A Techy Question.

[jambutty]

As my computer goes through the process of booting up it eventually arrives at the desktop and displays all the desktop icons and the ready use icons in the Task Bar on the left.

Then the icons on the right start to appear as each programme is started up.

First comes C-Media Mixer and next to it on the left is RoboForm. On its left comes AVG and on its left my computer connects to the Internet. Then Zone Alarm appears and after that MailWasher. There are others but they are set to remain hidden so I don’t know when they launch.

My problem is that I don’t like the idea of getting connected to the Internet before ZoneAlarm is running. Ideally I would like Zone Alarm to be the first programme to be launched or at least BEFORE the Internet connection is made.

A simple question! Can the launching sequence be changed? If so, how? Simple instructions that a Septuagenarian can execute please.

[entwisi]

firstly, how do you connect, do you have a moden or router. If teh latter then tbh it doesn't matter. if teh former there is a possible option. Microsoft do not guarantee what order stuff is done but people have found that it tends to process stuff in the foloowing order

BootExecute
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\BootExecute
Services
User enters a password and logon to the system
UserInit
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\UserInit
Shell
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Shell
All Users-RunOnce
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\RunOnce
All Users-Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Run
All Users-RunOnceEx
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\RunOnceEx
All Users-RunEx
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\RunEx
Current User-RunOnce
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\RunOnce
Current User-Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Run
Current User-RunOnceEx
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\RunOnceEx
Current User-RunEx
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\RunEx
Common Startup Folder
Startup Folder


so by making sure that ZA is in one of tehfirst set of reg keys and the modem startup is teh latter then you should be fine.

You could also just stop teh auto connect option in your modem and start it yuorself when you know ZA etc are fully loaded.

Ian

[jambutty]

My Internet connection is via Broadband router. BT’s Voyager 205.

There is no way to stop the router auto connect except by switching it off and then switching it back on and after ZA and the rest have launched. That’s a bit like buying a guard dog and barking yourself.

How do I make sure that ZA is one of the first set of reg keys? Whatever they are.

[entwisi]

if you are behind a router then TBH your firewall is really only an outgoing block as your router will not forward requests unless you specifically tell it to.

as such you would know as ZA will be prompting as soon as it fires up that soemthing was trying to access the internet.

To make sure its in the first groups of reg keys involves using regedit. Its something that the basic user finds daunting but as long as you only edit stuff you are mean to you shouldn't have too much of an issue.

one other Q. Do you leave your router on 24-7? tbh if you only have teh one PC I'd turn it off when teh PC is off. I worked out that my router is in use from ~7pm till we go to bed. During teh day it was sat there doing nowt so now its turned off. Working on a basic 25W use over 16hours a day saving for 365 days = 150KW a year saving

[Jae Swift]

1. teh 2045 up, 350 down

Orginally started off as a typo for "the", but recently has changed a bit in meaning. "Teh" still means "the", however, it is mostly used in the same manner that spanish speaking people use the word "El".

[entwisi]

err, JAe, I think your in the wrong thread. The one about speed is over there ----------------------->

Thsi one is about how you can con Windows into doing the right thing.

[jambutty]

Originally Posted by entwisi

if you are behind a router then TBH your firewall is really only an outgoing block as your router will not forward requests unless you specifically tell it to.

as such you would know as ZA will be prompting as soon as it fires up that soemthing was trying to access the internet.

To make sure its in the first groups of reg keys involves using regedit. Its something that the basic user finds daunting but as long as you only edit stuff you are mean to you shouldn't have too much of an issue.

one other Q. Do you leave your router on 24-7? tbh if you only have teh one PC I'd turn it off when teh PC is off. I worked out that my router is in use from ~7pm till we go to bed. During teh day it was sat there doing nowt so now its turned off. Working on a basic 25W use over 16hours a day saving for 365 days = 150KW a year saving

ZA also stops nasty things trying to get onto my computer, which means if my machine is connected to the Internet before ZA fires up traffic can go in and out as it likes.

When I close down my computer and switch off the power it also switches off the power to all peripherals like router, USB ‘thingy’, printer, scanner, camera and speaker system.

[entwisi]

actually if you use a router nasties can't get to your computer as it is effectively 'hidden' behind your router. Only ports that you specifiaccly open up and tell your router to send to yor PC can possibly let anything through. When you make a request to teh internet your router does a thing called Network Address translation so that only thngs that you specifically request can come back in and be passed to your PC.

The best way to think of it is as two filds, the internet field and your garden, your router is just a bridge over a river between the two but a special bridge that knows what is and isn't allowed to pass over.

[jambutty]

One of the five lights on my router flickers whenever there is any traffic in or out.

When I hit the power switch on the 6 way mains power distribution socket the router, the USB thingy and speakers are switched on. The computer is not switched on until I push the on button on the tower.

The router ‘traffic’ light comes on then goes off. When I power up the tower the light stays off until the blue screen with Welcome displayed is shown on the monitor and then it flickers briefly. My guess is that is because the router is connecting to BT.

As soon as the desktop is displayed that light starts to flicker as each programme is launched. There is no way of knowing if the traffic is just one way or not. A couple of seconds after ZA is launched the flickering stops until I start to use the Internet.

Although it is reassuring to assume that nothing comes in to my computer until ZA is operating I would still like to make sure by having ZA launched before the router connects to the Internet.

[entwisi]

Trust me you are worrying about nothing . You have no choice unless you physically power the router on after you have your desktop fully loaded.

Windows negoitates DHCP as the first part of profile loading(which is a right royal PITA if you want to switch users whilst one person is downloading some stuff as it disconnects their session. ) As soon as you have a network address the internet is available. At this point you haven't even started loading the desktop never mind the programs set to autostart.

So If you really do want to do this then power your PC on and have your router somewhere handy that you can hit the switch only when you say so.

Some routers can be set to connect on demand but I find this tends to not be that reliable as you end up with requests timing out before your connection is up and the local network stabilised.


Your choice of course but as said, its not worth worrying about.

[andrewb]

May I suggest installing linux? As the nasties are not there in the first place.

[entwisi]

Haven't we tried that one with Jambutty before Cyfr?

[jambutty]

I guess that I will have to go along with your assessment and leave it at that.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by jambutty

One of the five lights on my router flickers whenever there is any traffic in or out.

Which traffic does it flash for? It could be WAN traffic between the router and the internet. Your router talks to your ISP all the time checking in with its DHCP server etc. The traffic could be LAN traffic, your PC asks your router for an IP address when it boots up. It flashing light might not only mean that there is traffic from WAN to LAN.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by entwisi

During teh day it was sat there doing nowt so now its turned off. Working on a basic 25W use over 16hours a day saving for 365 days = 150KW a year saving

That's about £10 a year.

Are you sure your router is pulling as much as 25W? The PSU on mine is only rated at 12v 1A, thats only 12W on the DC side. I can't see it being twice that on the AC side due to losses in the PSU. I would guess mine is at most 12W. If I get chance I will measure the current on the AC side of the PSU and report back.