As a general rule, experienced Windows users (those who get cocky because they know what msconfig does) will already have a standard ritual pertaining to checking what's in their list of startup programs, to remove all those pesky things (like Adobe Updaters) which "we all know" are pointless. Anyone who's ever bought a new laptop (and didn't install Windows on your own) will be all too familiar with such nonsense.
A recent free program called Soluto offers this sort of thing that basically watches your system as it boots and provides a breakdown of who/what/where/and-why.
It seems to be aimed at grandmothers who need hand-holding for this sort of thing, but it does (if, for nothing else, as an amusement factor) offer a look at the time each startup program takes to do its thing - just in case you ever wondered how long your AV application is delaying your morning foray into searching for porn (12 seconds, as it turns out, for Kaspersky ).
Use Listary? 0.3 seconds. Classic Shell? 0.2 seconds. Thunderbird? 4 seconds. Et cetera.
It doesn't really offer any truly useful options (other than delaying certain items to idle rather than startup) but the timing function alone piqued my curiosity.
Cocky Windows Users Need Not Apply, but their mum's might like it.
An Amusing Twist to the Usual Windows Boot Time Rigmarole...
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I barely restart my PC, but when I have to, it's like a fuc ing ritual.
1. Wait for the BIOS to check 12GB of RAM, detect all 8 hard disks and other USB devices (this only happens after I turn ON the computer, not after a restart);
2. Input 62 characters long password before booting to Windows (to mount the encrypted system drive and the other drives as well);
3. Wait for Windows 7 to load as it disables and re-enables USB devices;
4. Wait at the password prompt for Windows to do its stuff until the hard disk activity indicators blinks no more;
5. Input the 30 characters password then wait for Windows to load the rest of the crap until it eats up to 20-30% of my RAM;
6. After it's settled, run macro to close various application windows, launch the rest of the applications, start a dozen server applications, mount 1GB RAM Disk for Firefox profile and cache;
7. Confirming Firefox startup, starting Winamp, mIRC, Yahoo, Skype, MSN and logging in;
8. redtube.com as a treat in the end.
Solute this, Soluto!
1. Wait for the BIOS to check 12GB of RAM, detect all 8 hard disks and other USB devices (this only happens after I turn ON the computer, not after a restart);
2. Input 62 characters long password before booting to Windows (to mount the encrypted system drive and the other drives as well);
3. Wait for Windows 7 to load as it disables and re-enables USB devices;
4. Wait at the password prompt for Windows to do its stuff until the hard disk activity indicators blinks no more;
5. Input the 30 characters password then wait for Windows to load the rest of the crap until it eats up to 20-30% of my RAM;
6. After it's settled, run macro to close various application windows, launch the rest of the applications, start a dozen server applications, mount 1GB RAM Disk for Firefox profile and cache;
7. Confirming Firefox startup, starting Winamp, mIRC, Yahoo, Skype, MSN and logging in;
8. redtube.com as a treat in the end.
Solute this, Soluto!