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Does your computer make you fall to sleep while it is booting? Does it seem to take forever before you can start working on your machine? If so, take heart. What I am about to describe to you will help you to make your computer start faster than ever before.

When your computer starts up, it must spend some time checking the hardware and loading software including the operating system. During this time many applications run configuration programs that start that particular program related to the configuration file. As more programs are installed, more time is needed to work with the configuration files associated with these programs.

Eventually, your system becomes sluggish. Think of it this way. You put on one shirt along with pants, socks, and shoes. You then add another shirt. Then another. What do you think will happen? You will soon feel a heavy load and will just drag your body around. Well, that's what happens to your computer.

A few adjustments to your settings will help to reduce the work load your system has to perform. Start by adjusting any inefficient settings and reduce the number of automatically launched applications. I am sure there are programs you really don't need that take up needless space on boot up. Think about it. Those applications eat system resources while running in the background.

I talked about adjusting settings in the previous paragraph. What places can I make the necessary adjustments. You can tweak your hardware and Windows.

Performance Counts

It's very important to set your hardware so it will operate at peak performance. The best way to do this is to change your settings in the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System).

Every BIOS system is designed differently. Even accessing the BIOS is different. So the words used here may not be what you may see. Generally, after turning on the computer, immediately look for a prompt to press a key (such as ESC or DEL) to enter the Setup, Configuration, or BIOS.

When a computer starts, the first that is checked is the RAM. Memory has undergone changes recently that allows it to work without breaking down. The PC can work without checking it now. Look in your BIOS for a setting named Memory Check or Memory Count and turn it off.

Another activity your PC performs as it boots is a POST (Power On Self Test) routine that checks the processor, memory, video, keyboard, and other devices. In some BIOS programs, you can speed up these tests. Look for a setting called Quick Start, Quick Boot, or Quick POST, and enable it.

Lastly, if you upgrade your computer hardware, you will notice faster boot ups. Newer motherboards and processors boot faster. The price of components have come down recently, so purchasing this type of hardware cheaply is possible. Also a fast hard drive helps to speed up the process of starting up.

Clean Windows Count

Don't tell me you don't do windows. I do as long as I have the right ingredients to make it clean easier. But I'm not talking about that type of window. I am talking about your operating system.

There are a number of adjustments you can make to speed up the loading of Windows. These adjustments can be done in Control Panel. Here are some of what you can do:

* Disable checking the floppy drive - When Windows 98/Me starts, it checks for a floppy drive every time. This is a waste of time and is not necessary. If you need to boot from your floppy for some reason, you can still do it before getting into windows because the floppy will still be in the BIOS.

From the Control Panel, select System, the Performance tab, the File System button, and the Floppy Disk tab. Uncheck the box next to Search For New Floppy Disk Drives Each Time Your Computer Starts.

* Disable CD auto insert notification - If auto insert notification is active for your CD drive, Windows will check for a CD on startup (and every time you insert a CD). If you are comfortable opening CD applications manually from My Computer or Explorer, disable this notification. Otherwise, it is another time waster.

From the Control Panel, select System, and the Device Manager tab. Double-click the CD-ROM icon and then double-click the CD-ROM model you are using. Click the Settings tab and uncheck Auto Insert Notification.

* Tune up your hard drive - Do you know the condition of your hard drive directly affects the performance of your system. If it takes a few extra seconds for your system to locate the operating system on your hard drive, that will slow things down, wouldn't it.

Therefore, the condition of your hard drive and file system is important. Regular maintenance should include scanning the hard disk, defragmenting the hard drive, deleting temp files, and emptying the Recycle Bin.

Fixing Your Applications

No matter if you believe it or not, there are many applications that are working in the background.  Some of these applications search for viruses or wait for incoming faxes, for instance. These applications are doing something worthwhile running in the background. However, there are those applications that just take up space and don't need to run in the background at all. One such program is AOL's tray icon. I took it out of my start up sequence and my system boots faster. AOL wasn't affected. It still loads and runs when I double-click the icon. So eliminate unnecessary applications from the startup process to improve your boot time.

Here are other changes you can make that will help speed up the boot process:

* Make changes from within - Go directly to the culprit. Try to disable an automatic startup setting from within an application. Sometimes, you can do this by right-clicking over an icon in the system tray and selecting Preferences or Settings if offered on the menu.

You may think selecting Exit or Close will close the application and allow the system to boot faster the next time around. Nope. That only affects the current Windows session. You will need to search through the application’s settings for a startup option that you can disable.

* Clean the Startup folder - Remove unnecessary applications from the Startup folder. Why have them startup when you don't need them running. Get rid of them by clicking Start, Programs, Startup, then right-click over the application and select Delete. You are only removing a shortcut, not the actual application file

* What's with that? - Some applications skip the Startup folder and insert a startup trigger in the Registry or other system files. Windows 98/Me users can use the System Configuration Utility to find these.

Click the Start button and choose Run. In the text box, type msconfig, and then click OK. When the utility opens, go to the Startup tab. Those applications with a check are launched automatically at startup. Uncheck an application by clicking the box next to it. Click OK when done and reboot your computer when you are prompted.

* Get the bugs out - You can stop virus protection programs from launching during startup, but they do perform a very useful, sometime critical, job. If you do take them out of the startup, consider scheduling a task to run a standard virus scan at least once a day. If your virus protection program does not have a feature for scheduling tasks, use the Windows scheduler. From the Start menu, select Accessories, System Tools, and Scheduled Tasks. Double-click Add Scheduled Task and follow the directions in the Schedule Task Wizard.

* Stop logging on - In a network environment logging on to Windows is necessary. But if you are a single user with a standalone computer, you don't need a log on prompt. So get rid of it. From the Control Panel, double-click Network, go to the Configuration tab and, in the Primary Network Logon box, click Windows Logon, and OK. When prompted to restart your computer, click No.
Go back to the Control Panel and double-click Passwords. On the Change Passwords tab, click Change Windows Password, select any of the checkboxes that you want, and click OK. Type your current Windows password in the Old Password box. Leave the New Password and Confirm New Password boxes blank, click OK, and OK again. On the User Profiles tab, make sure that the All Users Of This PC Use The Same Preferences And Desktop Settings option is selected, and then click Close. Once again, Windows will prompt you to reboot. Select No.

Click Start, Search (or Find), and choose For Files Or Folders. Type *.PWL in the Named (or Search For Files Or Folders Named) box; click Local Hard Drives in the Look In box, and then press ENTER or Search Now. Right-click each of the PWL files, one at a time, click Rename, and then change the extension (the characters after the dot) to something else, such as .bak. If you do not rename the PWL files, Windows may detect these password files and the Windows Logon request may continue to appear. Close the Search Results box and restart your computer.

* Quicker reboot - There are times when you may need to restart Windows for some reason. Windows 95/98 users can restart Windows without rebooting the entire system. Click Start, Shutdown and select Restart. Hold down the SHIFT key before you click OK and continue to hold it until you see "Windows is now restarting." This does not work for Windows Me.

The time factor involved in the above steps may be small, but every second counts when you are waiting to start working on that major project. Don't let a slow system do you in. Get on top of it now and you will have more piece of mind.

Harry Husted is a freelance writer and author.  His writing projects include ghostwriting, copywriting, web site content, and DTP.  His credits include articles for Internet Day, Internet World, Advertising Today, Advertising Age, L-Advertising, and a host of others. Harry is also an author of three books, Learn How to Repair Computers: Get Certified in 15 Weeks, How to Write Your Way to Millions, and How to Find and Start a Legitimate Home Business. He can be reached by sending email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit his site at http://www.creatingwords.com

This article is copyright (c) 2002 by Harry Husted, and may be reprinted in it's entirety as long as this byline and copyright statement is included.