Start up !

Try this:

<A HREF="http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml" target="_new">Startup Control Panel</A>

Toey

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<A HREF="http://forums.btvillarin.com/" target="_new"><b><font color=purple>BTVILLARIN.com</font color=purple></b></A> - <i><font color=orange>Your Computer Questions Answered</font color=orange></i>

I think that you'd be better off using the utility. Otherwise, you're looking at manually editing the Registry to remove items that load up with Windows, which is not something I'd consider advising someone to do if the user in question is really just getting started learning about computers and/or operating systems. The Registry is <i>highly</i> unforgiving of mistakes.

The utility has a "Deleted" tab, which stores items that have been removed, so if something goes wrong, you can access the tab and put the item back, even in Safe Mode. You can't do the same thing with the Registry unless you export a key before it is altered (or the whole Registry, for that matter.)

I may be a tech, and know how to edit the start up entries in the Registry, but I still normally use the utility, if nothing else just because this makes the whole scenario an easier, safer task. Small, well-written, freeware tools like this are nice additions to the technician's "arsenal".

In the meantime, you might find this link useful while on your search for knowledge:

<A HREF="http://www.winguides.com/registry/" target="_new">Registry Guide for Windows</A>

Toey

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<A HREF="http://forums.btvillarin.com/" target="_new"><b><font color=purple>BTVILLARIN.com</font color=purple></b></A> - <i><font color=orange>Your Computer Questions Answered</font color=orange></i>

More useful information:

<A HREF="http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.htm" target="_new">Startups - Contents</A>

Links connected to this web site, for instance, show that CmeSYS (CMEsys.exe) is a part of Gator advertising spyware, with removal instructions posted here:

<A HREF="http://www.pchell.com/support/gator.shtml" target="_new">Gator Removal Instructions and Help</A>

Hidserv is the Human Interface Device Server, and it is required if you are using USB Audio Devices.

GMT could be one of several things, like a GMT clock from Intellicast.com, or another aspect of Gator.

Ahqtb is part of the controls for a Creative sound card. It's function is available through the Start menu.

Qttask is for Apple's Quick Time Viewer, and is not needed to load at start up for the Viewer to function.

Prmt (prmt.exe) is NetRatings software by <A HREF="http://www.zyra.org.uk/opistat.htm" target="_new">Opistat</A>. A quote: "OpiStat measures Internet usage anonymously and surveys participants according to their profiles and online habits". This software has been reported to get downloaded and installed automatically after a Grokster install. It anonymously collects your use of the Internet protocols (sites visited, Web pages, advertisements seen, electronic commerce, streaming). To be avoided!"

In other words, from the list you posted, only Explorer, Systray, Point32, (and possibly Hidserv, depending on your hardware) are valid entries, and everything else can, and should be deleted.

Afterwards, I'd highly recommend installing a program to remove any and all <A HREF="http://www.spywareinfo.com/articles/spyware/" target="_new">spyware</A> that might still exist on the system, and use it regularly. My preference in software of this type is <A HREF="http://www.safer-networking.org/" target="_new">Spybot 1.2</A>. Use it carefully, and you'll find it to be an extremely useful, and important part of your normal system maintenance ... perhaps just as important, (IMHO), as manually running regular virus scans, and scanning/defragmenting the hard drive.

Toey

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I'll answer this one in sections:

IMHO, Gator is spyware that masquerades as a download manager. The biggest problem with software like this is how deeply it infiltrates the system (making removal somewhat difficult without causing damage), and that it can be badly written, which affects the stability of the system. The fact that it broadcasts personal information to a third party is almost a minor detail, compared to the first two aspects.

I'd remove it immediately, and consider using something else, like the paid version of Download Accelerator. Note that while most spyware removal tools will insist that this program is also spyware, this is only with the free version, and not with the complete, paid version of DAP Plus or DAP Premium.

Don't be fooled into believing that download managers increase the speed that files or programs can be downloaded. You are limited to the speed of your connection. A good Internet Proxy service might increase the speed of web browsing (even when downloading certain, popular files) due to server caching, but a download manager is basically for convenience, such as scheduling a download, or a series of downloads.

Due to exactly the same kind of things you've described, most power users who are running Win9x or WinME habitually format and reinstall the operating system once every year or so. Getting rid of orphaned files and Registry keys certainly makes a difference when talking about the speed and stability of the system.

However, I can't come right out and suggest you use the Recovery CD, because I don't know what kind of condition it might be in. If it's scratched or damaged in some way, unless you've got a licensed copy of your OS lying around, you'd be in a bad situation. If it works, great ... if not, I'd rather I wasn't the one responsible for your downtime!

In any case, if you feel a fresh start would be the best decision, be prepared to download all new drivers for your devices afterwards (such as the chipset), all the patches and hotfixes for the operating system, and any updates needed for your preferred programs. The Recovery Disk might give you a pristine system ... but it's also going to be two years out-of-date.

I'm going to send you a private message with some extra information you might find useful, if you intend to use the Recovery Disk.

See ya!

Toey

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