Free RAM Upgrade For Your Notebook, Tablet PC, or Desktop!

by Barry Doyle, Arizona USA

Free RAM Upgrade For Your Tablet PC, Notebook or Desktop!

Ok, don't get your screwdriver ready just yet. To free up this RAM all you will need isyour keyboard and/or mouse.

Chances are that if you have purchased your Notebook, Tablet PC, or Desktop PC from a major manufacturer, your machine is being "robbed" of RAM by theseveral uneccessary "startup" programs (many fromsoftware "partners" that your manufacturer has teamed up with)on your machine that you may or may not even know about.

What arediculous mess. Thanks Toshiba! Read further. We will fix this...

These "convenient" applications not onlysteal resources, but they also slow down your Notebook or Tablet PC and even waste precious battery life. When you are away from an ACoutlet and every minute counts, why should you put up with unnecessary programs accessing your hard drive, the internet andeating away at your precious battery life.

For example, many software and hardware manufacturers install "updaters" that will seek updates for your current hardware drivers and software automatically every time you connect to the web. Your hardware or software manufacturer wants to keep you up to date and "informed". How thoughtful! Gee thanks. Even better, this also allows many companies to delivera message to you that a "new" version is available (usually at a cost), but again how nice of them. Dare I say that there is a fine line between these pesky little programs and dreaded full-blown spyware.

PART II - Let's stop the madness and free upsome RAM!

(note:Do try this at home! As with any system alteration however, we recommend backing up important data and files prior to proceeding)

First things first. Hopefully you have put downyour screwdriver, stopped cursing me for getting you to read this for "free" RAMand are ready to explore a part of Windows that you may have not dared to have gone to before.

1. Click "Start", "Run..." and then type "msconfig" in the run box. Click on the "OK" button.

2. Welcome to the "System Configuration Utility". Next click on the "Startup" tab (highlighted in red) on our screenshot.

3. Now you can drag the "Command" lines to the right so you can reveal most of the paths that each of these programs originate from. Not sure what to check or uncheck? Never fear. Check out this great resource : http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php At this site, you will be able to search just about any of these "Startup Items" and find out all you need to know before disabling anything. If you cannot disable the item from the System Configuration Utility (sometimes even unchecking it doesn't work). Sysinfo.org will have further information on how to disable that particular item through the application's own preferences, etc.

Just uncheck the unneeded items and say "goodbye" on your next restart.

When finished, click "Apply", then "OK". You will next be prompted by Windows:

Go ahead and restart your system. Even without disabling applications outside of the System Configuration Utility, we were able to clean up our machine; theToshiba R15 satisfactorily:

By the way, it won't take over 10 hours to do this (note the system clock). We just had to take a lunch and dinner break before restarting! LOL

After completing the process, we noticed a quicker startup time and even zippier performance while running certain tasks. Even your CPU has to work harder when running extra instructions in the background. We hope that if you decide to optimize your startup, that you gain a boost too.

Good luck to all...

Barry

 

Or you can get rid of the entries permanently by going to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun

or

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun

and

Startup folder in Start > Programs

Delete all the unwanted entries [for me, everything]. Now when you go into msconfig, the list is blank.

Start > run > services.msc is a VERY VERY handy tool as well.

[l]ikwid.[f]uzion

 

This is possibly the best performance enhancing article for newbies. I also find this as a great way to find what spyware programs are loading up and starting (some dont quite until u turn them off here). Great job Barry.

Dell Inspiron 600m + PalmOne Tungsten T5 + Sony-Ericsson T616 = Mobile Computer Consultant and Website Designer

 

The title was misleading. lol

I actually thought there was a way to get more memory into your computer for free.

 

I ran the msconfig and every time i restarted i got the pop up box telling me that I made changes to the way windows started up. So then i reset it back the way I had it. Now my microsoft usb mouse does not work properly? is there any correlation to this? I keep hearing the new usb sound (the mouse works for a second and then it doesent) and get the pop up box saying that the usb device is not recognized??? could this have affected the mouse settings? I have tried everything I can think of with the mouse. uninstall re-install...etc. Please Help, this is very annoying! Thanks.

 

you may have disabled a program that is needed to be running for the mouse to work properly. The only things you really need to start up when windows loads is your virus scanner and possibly stuff to see your network connections.



Dell I6000d
1.86 ghz
1 gig 400mhz ram
80 gig HD
Intel Pro 2915 a/b/g Wireless
15.4 " WXGA
Ati X300 128 mb
Nec Dvd +- RW 6500A

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>services.msc is a VERY VERY handy tool as well.<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>Thanks for the registry tip. Here's a couple links for unneeded services.

http://www.sanx.org/tipShow.asp?articleRef=65

and

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

-David

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Delete all the unwanted entries [for me, everything]. Now when you go into msconfig, the list is blank.<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>removing all the realplayer stuff is like trying to get gum off the bottom of your shoes. What is it with these software programs that feel they must:

a. put an icon on your desktop
b. put an icon in your quicklaunch toolbar
c. put an icon in your tray
d. load themselves someway at every system restart

I have a new notebook and thought I should install quickime and real player just so they would be there if I run across a media item that requires them. I de-selected realsched in msconfig and real player put it back again. I went in real player prefs and deselected auto updates and that SEEMS to have done it, but real player has that message center that comes up at the most impromptu times. In setup I deselected everything there was to deselect, however I'm sure it will find some reason to pop up.

I went in the registry as stated in the previous message, but don't see a way to remove realsched from msconfig list. Real Player put a TON of registry entries in there. Does anyone know how to permanently remove realsched from msconfig?

-David