[Androgeos Exeunt]

Have you tried messing with services.msc?

[haloboy100]

Here's another problem. After hitting enter to go into the setup screen, It says that windows can not read my CD, even though it's practically spotless.

Oh great. There is a tiny bit of the edge of the film on the CD missing...looks like I'll have to find another one.

[Hellstryker]

Cole is right, do -NOT- copy any programs. You'll just FUBAR yourself further. Do a fresh install and don't end up like me and cole... 

[Androgeos Exeunt]

Also, don't go messing around with system applications like services.msc unless you really know what you're doing. Accessing system areas like PREFETCH or %appdata% can come in handy if you want to speed up your computer, but only if you know what to do.

An alternative is to try Process Explorer. It's a more complex version of Task Manager, but it might be useful if you want to disable some processes.

[Nuke]

one thing i always do when installing a pirated windows is write down the names of all the files that toss errors, then i find those files on the internet on another comp (virus scan them too just in case). immediately after the ascii part of the install, i reboot to something like freedos or slax and manually copy over those files. then reboot normally and complete the install. ive had luck replacing such files after the first logon, so it may be better just to do it after you boot for the first time. 99% of the time the operating system works perfectly after that.

once youre runnuing use reg cleaner to remove any startup items you dont want. of stuff there is really not neccisary to run every time. then edit your services and kill **** like terminal services, remote registry and secondary llogon. totally useless if you dont share your computer.

[colecampbell666]

Have you tried messing with services.msc?

Why would anyone do that?

Cole is right, do -NOT- copy any programs. You'll just FUBAR yourself further. Do a fresh install and don't end up like me and cole... 

Well it was actually my dad, thinking he was smart. He repaired Windows, and THEN copied the programs when they already existed twice on the HDD, taking up 3 times the space and royally screwing the PC.

[Jeff Vader]

Have you tried messing with services.msc?

Why would anyone do that?

There are useless things in there as well. Ad-Aware, for example, has (or at least has had) a bad habit of starting aawservice.exe without asking during booting. Crippling it from services.msc works.

[colecampbell666]

I've only ever used CCleaner to stop startup entries, I had no idea that you could do it in Services.msc. Cool.

[Hellstryker]

Have you tried messing with services.msc?

Why would anyone do that?

Cole is right, do -NOT- copy any programs. You'll just FUBAR yourself further. Do a fresh install and don't end up like me and cole... 

Well it was actually my dad, thinking he was smart. He repaired Windows, and THEN copied the programs when they already existed twice on the HDD, taking up 3 times the space and royally screwing the PC.

My dad is pretty dumb when it comes to computers but at least he listens to me 

[colecampbell666]

Mine thinks he knows everything, but he yielded after that incident, and after I saved him 700$+ by speeding this PC up.

[CP5670]

Have you tried messing with services.msc?

I go in there pretty frequently. XP doesn't have much extra crap by default (although a few things can be disabled), but many programs install their own unnecessary services these days, which become a huge source of bloat over time.

[haloboy100]

My computer experience is slightly above average at best. When it comes to system tweaking, I know next to nothing.

Funny, cause, everybody thinks I'm an expert, yet all I know is what is common knowledge on simple problems like installing printers.

[Androgeos Exeunt]

My computer experience is slightly above average at best. When it comes to system tweaking, I know next to nothing.

Funny, cause, everybody thinks I'm an expert, yet all I know is what is common knowledge on simple problems like installing printers.

I'm no expert either. I saw my neighbour messing around with services.msc, forgot all about it, then remembered when I got told off by Windows Update for turning it off in services.msc. I went in there a few days ago and disabled another process.

[MP-Ryan]

Another unrelated but handy tool for users of XP Pro:  gpedit.msc (The group policy editor).  Allows you to access Windows settings for all users on that PC which are ordinarily hidden or buried.