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I’ve disabled or deleted most of the extraneous programs. The technician who installed Comcast was that Armenian vodka maker I mentioned earlier. The Comcast package is a hi-speed internet/basic cable combo. The maintenance has seen results; my PC runs smoother; it’s easier to go online. The blue background is not as big a problem as earlier. The startup is a tad slow for my taste and I don’t want to become too complacent (the “blue” problem came up again several days ago and I had to restart). Overall there has been considerable improvement. That issue with my floppy drive, I’ll post in another thread. Here is the BIOS info from Mainboard:

Here’s the BIOS Setup: CPU Speed: [1200 MHz]; CPU System Frequency Multiple: [12.0x]; System/PCI Frequency (MHz): [100/33]; System/SDRAM Frequency Ratio: [Auto]; CPU Vcore: [1.75 OV]

Here’s the CPU-Z. I ran a defrag program recently; the results are promising. I tried printing the FAQ instructions on adding attachments to my post (so I wouldn’t have to access the site all the time) but ran into difficulties. Are there any instructions on how to select and print the entire FAQ instruct rather than just the part on the screen? Greythings8

Well, I must admit these past two weeks have been a learning experience. I tried reading your reply the first time; I kind of got all crosseyed and such, losing myself in BIOS and MHz’s, so I decided to take a few days break, before tackling the answer again. I downloaded and ran the Cupid (seems better to pronounce than CPUID); wrote down the results. I read a few pages about BIOS from How BIOS Works and the instruction manual, plus page 20 (CPU Frequency Setting). Here’s what I get: the core speed is 1211MHz and the bus speed is 100.9MHz, which I take to mean that it is the default (ATHLON/DURON) setting, right? So that means that I have to reset it to PALOMINO, right? Now I haven’t read that far in the manual, but I’m assuming that I do the reset, after I turn on the computer and it passes POST, right? (Plus, considering that I’m having trouble with my floppy drive I can do the same in correcting that problem too, right?) Am I on the trail so far? Greythings8

Were the modern techniques present with my computer model? Greythings8

Doc, I agree with both you and Argus on your points taken, except for the on/off cycles bit.
Today’s modern etching and soldering techniques on PC boards have about eliminated that as potential problem.
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Ah! Another computer term I’ve never paid attention to until now. So! A faulty BIOS setting? What’s a BIOS? How do I fix it? Since I’m assuming 400 MHz is extra power, how do I crank the PC? Will it crank the electric bill? What about wear and tear? Greythings8

First: what’s defrag? Second: I’m hesitant to leave my PC on for too long (electric bill? wear and tear on the PC?). My PC’s second hand. The friend who gave it to me had given me another that didn’t work well because the previous owner used it 24/7. How many hours approximately? Greythings8

Shut down and restarted. The bootup went a little faster this time around. Not quite as fast as I wanted but within the limits of my patience. I’ll try again tonight. Fingers crossed twice. Greythings8

I just downloaded and ran CCleaner. I didn’t realize I had so much stuff. I never cleaned before; I just hope I didn’t clean out something I need. I’m going to shut down and restart the computer. Fingers crossed. Greythings8

Sigh! Just when I thought….. Weeell’p, I tried going online tonight; ran into the same problems. One half hour to finally get online. It has to be clutter; or maybe it’s the adapter (the installer couldn’t connect the cable to the PC so he brought an adapter). Anyone think I should do some more cleaning? Or is it that little thing at the back of my PC that connects the cable? Or should I resign myself to shutdowns and restarts? Or maybe take an ax to the whole thing and renounce technology altogether? Greythings8

I went through the list and disabled or deleted half of the items. I shut down and restarted the computer. It was still a little slow but the tentative results seemed better than the preceding week. I’m going to try again tonight. It got me thinking, though, about other clutter that might be interfering with my service. Maybe it’s long past time for some spring cleaning; but, as with the startup list, I have a hard time figuring out what to keep or trash, or even where to begin. Do you have any pointers? Oh by the way everyone, thanks for your help. I learned more about my PC in the past week than in the three years I’ve had it. Thanks again. Greythings8

Here is the file. Thanx. Greythings8

I can’t read that gibberish either. You need to put up a SCREENSHOT like mine so we can see what was on your screen when you ran the program. You don’t know how? The basics: Press the Print Screen key while the program is on the screen. Open a graphics program like Paint or whatever you have and, in a new picture window, press CTRL-V to paste in the image. Save that file as a JPG or PNG file.

Then read our FAQ ( [post=”759433″]Post 759433[/post] ) about how to upload it.

We can talk about cropping later.
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Dear Al. Sorry for the trust issues. I’m not too computer savvy so I’m not very familiar with cropping.
I ran the program and this is what came up. I decided to try the tried and true method of copy and paste.
I hope you can make sense of it; I hope I haven’t flooded your computer or something. Personally all this
gobbledygook makes me crosseyed. Greythings8

[codebox]
Adobe Reader Speed Launch Startup Folder -> Common “C:Program FilesAdobeAcrobat 7.0Readerreader_sl.exe” No Adobe Acrobat 7.1.0.2008042300 Adobe Acrobat SpeedLauncher Adobe Systems Incorporated C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersStart MenuProgramsStartup C:Program FilesAdobeAcrobat 7.0Readerreader_sl.exe
BtcMaestro Registry -> Machine Run “C:Program FilesHP Wireless KeyboardKMaestro.exe” No BTC Kmaestro 1, 0, 0, 0 KeyMaestro main program BTC HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun C:Program FilesHP Wireless KeyboardKMaestro.exe
C-Media Mixer Registry -> Machine Run Mixer.exe /startup No Mixer 1.46 Mixer C-Media Electronic Inc. (http://www.cmedia.com.tw) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun C:WINDOWSMixer.exe
CARPService Registry -> Machine Run carpserv.exe No SoftK56 Modem Driver 6.02.05 carpserv Conexant Systems, Inc. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun C:WINDOWSsystem32carpserv.exe
ccApp Registry -> Machine Run “C:Program FilesCommon FilesSymantec SharedccApp.exe” No Client and Host Security Platform 104.0.8.3 Symantec User Session Symantec Corporation HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun C:Program FilesCommon FilesSymantec SharedccApp.exe
ComcastAntispyClient Registry -> User Run “C:Program FilescomcasttbComcastSpywareScanComcastAntispy.exe” /hide No 2.3.0.98 HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun C:Program FilescomcasttbComcastSpywareScanComcastAntispy.exe
iTunesHelper Registry -> Machine Run “C:Program FilesiTunesiTunesHelper.exe” No iTunes 6.0.5.20 iTunesHelper Module Apple Computer, Inc. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun C:Program FilesiTunesiTunesHelper.exe
MSMSGS Registry -> User Run “C:Program FilesMessengermsmsgs.exe” /background No Messenger 4.7.3001 Windows Messenger Microsoft Corporation HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun C:Program FilesMessengermsmsgs.exe
NeroFilterCheck Registry -> Machine Run C:WINDOWSsystem32NeroCheck.exe No Ahead Software Gmbh NeroCheck 1, 0, 0, 2 NeroCheck Ahead Software Gmbh HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun C:WINDOWSsystem32NeroCheck.exe
OpenOffice.org 2.0 Startup Folder -> User “C:Program FilesOpenOffice.org 2.0programquickstart.exe” No C:Documents and SettingsTonyStart MenuProgramsStartup C:Program FilesOpenOffice.org 2.0programquickstart.exe
QuickTime Task Registry -> Machine Run “C:Program FilesQuickTimeqttask.exe” -atboottime No QuickTime 7.1 QuickTime Task Apple Computer, Inc. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun C:Program FilesQuickTimeqttask.exe
SMC Registry -> Machine Run C:SMCSMC.exe No HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun C:SMCSMC.exe
swg Registry -> User Run C:Program FilesGoogleGoogleToolbarNotifierGoogleToolbarNotifier.exe No GoogleToolbarNotifier 4, 1, 509, 1944 GoogleToolbarNotifier Google Inc. HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun C:Program FilesGoogleGoogleToolbarNotifierGoogleToolbarNotifier.exe
Universal Installer Registry -> User Run “C:Program FilesComcastUIUniversal Installeruinstaller.exe” /fromrun /starthidden No SupportSoft Container 6,8,726,0 SupportSoft Container SupportSoft, Inc. HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun C:Program FilesComcastUIUniversal Installeruinstaller.exe
vptray Registry -> Machine Run C:PROGRA~1SYMANT~1SYMANT~2VPTray.exe No Symantec AntiVirus 10.1.4.4000 Symantec AntiVirus Symantec Corporation HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun C:PROGRA~1SYMANT~1SYMANT~2VPTray.exe
Windows Defender Registry -> Machine Run “C:Program FilesWindows DefenderMSASCui.exe” -hide No Windows Defender 1.1.1593.0 Windows Defender User Interface Microsoft Corporation HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun C:Program FilesWindows DefenderMSASCui.exe
[/codebox]

OK, let’s try finding out what’s running at startup to see what can or should be eliminated.

I happen to like a utility that was mentioned fairly recently here in The Lounge because of its simplicity:
WhatInStartup – Disable/enable/delete programs running at Windows startup

At the same time, if you’re more detail oriented, the the ever popular Autoruns for Windows. It IS a complex program,
so I’d recommend starting with the first one above to see. If you like, you could make a cropped
screenshot like the following to let “expert” Loungers make suggestions, if possible.
(the attached is only a partial screenshot.)

Apologies to Al and others. I’m new to this forum; I don’t use these programs often; and years of listening to horror stories about computers has left me hypercautious. OK! OK! I’ll run the darn program!

A: pay attention to the advice you’ve been give re quoting That is prune the quotes down, I’m sure we didn’t need another copy of Al’s startup screenshot.

B: I don’t believe Al would have suggested a Program that was going to destroy your computer. If you’re looking for help in this forum, you’ve got to learn to trust us. We’re good people. Honest

C: If you don’t trust a program don’t download it. A well-meaning (but ignorant) third party might see it and think “ooh I’ll run this…”
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My PC has Windows Defender, Symantec AntiVirus, and Symantec Client Firewall. I’ve had them awhile. So far as I can tell, these are the only ones. Greythings8

Also check to see if McAfee was installed?

What Anti virus and firewall progarms did you have installed, before Comcast?