Registry Repair

With Windows 98, registry repair and optimization is very easy to accomplish, but is not well documented. In Windows 98 (but not Windows 95), Microsoft has built in a DOS utility that is explicitly intended to repair the registry. I strongly recommend that the following procedure be followed every week or two even if the computer seems to be functioning normally. If the computer is running sluggishly, or plagued with lockups or "fatal errors", this procedure may have to be done more frequently. With Windows 98, first go to START - PROGRAMS - ACCESSORIES - SYSTEM TOOLS - SCAN DISK and make sure that the hard drive is free of errors. Then click on START - SHUT DOWN - RESTART IN MS-DOS MODE. The computer should come up with a C: or C:\WINDOWS prompt, typically white type on a black screen. At the prompt type SCANREG /FIX (there is a space between the SCANREG and the /FIX) and hit the enter key. This is generally a very safe procedure, as Windows creates and keeps backup copies of the registry files. A blue screen should come on, showing the progress of the program. When completed, simply type WIN at the prompt, and Windows will reboot. Most users typically note an immediate improvement in starting and shutting down.

There are other SCANREG functions, which can be easily listed by repeating the steps above for running SCANREG, but by typing SCANREG /? (SCANREG with a space, then a slash question mark). Typical for Microsoft, there are features that are not even shown when the old DOS command "/?" which is supposed to show the options available. One useful option, not listed in most versions of Windows 98, is the "OPT" or "optimize" command. This is much faster than the "FIX" command, but only improves the registry for faster loading, but without repairing any errors. This is entered as SCANREG /OPT (SCANREG space slash OPT). All of the slashes referenced are the "forward slash", typically on the same key as the question mark.

The SCANREG command is missing in Windows 95, but Microsoft, and several third parties, have utilities that do somewhat the same function. Microsoft has a free download that works well with Windows 95, 98, and NT. I strongly recommend "RegClean", and run it on all of my computers every few days. While not as capable as SCANREG, it only takes a minute or two, and helps reduce errors and removes some obsolete data from the registry. This can be downloaded free directly from Microsoft by clicking here.

Once downloaded, run the EXE file, and the program will install itself. Periodically run the installed version of REGCLEAN and registry problems will be minimized.

There are also several third party products that will do similar tasks to SCANREG and REGCLEAN. Owners of recent versions of Norton Utilities, Data Becker's Power Cleaner, Iolo's System Mechanic, or McAfee Office Suite have a registry cleaner and repair utility included in their bundles. My personal shareware favorite for cleaning and backing up the registry is WinRescue. Separate versions for Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, and 2000 are available at http://superwin.com/rescue.htm. These shareware utilities, all of which have been awarded the highest quality ratings by many of the computer publications, can be lifesavers! In addition to cleaning the registry, they will also make multiple backup copies of the registry and other critical files, as well as a bootable floppy that can restore a damaged registry as well as BIOS and other critical settings. Able to restore what may otherwise appear to be a "dead" machine, this rescue floppy has saved me countless times. Another utility, recently released, is also available from the Superwin site above. It is RegVac, a shareware competitor to RegClean, but with many enhanced features not available in Microsoft's free product. RegVac works with Windows 95/98, NT, 2000, and ME. Some other shareware registry cleaners are available for download from: http://tucows.exp.net/regist95.html.

Speeding Up Your Pc - For Free!

There are several reasons why PCs appear to slow down over time, and it is not likely your imagination. One of the more common reasons for a slowing machine is the effect of new or updated software being installed. As more software is installed, chances are that some it will be auto-loaded when you first boot up your computer. This is because many programs want to give the user the convenience of quick loading their program, often to the detriment of the performance of all other programs.

Look, for example, at your "systray", the section on the edge of your computer screen adjacent to the clock. According to Microsoft, the purpose of the systray is to enable the user to easily monitor the performance of running programs. Many software publishers have taken advantage of the systray as a location to install icons by default, often in addition to the far more traditional (and efficient) desktop. If there are several icons there, in addition to your antivirus program (you DO have an anti-virus program properly installed, configured, running, and recently updated, correct?), a speaker icon, and the clock, then you likely have "kernels" (parts) or entire programs loaded and using up your precious resources. Sometimes there may be a whole string of icons in the systray. Programs such as WordPerfect (Corel) Suite can install perhaps a dozen icons adjacent to your clock. This is a likely indicator that your "system resources" may be in the act of being seriously depleted, which may adversely effect PC performance. Other common, but unnecessary icons in the systray are RealPlayer (a blue "balloon" shaped icon), AOL, Instant Messenger, schedulers, and Real Jukebox; there may be others there as well. These items should be loaded from a desktop icon or the start menu and run as needed, and not automatically loaded at startup. Schedulers may be convenient, but also take up valuable resources; run needed utilities at the users convenience, not as automatically scheduled.

Likewise, do you have a Microsoft Office or Lotus Suite startup bar across the top, or elsewhere on your screen? These are well documented to consume system resources. The loss in performance while running other software, caused by having these conveniences on the desktop, is not generally made up by any advantage in faster loading of the MS or WP utilities. Similarly, another MS utility installed by default with MS Office, is Fastfind. Theoretically, it should also speed the loading of Office documents and spreadsheets by keeping their locations in cache memory, but published performance figures also show that on most machines, any increase in loading speed is more than offset by reduced performance of most other software. Having excessive software loaded and running is the major cause of software conflicts, lockups, "fatal exceptions", and the infamous "blue screen of death".

In order to speed up the PC without spending any money, the user must make the internal operations of the computer faster and more efficient. Last week, we discussed repairing and optimizing the registry; that in itself can improve performance, but there is much more that should or must be done. The first simple task is to check the hard disk or disks for obvious errors. While there are many third party utilities that can perform this function efficiently (my personal favorite for Windows 95/98 is Norton Utilities Disk Doctor), the obvious first choice would be Microsoft's built in ScanDisk. This utility is found in the menu by START - PROGRAMS - ACCESSORIES - SYSTEM TOOLS - SCANDISK. By running ScanDisk, the hard drive(s) will be checked for errors. The quicker check is to use the "Standard" option (check the "Automatically fix errors box); the "Thorough" option is actually better, but takes much longer to run because it checks the entire hard drive for errors, not just the file systems. I recommend running the "Standard" check at least weekly, and the "Thorough" at least monthly. Many users will have problems with ScanDisk, in that it may try to run several times, but an error statement comes on the screen that may say something like "hard drive contents changed - restarting". If this happens more than a few times, or the progress of scanning the drive seems inordinately slow, then there may be running software programs impeding the progress of ScanDisk. If this happens, then it will be necessary to stop other programs from running. If a program is listed in the tray as running, try RIGHT clicking on it, and then left click on "close" or "exit". If this fails, then all at once hold down the CTRL-ALT-DELETE keys (referred to since ancient computer times as "the three finger salute") and a window will be opened in the middle of the screen. Click on any running program except systray or explorer, and then END TASK. Repeat until only systray and explorer are loaded, and then re-run ScanDisk. It should run much more quickly.

After running ScanDisk, immediately run DISK DEFRAGMENTER (commonly referred to as "DEFRAG"). This is found in the menu by START - PROGRAMS - ACCESSORIES - SYSTEM TOOLS - DISK DEFRAGMENTER.

Defrag speeds up the reading and writing of the hard drive by moving scattered pieces of data on the hard drive into a proper order and contiguous to each other within a file. This can have a substantial impact on improving performance. I do it weekly on my computers.

Most users successfully run Defrag without first running ScanDisk, and that is not typically a problem unless there are errors on the hard drive; click on the settings button and make sure that the "check for errors" box is checked. If the error about "disk contents changed" comes up, perform the CTRL-ALT-DELETE and END TASK running programs (except systray and explorer) as stated above. There are also several fine third party programs that can perform this function, often better than Defrag; again my personal favorite is Norton Speed Disk. After defragging, I suggest rebooting the computer.

It should also be noted that if the user has a Windows NT operating system, then there may not be any defragmentation software installed, because Microsoft chose not to include any. I have worked on many NT systems that are horribly fragmented, despite NT's excellent file system. Fortunately there are several third party utilities that can defragment NT systems, including some "freeware" programs, most of which work just fine. A listing of NT defragmentation programs can be found at: http://winfiles.cnet.com/apps/nt/disk-repair.html

Once the hard drive is free of errors, and defragmented, then the next step is to stop unwanted programs, like those listed in the beginning, from loading. The easiest step is RIGHT click on START then LEFT click on OPEN - PROGRAMS - STARTUP. If there are any programs there such as OSA (Office Startup Assistant) or FASTFIND, cut and paste the icons (shortcuts) to your desktop. That way they will be available if needed, but not automatically loaded at startup. Most other icons in the Start Up directory are likely not required either. Icons commonly in the Start Up directory that can be safely deleted are Real Player, Real Jukebox, a variety of instant messenger icons (AOL-IM, ICQ, etc.), AOL, and most others listed. Those that should remain untouched are your antivirus program and possibly a firewall (if listed), and any specialized drivers or utilities for non-standard mice, keyboards, or other hardware items. When in doubt, try cutting and pasting the icon in question to the desktop, and then rebooting the computer. If your computer appears to work fine, then leave the icons (at least initially) on the desktop. If something like a scanner or printer does not appear to function well, then cut and paste the appropriate icon back to the Start Up menu. If there is a Lotus Suite or WordPerfect Suite icon there, that can also be cut and pasted to the desktop. Reboot, and notice if the computer boots more quickly. It is also likely that along with improved performance, there will be fewer lockups and "fatal exceptions."

Surprisingly, it has also been documented that some screen savers can also degrade PC performance, even while not apparently loaded. The reason for this is that when a screen saver is set to go on at a specific time after a lack of keyboard activity; it therefore must monitor such activity and start and reset an internal timer almost continuously. This also consumes system resources, such as CPU cycles and memory, which can slightly degrade performance. With modern monitors and video cards, it is unlikely that images will be burned into a screen like what sometimes happened with older monochrome monitors. To disable screen savers, simply right click on an empty spot on the desktop; then left click on PROPERTIES - SCREEN SAVER - NONE. If a computer is not to be used for several hours or overnight, it is better to shut it down properly, rather than let it run. In addition to saving energy, it also closes temporary files, writes a revised registry, frees up resources, and clears the memory.

The final "free" step only applies to computers with Windows 98 or "ME" operating systems (third party software is available for other operating systems). Go to START - RUN - and type MSCONFIG and then click OK. This will open a window. On the bottom right of the window will be a button "Create Backup"; do it! Then, click on the STARTUP tab on the top right. This will open and show a series of check boxes. To stop any program from loading at boot, simply uncheck the appropriate box. Some of the items are necessary, and should be left checked. Scan Registry, System Tray, and your antivirus program are necessary; so are any specialized drivers or utilities for non-standard mice, keyboards, or other hardware. Almost all other items can be unchecked. Items that are not necessary, and should be unchecked are RealTray, RealPlayer, AOL, any instant messenger, "Load Power Profile" (this is not necessary on desktop computers unless saving energy is a high priority), schedulers, and most other items. Again any of the software unchecked here will only stop loading at boot, but will still be available via icon on the desktop or from the start menu. The empty check boxes remain, and can usually be re-checked at a later date if needed. Upon completion, click APPLY or OK, and reboot as needed. The system should load faster, run faster, and have fewer lockups and conflicts.

For Windows 95 and other operating systems (including 98, NT and ME), there are a variety of third party utilities, many of them free, which can also automate this function. My personal favorites are Iolo's System Mechanic http://www.iolo.com , Outertech's StartEd http://www.outertech.com, and RegCleaner (excellent freeware from Finland that cleans up both the startup files and the registry, as well as a bundle of other helpful utilities) http://www.vtoy.fi/jv16/. A directory of some other startup utilities is: http://winfiles.cnet.com/apps/98/startmenu.html.

Chances are you may have noticed that your PC seems more sluggish now, then when it was new; or you recently purchased a new PC with a fast processor, and lots of memory, but you feel that it should be faster than it appears to be now. In both instances, you are likely correct.

Many PC users use a screensaver; they can be cute, interesting, and even exciting. Surprisingly, it has also been documented that some screen savers can also degrade PC performance, even while not apparently loaded. The reason for this is that a screen saver is set to appear at a specific time after a lack of keyboard activity; it therefore must monitor such activity and start and reset an internal timer almost continuously. This also consumes system resources, such as CPU cycles and memory, which can slightly degrade performance. With modern monitors and video cards, it is unlikely that images will be burned into a screen like what sometimes happened with older monochrome monitors. To disable screen savers, simply right click on an empty spot on the desktop; then left click on PROPERTIES - SCREEN SAVER - NONE. If a computer is not to be used for several hours or overnight, it is better to shut it down properly, rather than let it run. In addition to saving energy, it also closes temporary files, writes a revised registry, frees up resources, and clears the memory.

The final "free" step only applies to computers with Windows 98 or "ME" operating systems (third party software is available for other operating systems). Go to START - RUN - and type MSCONFIG and then click OK. This will open a window. On the bottom right of the window will be a button "Create Backup"; do it! Then, click on the STARTUP tab on the top right. This will open and show a series of check boxes. To stop any program from loading at boot, simply uncheck the appropriate box. Some of the items are necessary, and should be left checked. Scan Registry, System Tray, and your antivirus program are necessary; so are any specialized drivers or utilities for non-standard mice, keyboards, or other hardware. Almost all other items can be unchecked. Items that are not necessary, and should be unchecked are RealTray, RealPlayer, AOL, any instant messenger, "Load Power Profile" (this is not necessary on desktop computers unless saving energy is a high priority), schedulers, and most other items. Again any of the software unchecked here will only stop loading at boot, but will still be available via icon on the desktop or from the start menu. The empty check boxes remain, and can usually be re-checked at a later date if needed. Upon completion, click APPLY or OK, and reboot as needed. The system should load faster, run faster, and have fewer lockups and conflicts.

Ira Wilsker is an Instructor IV of Management Development at Lamar Institute of Technology. Ira has been working with computers since 1965 when he took his first computer class at the Illinois Institute of Technology, in Chicago. A past president of the Golden Triangle PC Club, and a board member of the Association of PC Users Groups, Ira is a frequent guest on the local television news, and has lectured locally to internationally on a variety of computer topics ranging from computer and Internet basics, to CyberCrime, and Community Oriented Policing.

For more information on the Tulsa Computer Society click here