> In general terms you will gain little from changing the default settings
> of Services. A lot of system errors arise from users changing the default
> StartUp type because they fail to appreciate the complexity of the
> interdependent relationship between services. You will find changing
> applications from loading on start up to loading on demand a far more
> productive way to achieve better system performance.

I thought that was exactly what I was doing by changing a Service to Manual
or Disabled from Automatic. It changes applications from loading on start
up. Aren't we talking about the same thing? But I have read and
experienced that some Services will not start on Manual when prodded. They
need to be set to Automatic. Guess it's a trial and error thing.

>> I thought that if something is set to automatic it should be running
>> all the time. Yet I do remember in Services noting that is not
>> always the case. As I check now only 1 is not running: Computer
>> Browser. All others set to Automatic have started.
>
> Is your computer networked?

Nope. The computer is usually connected to a router (for the hardware
firewall) though.

> Computer Browser "maintains an updated list of computers on the network
> and supplies this list to computers designated as browsers. If this
> service is stopped, this list will not be updated or maintained. If this
> service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will fail
> to start.". Do you have any services dependent on Computer Browser? My
> computer is a Workstation, as many home computers are. Computer Browser is
> set to Automatic and is not running. My computer is error free and works
> as it should.

I wonder why, if set on Automatic, it has not started in both mine and your
situations? It's the only one of my "Automatic" Startup Types that has not
started.

>> I see. So I should do everything possible in Services or perhaps a
>> better program. What about stuff that doesn't appear in Services? Like
>> many installed programs. They often don't appear in Services
>> yet often appear in MSconfig's Startup section. If the program is
>> running unnecessarily in the background I want to kill it naturally. If
>> there is no option in the Preferences/Options of that program from
>> preventing it starting automatically when Windows boots up, what
>> should I do besides using MSconfig?
>>
>> And does anybody know of another program that is better than MSconfig?
>> Could it be called something like Tweak or Tweakui?
>
> To identify what loads when you boot use Autoruns (freeware from
> Microsoft).
> http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sys.../Autoruns.mspx

Yes - downloaded it already. Looks very comprehensive.

> With Autoruns you can uncheck an item, which disables it from
> starting,or you can right click an item and then delete it. If you
> uncheck you can recheck to re-enable the item. It is a much safer
> approach than editing the Registry and better than using msconfig..
> Another useful feature of the programme is that you can right click an
> item and select Search Online to get information about the item
> selected. Hope this helps.

Some great tips. Thanks a bunch. I bet this will help a lot of people too.
You cover some important points often overlooked. So many people upgrade
their CPU and ram not realizing they are carrying around so much dead weight
by having many programs running in the background dragging their speed down.
I do find though that I need to check Services and MSconfig (perhaps
Autoruns after I learn it) to see if any recently installed program has
elected to start on its own. So often they have needless stuff running in
the background. Sure it takes a little longer to start the program if its
set to Manual, but it's a small price to pay for a nimble and efficient
computer without the costs of exotic CPU's and huge amounts of the latest
DDR3 ram.