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Archive 2014 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???

  
 
RustyBug
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


Running Windows 7 Pro on a T430s ( i7 / 16GB / 180 SSD) and my keyboard power button locked up, so I'm tethered to the docking station till I get a new keyboard.

Broke out the old T60 (1.83 Duo / 4GB / 120 SSD) with Vista for surfing duties away from the dock.

I had noticed that the resume from sleep on the T430s had been getting slower and slower over time. I picked up the T60 and it is significantly quicker to come back from sleep than the T430s.


So ... my question is what/how do I configure the LEANEST Windows OS to run PS and MS Office. My pref had been XP, but those days are long gone. For various reasons ... don't suggest Mac, it's not going to happen.

I'm reasonably comfortable with tech, but the bevy of registry programs and alphabet soup names leaves me not knowing what I really need vs. what I can toss. As others probably have experienced also ... it seems to grow of its own accord at times.

Win 8 and I didn't get along @ interface ... I'm touch typer / keyboarder, not a touch screen user and I tend to think in hierarchy of Windows classic, not new gen circular apps.

Bottom line ... I just want "lean & mean" ... not bells & whistles hogs.

Suggestions how to set it up ... or is there someplace / someone who truly specializes in a good set up for Windows / PS. I could get a new SSD and have it done right by someone who REALLY knows what they are doing.

Suggestions / thoughts



Nov 30, 2014 at 11:14 AM
Ian.Dobinson
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


its been a while since I windozed properly (that mac change is way better than you imagine ) but it may well be worth going into the msconfig screen and stopping all those lumps of bloatware from starting up at boot .

just uptick everything thats not needed and see how much faster things boot up .

Boot time is one (probably the only) thing i like about win 8 on my surface pro . it does boot up way faster than previous .




Nov 30, 2014 at 11:21 AM
RustyBug
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


Too many things that Mac doesn't jive with me ... like glossy screens and no internal CD/DVD reader, etc. The whole Mac/PC thing falls apart right there for me as those are MUST haves for me (other business needs). I don't even make it to the "better" stuff before I'm out of the conversation.

Anyway, +1 @ msconfig / lumps / bloatware / uptick not needed. I just don't know how to discern what I can kill vs. should keep. Is there a reference somewhere that I should be aware of?

I was boot/wake just fine at first, but it grew in a way that really surprised me how bad it is when I got forced to pick up Vista again.




Nov 30, 2014 at 11:55 AM
Eyeball
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


A slow recovery from sleep doesn't sound like necessarily a bloatware/boot-time issue. A wake from normal sleep should be nearly instantaneous. A hybrid sleep or hibernate will depend more on you disk spin-up time and speed and even then with your SSD, that should be very fast.

I suggest you take a look at the logs in the Event Viewer after a boot or wake from sleep to see if there are errors or warnings that may lead you to the problem - things like broken or missing drivers that may be trying to start up and then timing out, etc..
Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Event Viewer> Windows Logs

In terms of what services and programs you can safely disable or put into manual mode, Black Viper's site has always been a good reference:

http://www.blackviper.com/

Honestly though, I suggest being pretty conservative in disabling services. What can happen is that you disable something you don't need today and then sometime in the future you need it and can't figure out why it isn't working.

There are also alternatives to MSConfig that can be a little more user-friendly and informative. AutoRuns is one example:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

I use one from PC Magazine called Startup Cop Pro:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2403509,00.asp

One last thought: 180gb is pretty small for a boot drive if you have quite a bit of software installed like PS and such. Check how much empty space you're running as that might cause slow-downs, even with your SSD.



Nov 30, 2014 at 12:21 PM
RustyBug
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


Thanks Dennis,

Hmmm @ empty space.

I am starting to fill up with files a bit ... haven't set up my 2nd hard drive yet (another reason for no Mac) for file storage.

+1 @ conservative to program removal (especially if unsure )

I'll check out the links. Thanks.

Also @ SSD, is defrag a no-no ... I've read that you should NOT defrag an SSD, so I haven't.



Nov 30, 2014 at 12:38 PM
Eyeball
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


Defrag is not necessary with SSD and, while probably not a huge deal if you happened to do it once in a white, will shorten the life of the drive by some small amount due to the extra writes.

Here are some additional SSD tips:
http://www.howtogeek.com/165472/6-things-you-shouldnt-do-with-solid-state-drives/



Nov 30, 2014 at 02:25 PM
RustyBug
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


Thanks Dennis,

Taking a look at adding mSATA ... should give me some "wiggle room" to offload things a bit, yet still have them available.

Trying to decide between a faster new-gen 256GB vs. a larger 480GB. That would give me a total of 436GB or 660GB (combined with OEM Intel 180GB in the primary).



Dec 02, 2014 at 12:17 PM
Skirball
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


Not trying to fan the flames of the Mac/PC war, but with Windows I really recommend reinstalling every 2 years or so. It'll seem like a new computer.

No, I don't actually do it myself on schedule (heh), but every time I do I'm amazed at how much better it runs. And then I always swear that I'm going to do it regularly. I recently had a disk crash and had to reinstall everything and my laptop flies now. Reinstalling everything is a PIA, but for one nights work I basically have a new machine.



Dec 02, 2014 at 01:44 PM
amacal1
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


Windows 8.1 is lean and mean. If you didn't like Win 8, try 8.1, but remember to customize it a little bit. The end result will be that the Start "screen" becomes nothing more than a full screen Start menu. When Windows 10 comes out, it will likely be a free (or at least cheaply priced) upgrade that will cure all of the ill will that 8 created.


Dec 02, 2014 at 02:06 PM
Alan321
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


Whatever you do, I suggest that you get a fresh copy of the operating system that you select and install it from scratch. Get the latest version that needs the least amount of updating to be current. You can use an OEM version to save money so long as you can format a hard drive for it to use.

I started with 8, upgraded to 8 pro, upgraded to 8.1 pro, and then had an unstable laptop that eventually went completely FUBAR. There had been so many problems with the USB 3 system that at least two generations of clone backups were unusable by the time I needed them and/or were damaged when I connected them. I've had heaps of computer problems over the decades but none as gradual and yet as devastating as this experience. Luckily, (no not luckily - it was actually quite deliberate) I had even more data backups than OS backups and so I lost nothing but heaps of time and probably some hair and a bit of sanity

So far the clean install is ok except that I am locked out of the "BIOS" for reasons unknown, but I'm back to using my MacBook Pro as the primary computer.

- Alan



Dec 14, 2014 at 03:24 AM
RustyBug
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


Thanks,

I'm probably going to be getting a 480 or 512 SSD (Santa thinks I've been good this year , so a clean install will be in the future. I just wish I knew how to do the LEANEST install possible, and keep it LEAN.



Dec 14, 2014 at 12:57 PM
EB-1
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


Keep the boot partition separate from data and use a disk imaging program to back and restore it. Some business class laptops have less junk installed. However, one can have massive amounts of apps installed and still have a very fast system. It's easier to troubleshoot from a clean installation - that's for sure. Just make sure to DL all the drivers from the website first. Do you know how to slipstream?

EBH



Dec 14, 2014 at 01:27 PM
butchM
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


Skirball wrote:
Not trying to fan the flames of the Mac/PC war, but with Windows I really recommend reinstalling every 2 years or so. It'll seem like a new computer.

No, I don't actually do it myself on schedule (heh), but every time I do I'm amazed at how much better it runs. And then I always swear that I'm going to do it regularly. I recently had a disk crash and had to reinstall everything and my laptop flies now. Reinstalling everything is a PIA, but for one nights work I basically have a new machine.


That is pretty much true of any advanced OS ... every user, no matter how cautious and well-meaning, seems to collect a lot of cruft and unwanted clutter over time. A fresh install can be equated with a large dose of spring cleaning.

@Rusty ... I too, was taken aback when Apple dropped optical drives as standard equipment ... I must say though, most of my clients prefer a direct digital download of their files or USB thumb drives ... both methods are far superior in moving large amounts of data to customers quickly, not to mention the time savings burning CD/DVD copies ...

Optical disks went out of the picture as a secondary backup system once I started using 16GB CF and SDHC cards ...

Much like when Jobs eliminated the floppy drive as standard equipment ... These days, I rarely find the need to use CD/DVD ... who knew?

Not to mention, over the past 15 years or so, the only hardware issues I have experienced have been with optical drives. It seems the fewer moving parts, the better.



Dec 14, 2014 at 01:38 PM
RustyBug
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


+1 @ the role of the CD/DVD is reduced these days ... BUT, having the CD bay means I've got the bay to put in a HARD DRIVE for back-up / storage / transfer as well as the utility of CD/DVD (or extra battery) whenever desired. I'll actually have TWO installed drives (likely 512 each for a total of 1GB) AND one removable of any size I so choose and 16GB memory. That's just not a configuration I could put together with the Mac from what I could tell.

I gave a good look at the Mac, but I didn't care for the glossy screen, nor did I care for the keyboard, nor the edge profile where my palms hit. Diff strokes for diff folks, so I'm not bashing the Mac ... just not for me (the Mrs. digs her I-Pad, I-Phone, I-Pod).

Again, not bashing or saying Windows is better, per se ... just that Mac didn't have what I was looking for. I've got the hardware side of things pretty well figured out to how I want them to be ... now if I could just get the OS there ( I miss XP ).



Dec 14, 2014 at 03:05 PM
RustyBug
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


slipstream


Dec 14, 2014 at 09:20 PM
EB-1
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


RustyBug wrote:
slipstream


In that case I don't recommend it.
You'll probably be fine with drivers downloaded and installed separately.

I also use a laptop with a removable optical bay. It's a discontinued model now, but at 3lb. and 12" was the smallest at the time that accepted a full-sized (2.5" x 9.5mm) drive both internally and in the optical bay. I usually run a 1TB SSD internally and 2TB HDD in the bay, but it can be switched to 2x2TB HDDs or 2x1TB SSDs rather easily.

EBH



Dec 14, 2014 at 09:50 PM
RustyBug
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


I found the problem ...

Seems there is more than one (Windows & Lenovo) of those energy management programs installed ... I had made the tweaks in the Windows program, but never adjusted the Lenovo settings that somehow were set for a lot of energy saving / performance reducing options. The Lenovo program has quite a few more options than Windows. I made some adjustments to the Lenovo version and things seem to be much improved.

Oh well, it served as the impetus to pull the trigger on the new SSD's.



Dec 15, 2014 at 07:31 PM
aubsxc
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???




EB-1 wrote:
Keep the boot partition separate from data and use a disk imaging program to back and restore it. Some business class laptops have less junk installed. However, one can have massive amounts of apps installed and still have a very fast system. It's easier to troubleshoot from a clean installation - that's for sure. Just make sure to DL all the drivers from the website first. Do you know how to slipstream?

EBH


Slipstreaming drivers and OS updates into the install image is a good solution if you are building multiple systems with identical hardware at the same time. It's a waste of time and energy if you are only doing it once.



Dec 15, 2014 at 08:56 PM
Alan321
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


RustyBug wrote:
Thanks,

I'm probably going to be getting a 480 or 512 SSD (Santa thinks I've been good this year , so a clean install will be in the future. I just wish I knew how to do the LEANEST install possible, and keep it LEAN.


Just stop using it ! Works for me
Conversely, the more I use my computers the more often and more severely they fail.

Serious advice: avoid OS upgrades. If you really need a newer OS then install it from scratch after making multiple suitable backups and wiping the old drive. My recent experience reinforces that upgrades are more prone to problems than fresh installs, and that the greater expense and time required to buy a whole new OS and get everything installed again is well worth the savings in time and pain that result from a flaky computer that can't decide whether to die quickly or slowly. Merciful is a very sudden and complete failure.

On the other hand, it can take weeks to get most of your s/w set up again, and months to get it all set up. Some utilities are used so rarely that you never think of them until you need them.

- Alan



Dec 19, 2014 at 05:46 AM
RustyBug
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Streamlined Laptop ... ???


Alan,

Actually, now that I found the problem @ "dual" power management programs, I'm good to go with Win 7 running fine. Heck, it is "awake" before I even get the lid fully opened, so no complaints there.

But, I am thinking that I'll NOT put the 512GB SSD as a replacement to the OEM Intel 180GB ... rather, have it in my optical bay for downloading my cards to (slightly faster than the mSATA). Then, after culling / processing any backlog, I'll save the keepers to the mSATA, leaving the OEM SSD for running programs.

I won't miss doing a rebuild ... although I guess I could just copy the 180GB over to the 512GB, then swap them, so the 180GB is in the optical bay and the newer 512GB is C:. Hmmm ... thoughts?




Dec 19, 2014 at 03:33 PM
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