Making easier use of the registry

December 6, 2007

Is there an easier way to manipulate the registry than I've been led

to believe.

In particular, I have start up programs that I' not using now but may

use next month. Their presence slows down startup (on my old slow

laptop that I just bought second-hand)

Rather than export and later have to import, I thought I could modify

t he value by putting soething in front of the program name.

In JCL for mainframes, IEFBR14 was a program that did nothing. Is

there anything like that for PCs.

For example, I have two wireless modems, each with its own software,

one for public hot spots, and a new one I had to buy for hotspots that

require a password. Level b vs. Level g.

But where I am living this month, one doesn't work at all and the

other one rarely does, so I have to plug into the cable directly.

Nonethess "primsta.exe Start" starts and loads every time I start up,

plus software for the other one two.

Rather than export the line in the registry that causes them to load,

I thought I could prefix them with something that would cause the rest

of the line also to not do anything, as if the rest of the line was

parameters for the first part.

dummy program primsta.exe Start

Any suggestions?

Thanks a lot

December 6, 2007

Re: Making easier use of the registry

mm wrote:

> Is there an easier way to manipulate the registry than I've been led

> to believe.

>

> In particular, I have start up programs that I' not using now but

> may use next month. Their presence slows down startup (on my old

> slow laptop that I just bought second-hand)

Start

Run

msconfig

Startup tab

Uncheck those you want to disable. None are needed for Windows, some

may be needed for any add on cards/hardware.

--

dadiOH

____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...

....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from

LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.

Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

December 6, 2007

Re: Making easier use of the registry

On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:12:01 -0500, mm <NOPSAMmm2005@bigfoot.coim> put

finger to keyboard and composed:

>Is there an easier way to manipulate the registry than I've been led

>to believe.

>

>In particular, I have start up programs that I' not using now but may

>use next month. Their presence slows down startup (on my old slow

>laptop that I just bought second-hand)

>

>Rather than export and later have to import, I thought I could modify

>t he value by putting soething in front of the program name.

>

>In JCL for mainframes, IEFBR14 was a program that did nothing. Is

>there anything like that for PCs.

>

>For example, I have two wireless modems, each with its own software,

>one for public hot spots, and a new one I had to buy for hotspots that

>require a password. Level b vs. Level g.

>

>But where I am living this month, one doesn't work at all and the

>other one rarely does, so I have to plug into the cable directly.

>

>Nonethess "primsta.exe Start" starts and loads every time I start up,

>plus software for the other one two.

>

>Rather than export the line in the registry that causes them to load,

>I thought I could prefix them with something that would cause the rest

>of the line also to not do anything, as if the rest of the line was

>parameters for the first part.

>

>dummy program primsta.exe Start

>

>Any suggestions?

>

>Thanks a lot

What I do in cases like yours is disable the respective entries in the

Run key in the registry via the Startup tab in msconfig.exe. I then

create a desktop shortcut which points to a .bat file containing the

aformentioned entries.

In your case the .bat file could look like this:

@echo off

choice Do you want to run primsta.exe

if not errorlevel 2 start /m path1\primsta.exe Start

choice Do you want to run program2

if not errorlevel 2 start /m path2\program2 arg1 arg2 ... argn

Alternatively you could have a separate shortcut and .bat file for

each program.

For a description of the options for the "start" command, type the

following at a DOS prompt:

start /?

- Franc Zabkar

--

Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

December 7, 2007

Re: Making easier use of the registry

On Thu, 6 Dec 2007 15:37:08 -0500, "dadiOH" <dadiOH@guesswhere.com>

wrote:

>mm wrote:

>> Is there an easier way to manipulate the registry than I've been led

>> to believe.

>>

>> In particular, I have start up programs that I' not using now but

>> may use next month. Their presence slows down startup (on my old

>> slow laptop that I just bought second-hand)

>

>Start

> Run

> msconfig

> Startup tab

That's great. Exactly what I need. I wasn't in the room when it

started up this time, but I'll bet it was a lot faster and I also have

more ram left now.

I wonder if I might have fewer problems with msg32 or msgsvr32, or

whatever it is called. It goes to "not responding" pretty often.

>Uncheck those you want to disable. None are needed for Windows, some

Not even rundll?

>may be needed for any add on cards/hardware.

Thanks a lot. This is great.

December 7, 2007

Re: Making easier use of the registry

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:13:10 +1100, Franc Zabkar

<fzabkar@iinternode.on.net> wrote:

>

>>For example, I have two wireless modems, each with its own software,

>>one for public hot spots, and a new one I had to buy for hotspots that

>>require a password. Level b vs. Level g.

>>

>>But where I am living this month, one doesn't work at all and the

>>other one rarely does, so I have to plug into the cable directly.

>>

>>Nonethess "primsta.exe Start" starts and loads every time I start up,

>>plus software for the other one two.

>>

>>Rather than export the line in the registry that causes them to load,

>>I thought I could prefix them with something that would cause the rest

>>of the line also to not do anything, as if the rest of the line was

>>parameters for the first part.

>>

>>dummy program primsta.exe Start

>>

>>Any suggestions?

>>

>>Thanks a lot

>

>What I do in cases like yours is disable the respective entries in the

>Run key in the registry via the Startup tab in msconfig.exe. I then

>create a desktop shortcut which points to a .bat file containing the

>aformentioned entries.

>

>In your case the .bat file could look like this:

>

> @echo off

> choice Do you want to run primsta.exe

> if not errorlevel 2 start /m path1\primsta.exe Start

> choice Do you want to run program2

> if not errorlevel 2 start /m path2\program2 arg1 arg2 ... argn

This is great. I didn't even know about the choice command.

>Alternatively you could have a separate shortcut and .bat file for

>each program.

>

>For a description of the options for the "start" command, type the

>following at a DOS prompt:

>

> start /?

I did this a few years ago but everything I learn drifted away.

This is great too. I signed up for another month living here, but

it's very cheap (3 guys to a room) and I can afford to go other places

while I have the room here. Probably the first night I'm somewhere

else, I'll steal your code and set it up like you have it.

Not every Run line in the registry, win.ini, or system.ini seems

suitable for Start or Run style execution, iirc???. At least they

don't end in exe** or any extension that I know. Am I off base here?

Should I find examples, or do you know what I mean?

**like my two wireless programs do.

Thanks a lot.

>- Franc Zabkar

>--

>Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

December 7, 2007

Re: Making easier use of the registry

While MSCONFIG is the proper tool for your needs, particularly if you are

constantly changing the startup profile, if you are only and regularly

switching from one fixed profile to another then a pair of REG files might

be more useful and efficient. If you want to go through the procedures, just

ask.

--

Gary S. Terhune

MS-MVP Shell/User

http://www.grystmill.com

"mm" <NOPSAMmm2005@bigfoot.coim> wrote in message

news:3r0il39vp1av1r4mr9krg1e63hesc9uhc7@4ax.com...

> On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:13:10 +1100, Franc Zabkar

> <fzabkar@iinternode.on.net> wrote:

>

>>

>>>For example, I have two wireless modems, each with its own software,

>>>one for public hot spots, and a new one I had to buy for hotspots that

>>>require a password. Level b vs. Level g.

>>>

>>>But where I am living this month, one doesn't work at all and the

>>>other one rarely does, so I have to plug into the cable directly.

>>>

>>>Nonethess "primsta.exe Start" starts and loads every time I start up,

>>>plus software for the other one two.

>>>

>>>Rather than export the line in the registry that causes them to load,

>>>I thought I could prefix them with something that would cause the rest

>>>of the line also to not do anything, as if the rest of the line was

>>>parameters for the first part.

>>>

>>>dummy program primsta.exe Start

>>>

>>>Any suggestions?

>>>

>>>Thanks a lot

>>

>>What I do in cases like yours is disable the respective entries in the

>>Run key in the registry via the Startup tab in msconfig.exe. I then

>>create a desktop shortcut which points to a .bat file containing the

>>aformentioned entries.

>>

>>In your case the .bat file could look like this:

>>

>> @echo off

>> choice Do you want to run primsta.exe

>> if not errorlevel 2 start /m path1\primsta.exe Start

>> choice Do you want to run program2

>> if not errorlevel 2 start /m path2\program2 arg1 arg2 ... argn

>

> This is great. I didn't even know about the choice command.

>

>>Alternatively you could have a separate shortcut and .bat file for

>>each program.

>>

>>For a description of the options for the "start" command, type the

>>following at a DOS prompt:

>>

>> start /?

>

> I did this a few years ago but everything I learn drifted away.

>

> This is great too. I signed up for another month living here, but

> it's very cheap (3 guys to a room) and I can afford to go other places

> while I have the room here. Probably the first night I'm somewhere

> else, I'll steal your code and set it up like you have it.

>

> Not every Run line in the registry, win.ini, or system.ini seems

> suitable for Start or Run style execution, iirc???. At least they

> don't end in exe** or any extension that I know. Am I off base here?

>

> Should I find examples, or do you know what I mean?

>

> **like my two wireless programs do.

>

> Thanks a lot.

>

>>- Franc Zabkar

>>--

>>Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

>

December 7, 2007

Re: Making easier use of the registry

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 03:32:27 -0500, mm <NOPSAMmm2005@bigfoot.coim> put

finger to keyboard and composed:

>Not every Run line in the registry, win.ini, or system.ini seems

>suitable for Start or Run style execution, iirc???. At least they

>don't end in exe** or any extension that I know. Am I off base here?

>

>Should I find examples, or do you know what I mean?

>

>**like my two wireless programs do.

I have dozens of disabled programs in my msconfig startup tab. All but

one are .exe files. The exception is a .pif which points to a .bat

file. This .pif is a shortcut in the "C:\WIN98SE\Start

Menu\Programs\StartUp" directory.

So, yes, a counterexample would be helpful. :-)

I haven't tested this, but if the Run key understands file

associations, eg if filename.doc launches Wordpad or some other app,

then try to expand that line in your .bat file, eg ...

start /m "C:\Program Files\Accessories\WORDPAD.EXE" filename.doc

Note that quotes are required if the filespec contains spaces.

BTW, I use my technique to launch my scanner software on demand

instead of having it run automatically at every boot. Ditto for my

camera software. I also have a way to prevent annoying applications

such as Real Player and Avast from automatically injecting themselves

into the registry's Run key. I do this by temporarily replacing the

offending EXEs with a do-nothing 2-byte dummy during the boot process.

- Franc Zabkar

--

Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

December 8, 2007

Re: Making easier use of the registry

Sorry to stick my nose in, but why wouldn't you want your AV (AVAST!) to run

at startup? I know it slows things down a bit but is it wise to risk a

virus by not having it running at all times? I always have AVAST! and ZA

firewall running. Not meant to criticize -- just curious.

============================================================================

================

"Franc Zabkar" <fzabkar@iinternode.on.net> wrote in message

news:1jcjl3tm8knmklbea4f7bt7frv3k2b8uks@4ax.com...