you'll need to re-enable it's service and if you have multiple users that use Windows Live Messenger or MSN Messenger then you might want to re-enable its service so that multiple users' logon credentials can be saved for automatic logon to its IM service.

The next steps are cleanup and maintenance, something that's fairly easy considering you're using Windows 7 (7 and Vista take care of themselves in many ways, much more so than XP :)).

Make sure that Java is up to date:

Uninstall Programs:

  • Click on the Start vista-7-start.png button and select Control Panel
  • Click on Programs and Features
  • Uninstall the following if found by right clicking each entry and selecting Remove (if available as an option, otherwise click Change) and follow the instructions to completely remove the software:



    • Java Note: Uninstall any Java related entries except for 6 Update 18 as they are obsolete and can be exploited to compromise the security of your PC.


If you had any Java entries besides 6 Update 18 and 6 Update 18 was not installed then do the following:

New Java Installation:

  • Click here to visit Java's website.
  • Scroll down to Java SE Runtime Environment (JRE) 6 Update 18. Click on Download.
  • Select Windows from the drop-down list for Platform.
  • Select Multi-language from the drop-down list for Language.
  • Check (tick) I agree to the Java SE Runtime Environment 6 License Agreement box and click on Continue.
  • Click on jre-6u18-windows-i586-p.exe link to download it and save this to a convenient location.
  • Double click on jre-6u18-windows-i586-p.exe to install Java.

Once that's complete, do the following:

Disable a Service on Vista and Windows 7:

  • Click on the Start vista-7-start.png button and type services.msc and press Enter
  • Click Continue at the User Account Control prompt
  • Once the Services window opens, scroll down the list until you find the Java Quick Starter and double click on it
  • Click the Stop button to stop the service from running, then click the drop down menu next to Startup Type and select Disabled
  • Click the Apply button and click on Ok
  • Close the Services control panel

Disable Autostart Entries Using Autoruns:

Please open Autoruns.exe again and allow it to perform its scan. Once it finishes please proceed with the following:

  • Click on the Internet Explorer tab and click the checkbox on the left side of each of the following so that they are unchecked:



    • JQSIEStartDetectorImpl Class
    • Java™ Plug-In 2 SSV Helper

    [*]Click on the Logon tab and click the checkbox next to the following so that it is unchecked:


    • SunJavaUpdateSched

Now it's time to do some cleanup :)

Download CCleaner from here to clean temp files from your computer.

  • Close all open internet browser windows
  • Double click on the ccsetup file to start the installation of the program.
  • Select your language and click OK, then click Next.
  • Read the license agreement and click I Agree.
  • Click Next to use the default install location. Click Install then click Finish to complete installation.
  • Double click the CCleaner shortcut on the desktop to start the program.
  • On the Windows tab, under Internet Explorer, uncheck Cookies if you do not want them deleted. (If deleted, you will likely need to reenter your passwords at all sites where a cookie is used to recognize you when you visit)
  • If you use Firefox or any other Mozilla browsers, the box to uncheck for Cookies is on the Applications tab, under Firefox/Mozilla.
  • Click on the Options icon at the left side of the window, then click on Advanced.
    uncheck Only delete files in Windows Temp folders older than 24 hours.
  • Click on the Cleaner icon on the left side of the window, then click Run Cleaner to run the program.
  • Caution: It is not recommended that you use the Registry feature unless you are very familiar with the registry as it has been known to find legitimate items for removal, which can cause issues with other programs.
  • After CCleaner has completed its process, click Exit.

Run CCleaner regularly to remove temp files that accumulate over time :)

Now it's time to defrag your hard drive now that we've removed so much stuff:

  • Please copy and paste the following text exactly as written into notepad (not wordpad or any other text editor):
    @echo off
    defrag %systemdrive%
    del /f /q %0

    Once you've done that click on File and select Save As...

  • In the Save dialogue box click on the drop down menu next to Save as type and select All Files
  • Name the file Defrag.bat (the .bat extension is very important)
  • Save the file to your desktop and right click on it and select Run as administrator then click Continue at the User Account Control prompt.
  • Note: This may take a while to complete, when it has finished the black command prompt window it opened will close automatically.

Please post back when all of this is complete to let me know how it went and I'll have you perform a few final steps to get your system into tip-top condition :)

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Hello,

I did indeed have Java 6 update 18

However, in the services.msc panel I could not find Java Quick Starter so I couldn't disable it. I serached it in the start menu and a java quick starter item did come up, but I have no idea how to disable it.

When I used Autoruns, I disabled java plug-in 2, but could not find JQSIEStartDetectorImpl Class to disable....

I did not download CCcleaner....As I am using Norton 360 which performs all the functions of CCleaner, including registry cleanup. I have defragged, cleaned my registry, optimized my disc, deleted temporary files, and cleaned out my cookies.

I basically just ran all the PC tuneup tools, though nothing really took long as Norton performs these tasks automatically each week.

:)

I'm just puzzled as to why I couldn't find those items as you requested....

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That's ok, that service doesn't always get installed on Vista or 7, I was just making sure, in case you did have to reinstall Java as it may have shown up, along with the additional entry in IE that I referred to :).

That's great that you got things cleaned up with Norton, but you might consider using CCleaner as it will remove some things that Norton won't, specifically temp files created by third party software you have installed, but those files are usually negligable in size anyway so your performance would likely not increase dramatically in doing so, neither would performance so it's up to you :).

Now it's time to finish up and make sure that your system is secure:

Use Secunia OSI to check for software vulnerabilities (Note: Java is required for the online scan. If you do not have java you may download and install it from here):

  • Visit this page and click on the Start Scanner button
  • Once the scanner loads click on the Start button on the page to start the scan
  • Review the results and update your software using the information provided, making sure to uninstall older application versions that are out of date before downloading and installing newer versions

Keep your system updated:

Microsoft releases patches for Windows and other products regularly:

  • I advise you to click on the Start vista-7-start.png button >All Programs>Windows Update
  • If it is visible click on the link that says Get updates for more products
  • When your browser window opens click the check box next to I accept the Terms of Use and click the Install button then click Continue at the User Account Control prompt
  • It will now check for updates for your system. Install any High Priority updates and review any Optional updates to determine if you'd like to install them then click Install and click Continue at the User Account Control prompt
  • Reboot if asked to do so to let it finish installing the updates
  • After the reboot and the update installation is complete open Windows Update again and click on Check for updates to see if any additional updates are available for your PC, and if they are, install them now
  • I highly recommend doing this regularly or turning on Automatic Updates by clicking on Change settings on the left pane of the Windows Update interface and clicking the bubble next to Install updates automatically (recommended) to have Windows update itself automatically with important security updates

Please let me know if Secunia finds any vulnerable software and what it finds and I'll assist you with getting it updated and removing any new startups that the update installations might create that could be unnecessary (we want you secure and up to date, but not at the cost of performance, it's about having the best of both worlds :)).

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Hello again,

Some vulnerabilities were found for my adobe, and Flash player 10. I installed the patches.

However, the flash player patch is a tad annoying. I install the patch, it says the patch is installed, than when I scan again, the flash player (active x) 10 still pops up displaying the outdated version...its as if the patch isn't installing properly...

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Thanks for letting me know, that's exactly what I needed :)

Now it's time to get it updated properly:

Update Adobe Flash Player:

  • Please download the Adobe Flash Player Uninstaller from here and save it to your desktop.
  • Close any open internet browser windows, instant messenger programs, and media players and double-click uninstall_flash_player.exe to begin uninstalling Flash Player
  • Follow the onscreen instructions and reboot your computer after it finishes
  • Download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player for your internet browser from the appropriate link below:

    Once you have installed it, please verify your version and successful installation by visiting this page

Create another Autoruns log:

Delete the attachment of the previous Autoruns.zip file you uploaded by clicking My Controls at the top of the forum page and then clicking Manage Your Attachments on the left.

Then delete the Autoruns.arn and Autoruns.zip files from your desktop and run Autoruns again:

  • Double click Autoruns.exe
  • Once it starts, please press the Esc key on your keyboard.
  • Now that scanning is stopped, click on the Options button at the top of the program and select Verify Code Signatures
  • Once that's done press the F5 key on your keyboard, this will start the scan again, this time let it finish.
  • When it's finished, please click on the File button at the top of the program and select Save and save the Autoruns.arn file to your desktop and close Autoruns.
  • Right click on the Autoruns.arn file on your desktop and hover your mouse over Send To and select Compressed (zipped) Folder
  • Attach the Autoruns.zip folder you just created to your next reply

Thanks :)

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Hello again,

so Flash player has been successfully installed with the latest patch, but Adobe Reader seems to not have been. I just ran Secunia again,but it's saying Adobe Flash player failed to install the patch. It's giving me the same version number I had before....Do I need to use an uninstaller tool for Adobe as well?

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No, but you can uninstall Adobe Reader and then do the following:

New Adobe Reader Installation:

  • Please click here to download the latest version of Adobe Reader.
  • Save this file to your desktop and run it to install the latest version of Adobe Reader.
  • Now open Adobe Reader by clicking Start>All Programs>Adobe Reader 9
  • Read and accept the License Terms and when Adobe Reader loads click Help at the top and select Check for Updates...
  • Install any updates that it finds, allowing it to close Adobe Reader if it requests to do so
  • Delete the installation file as it is no longer needed.

Let me know if it still shows it as being out of date.

Thanks :)

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:) Well, I followed your instructions to a T and still the patch fails to load. When I clicked 'check for updates' in Adobe it says the server is busy or something like that. So, I guess I'll just wait til the server comes back online or something....It says check my firewall or internet connection settings. I allowed adobe on my firewall and still nothing....*sigh*

Well, here is the autoruns file as you requested.

AutoRuns.zip

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You can temporarily disable Norton's firewall and then try again, there's a second program that Adobe actually uses to update so it may have been blocked, although it shouldn't have. It's still worth a try though as there is a necessary update you need to install. Once you get the patch successfully installed I'll proceed with disabling the unnecessary startups added by Reader as the patch will likely add them again and there's no point in killing the same startups twice :).

Please let me know when you've successfully updated.

Thanks :)

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Hello again,

I am at the end of my rope. I have disabled my firewall, reset my internet connection, and it fails to update.

Hmmm, I think I will wait a few hours than try again. Hopefully, if it is a server problem at Adobe's end they'll have it fixed in a few hours.

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Alright, so it has been a few hours and still Adobe fails to connect to its server. :) I tried repairing the installations, but it has yielded nothing. I got my girlfriend to try updating adobe and it worked fine for her so I'm fairly sure its not the server.

I downloaded Secunia PSI and scanned, and oddly enough, it said my adobe is up to date, but Google chrome isn't. So why am I getting contradictory results between the PSI and the OSI? Not being able to update Adobe, though not a huge deal, is a little bit of a security hazard.

What can be the cause of this? The exact version of adobe I'm running is 9.3.1. The OSI tells me I need is 9.3.1.203. Yet, like I said, the PSI reports nothing concerning Adobe....

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Adobe should be able to update, but since it's having issues for some reason on your system, there is an alternate method to make sure it's up to date. Just download the update from this link and install it, no need to remove Reader as this is just an update for your existing installation.

Once that's done, please post a new Autoruns log and I'll take a look and see what remains to be disabled :lol:.

Thanks :lol:

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Done and done. Seems to have gone in....

I have a question, you have been such a big help to me and have been endlessly patient, is there a way I can add points or something to you in the forum system? I went on your profile and wrote a quick comment and rated you, but if there is a point system here maybe I can give you extra points or whatnot.

Idk, I'm new here, but I don't think there is beyond that rating on your profile. Tis a pity.

AutoRuns.zip

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Done and done. Seems to have gone in....
Excellent, please check to see if Reader can contact the update server properly now, installing the patch may have corrected that issue as well (hopefully :lol:).
I have a question, you have been such a big help to me and have been endlessly patient, is there a way I can add points or something to you in the forum system? I went on your profile and wrote a quick comment and rated you, but if there is a point system here maybe I can give you extra points or whatnot.

Idk, I'm new here, but I don't think there is beyond that rating on your profile. Tis a pity.

No, I don't believe that there is. It's no big deal to me anyway honestly. I do what I do because I enjoy helping out, I learn from the experience, and it keeps my knowledge and skills sharpened as there's nothing like using what you know to keep the knowledge fresh in your mind :lol:.

Now, on to the next step:

Disable Autostart Entries Using Autoruns:

Please open Autoruns.exe again and allow it to perform its scan. Once it finishes please proceed with the following:

  • Click on the Logon tab and click the checkbox on the left side of each of the following so that they are unchecked:



    • Adobe Reader Speed Launcher

    [*]Once that is complete, restart your computer.

By the way, the BitComet Helper entry in IE that you disabled (I'm assuming you did so on your own :lol:) has returned. This means that Autoruns can't disable it because it will just recreate its entry if it gets disabled so you'll have to check BitComet's options to see if there's one available for removing/disabling the plugin or remove BitComet from your PC and if you wish to continue using it, reinstall it and see if there's an option while installing to have it not install the browser add-on.

After you're done with that last Autoruns entry let me know how the PC is running now. Your startup times should be much improved over what they were when we first started :D.

Thanks :D

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Done and done, yeah I noticed that IE bitcomet extension thing keeps coming back after I uncheck it. It seems that every time I open bitcomet it will install the extension. I don't really care about it as I rarely use IE.

And the Adobe fails to update still. I really don't know whats causing that. I guess it's not too big a deal. I'd like to fix it if i can, but whatever.

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If you wish, simply uninstall Adobe Reader and then do the following again:

New Adobe Reader Installation:

  • Please click here to download the latest version of Adobe Reader.
  • Save this file to your desktop and run it to install the latest version of Adobe Reader.
  • Now open Adobe Reader by clicking Start>All Programs>Adobe Reader 9
  • Read and accept the License Terms and when Adobe Reader loads click Help at the top and select Check for Updates...
  • Install any updates that it finds, allowing it to close Adobe Reader if it requests to do so
  • Delete the installation file as it is no longer needed.

Then try updating it again via the Help menu. If it doesn't work now then there could be an issue with its own update manager, but hopefully uninstalling/reinstalling will remove and replace the update manager along with it, if not we will need to delete it manually.

Please let me know if it works or not.

Thanks :lol:

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