BIOS Blues

[Griffin NoName]

One thing you can do, is google "What is" followed by the file/service/thingy that you don't know what it is.

Yes, I know this trick - (but quite often they tell you stuff is malware, when it isn't.)

I dumped iTunes a while ago. When I installed Myst !! (incompatible versions of Quicktime).

Oh what fun this is.

[Griffin NoName]

Zono - ran HiJackThis. Attached.

Few things running that I don't need to be, but nothing leaps out at me as a problem. Although at present I feel like I wouldn't recognize a bad process if it came up and tapped me on the nose.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Just from reading various web blog stuff about slow-downs, and the solutions others have found?

Here's a couple of possibilities:

C:\Program Files\TuneUp Utilities 2010\TuneUpUtilitiesApp32.exe <<-- once you've run this, I'd un-install it, no need to keep it going, I would think

C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager\IAAnotif.exe <<-- you don't need this going unless you have a RAID (multiple hard disk) assembly-- which I doubt you do.  Let Windoze generic processes handle your disks-- a simple un-install, then reboot ought to do the trick (in getting Windoze to take over).

C:\Program Files\Google\Google Desktop Search\GoogleDesktop.exe  <<-- looks like you have 2 instances of this-- only need one.
C:\Program Files\Google\Google Desktop Search\GoogleDesktop.exe

C:\Program Files\Sony\VAIO Update 5\VAIOUpdt.exe <--- this ought to be run only once, then stop?  It would seem so to me.  I'd try disabling it-- you can always re-enable it again later.

C:\Program Files\Google\Google Toolbar\GoogleToolbarUser_32.exe <<-- toolbars-- ANY toolbars are notorious for hogging resources.    

Down lower, you have this hog (as are all Adobe products:  a hog)
O23 - Service: Adobe Flash Player Update Service (AdobeFlashPlayerUpdateSvc) - Adobe Systems Incorporated - C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\FlashPlayerUpdateService.exe
This should be changed to MANUAL, not automatic

And this is not needed-- again, you do not have a matrix-- you have ONE drive handling your Windoze tasks.  Adding a 2nd drive?  You still don't need it-- no RAID, remember?
O23 - Service: Intel(R) Matrix Storage Event Monitor (IAANTMON) - Intel Corporation - C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager\IAANTMon.exe
The easiest is to open SERVICES and make it stop, then set it to DISABLED.  How?  Open control panel, click HELP and search for SERVICES, and it'll have a link.  I don't remember exactly how under XP, sorry.

Edit by Bluenose
For XP, (this works on Vista and Windows 7 too) Right-click on My Computer (Computer on Vista/Win7) select Manage.  Expand Services and applications, then click on Services.

This one does not appear to be needed either, according to this link
O23 - Service: NSUService - Sony Corporation - C:\Program Files\Sony\Network Utility\NSUService.exe

Again, this ought to not be needed, once it's done it's work (that it has two entries is troublesome)
O23 - Service: @C:\Program Files\TuneUp Utilities 2010\TuneUpDefragService.exe,-1 (TuneUp.Defrag) - TuneUp Software - C:\Program Files\TuneUp Utilities 2010\TuneUpDefragService.exe
O23 - Service: TuneUp Utilities Service (TuneUp.UtilitiesSvc) - TuneUp Software - C:\Program Files\TuneUp Utilities 2010\TuneUpUtilitiesService32.exe

These are redundant, as there are perfectly good Windoze processes that do the same thing:
O23 - Service: VAIO Event Service - Sony Corporation - C:\Program Files\Sony\VAIO Event Service\VESMgr.exe
O23 - Service: VAIO Power Management - Sony Corporation - C:\Program Files\Sony\VAIO Power Management\SPMService.exe
O23 - Service: VUAgent - Sony Corporation - C:\Program Files\Sony\VAIO Update Common\VUAgent.exe
However, I would not disable all three at once-- disable one, reboot, let windoze trundle a bit, then see.  And so on.

----------------

Bottom line?  You can always go to SAFE MODE to fiddle with some of these things, or to re-enable something you've disabled (but want to put back).

How?  When Windoze is doing its startup?  (that black & white screen or nearly all black screen) press F8 for boot options-- one will be SAFE MODE.   In there you can also find a roll-back, which can undo certain of your changes too.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

I'll post this separate, for emphasis.

I have found this site useful, at figuring out what stuff is doing

http://www.file.net/process/index.html

[Bluenose]

Hi Bob, good advice.  I edited your post with the instructions for finding services in XP

[Griffin NoName]

Thanks Bob. I suspect some improvement by taking out most the ones noted.

TuneUp Utilities I only loaded yesterday to optimize and clean registry - was slightly effective. It has two instances as the second one is needed if you do a defrag (I'n not use TUP for that), though why it needs to load at startup and not just when user opts for it puzzles me, lazy coding. Anyway, I don't normally have Tune Up running at all.

I do know how to do system set ups, and safe mode, and everything like that my kids got cross as I put a password on booting tee hee. . I used to have to set up clients systems. I have some registry skills,

That site is ok, I've come across it before, don't find it very easy to see what I want, all too closee together and tiny, cramped. Typical of code writers ..... can't think how many times one has to impress your code can be brilliant but if the interface with what the client sees on the screen is not equally good, they won't buy the product. Am having one such row at present. I prefer typing process name and "what is" into google.

I sometimes use msconfig  as I can fiddle with Services and StartUp group.

Anyway, big big thank you. Will give feedback as and when.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Thanks blue.

And sorry to presume Griffin-- I'm so used to people saying "hunh?" when you even mention either registry or services.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

The first thing that jumped out of your log (which BTW looks quite decent all things considered) is Norton. I know some people will swear by it but I personally think it is one of the worse system hogs you can have.

[Griffin NoName]

S'ok Bob, IT was my career for near on 40 years. So it'd be odd if I hadn't picked up some PC stuff  (tho my real interest was systems - large ones - Oracle). And before that smaller ones. Databases. And before that machine code.

Yes, Norton is bloated. But it didn't slow the machine down much when first installed = that's only happened as more and more processes seem to get added into startup. I reckon "startup NO" should be the default for all programs, but they all seem to think the default is "Startup YES".

[Roland Deschain]

Good thread. Thanks for all the nice utilities and advice. I clean up my registry every so often (usually only after lots of files/programmes are added/removed), and scan regularly with AVG and Spybot (which also has a nice startup programme utility), so don't see as much slowdown as I did when new to the PC world.

Those start-up defaults...grrrrrrrrr. Luckily, I know how to stop them, and have a few options on that. PCs are such organic things, especially when using Windows, that you really do need to learn a thing or two once you take the plunge. Only once have I ever taken a PC to a repair shop, and that was over a sound driver not installing properly, but since then I learned what to do (it was years ago, now).