Program Management

This is always the temptation to cram as many programs as possible on to a hard disk, however this is one of the main reasons for a computer to slow down, create error messages, or even crash. Many of these programs and utilities load up into memory at start-up, or add lines of code to the computers start-up ini files and registry. Most programs seem to adopt the attitude of having first option on whatever computer resources they require. When another program has the same idea, or if Windows is unwilling or unable to comply, then there is a problem.

A good friend of mine purchased a computer system some five years ago when he installed all the main programs he needed to use and largely left it at that. It was interesting to see this computer recently ( especially as most computers of this age have been sold on by now ) and to see that this system was still performing very well. In fact he was still producing high quality graphics design work and the computer had been virtually trouble free since purchase. Now obviously a computer like this is the exception to the rule, however there are several points that can be followed to help reduce the problems associated with managing programs and also to make regularly used ones more accessible.

1) Removing unwanted programs – Always use the Add / Remove Programs applet in Control Panel to remove programs. If the program is not listed there click on the Start Button and look under Programs. Most programs come with several components and more often than not an uninstall feature is included that will completely clean all record of a programs existence from the hard disk. Failure to uninstall a program properly, or deleting it’s directory manually in Windows Explorer, will not remove all of the programs files from the hard disk and will not remove it’s entry in the ini files / registry. In short the computer will always hold files and information from that program which may impair it’s ability to search the system files and reduce the hard disks capacity.

2) Removing unwanted start-up error messages – Most versions of Windows come with a tool called sysedit. To access sysedit click on the Start bar select Run and type in sysedit. Sysedit contains the main start-up configuration files for your computer. Often error messages flashed up when Windows is started are related to lines of instructions in these files that are no longer valid. For instance the message “cannot load C:\oldprogram\utility.exe is likely to be caused by a line of instruction in one of the start-up files ( usually system.ini ) that says load c:\oldprogram\utility.exe. By removing this line ( or by inserting a ; in front of it ) the computer will no longer look for this file on start-up. Sysedit does have a find tool built in to it so it is possible to ask sysedit to find “utility.exe” directly, rather than manually searching through the system files. However do be very careful in sysedit as it is possible to cause additional problems if something important is changed or deleted. It is a good idea to make a copy of the file before you change it, or if you are in any doubt, to call in an expert to troubleshoot the problem for you.

3) Removing unwanted start-up error messages from the registry – If the above advice does not help to solve the problem, it may be that the problem is being caused by a code embedded in the registry. The registry is accessed on most versions of Windows by clicking on the Start bar, selecting Run and typing in regedit ( Windows NT also has a regedit32 editor ). Occasionally it is possible to search the registry for the key line of code causing the problem ( similar to sysedit ), however the registry is not as simple to edit as sysedit and it may be preferable to obtain expert help, rather than risk causing additional problems.

4) Removing fragments of programs from the programs folder – It is possible to clean up fragments of unwanted / un-installable programs by clicking on the Start bar, going to Settings and clicking on Taskbar & Start Menu. By clicking on the Start menu tab and Remove programs it is possible to delete surplus entries in the Start and Programs listing in your computer. However only use this feature when you have been unable to remove a program properly, as detailed in point 1.

5) Creating shortcuts on the desktop – From Windows 98 upwards it is possible to click on the Start bar, go to Programs, Right click on the program you want to create a shortcut for, Left click on Copy, go back to the desktop and then Right click and choose Paste shortcut. Right clicking on the desktop also gives you the option to choose New and Shortcut, which enables you to browse the hard disk to select a program shortcut. Alternatively many of the popular programs on your computer show when you select New. If you are creating a shortcut to a particular program, always right click on the new icon, select Properties and click on Read Only. It is frustrating to create a desktop shortcut for a blank copy of a program such as Microsoft Word and then find it always opens up a letter typed 6 months ago, which was accidentally saved over the shortcut Icon !

Please email support@ITCroydon.co.uk for questions or support on program management issues.