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Old January 15th, 2008, 12:54 AM
Miz's Avatar
Miz Miz is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2003
O/S: Windows 10 Home
Location: Kansas
Age: 78
Posts: 12,125
For the error message on startup about msconfig...that message is usually just to inform you of something you already know, that you've selected some things not to start up so Windows is using "selective startup." However, since it's also opening msconfig, it's likely you're trying to disable something Windows needs.

I always recommend that you first disable programs from loading on startup from within each program's Options/Settings/Preferences (whatever terminology each uses). Then use msconfig's Startup list only for those things that do not offer that option to disable. I disable anything from loading on startup that I know I don't always use. Those programs can always be opened from the Start Menu when I want it.

Second, don't uncheck anything in msconfig that you are not absolutely, 100% sure isn't needed on startup. When it doubt, leave it checked and do some research online on that specific item.

For a great chart on which Services (Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Services) to disable, which to set to Manual and which to set to Automatic, see Black Viper's site. Scroll down to the chart and use the settings in the "Safe" column.

No, you don't need both Online Armor and Window's firewall. With a router, I think Window's firewall is adequate. The main shortcoming of Window's firewall is that it doesn't monitor outbound traffic. That means if you do get some spyware and it is sending information back to its owners, the Window's firewall won't alert you.

If you want to uninstall Online Armor, whenever a program won't uninstall due to a "missing file," the first thing to try is reinstalling it over top of the current installation in the hopes the missing file will be replaced and then trying the uninstall again.

As far as what other programs to uninstall, if you've got everything you don't use disabled from loading on startup and you're not sure what to uninstall in Control Panel>Add or Remove Programs, just leave them installed. They'll just take up some space but they won't affect system performance just sitting there. As you learn more about what is what in that list, you can uninstall the ones you know you don't need.
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