ctfmon.exe

[The Rock]

Hello People.

1) The Office XP installs a file named ctfmon.exe for BLAH BLAH BLAH. I dont need this file. I have disabled it via all the installed REAL-TIME agents and removed it from startup from registry. I have done the MicroSoft Support thing to. BUT THIS STUPID THING WONT GO. So I renamed id from ctfmon.exe to crap.exe and later crap.exe.old. It wont load again. but when ever i use anything, like Yahoo Messenger, MS Word etc, the Windows Installer pops-up and tries to repair Office XP. WTF???? So i renamed it back to ctfmon.exe. Does anyone know how to remove this thing? Its just unneccessary.

2) I have 512MB DDR 266MHz RAM on 1 of my PC's. I want to set the page file to 0MB as i have apt RAM for the purpose for which i use the PC (InterNet, CD Writing). One method is ask the OS to use the Physical RAM till it is full and then use Page file. But i want to remove and set the page file to 0MB for good. Are there any problems that could occur if i do it?

Thanks,

The Rock

[darth_ash]

Refer the "Can I Remove the Ctfmon.exe File?" section in the following M$-KB article:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=282599

[mark]

There quite a number of threads talking about pagefiles. And I mean quite a number. I would look for them and read. I have read a lot of them but I am not one to be asked for a definative answere. I will tell you that it appears to me, from the most knowledgable people, that you should have a pagefile. You should let Windows manage it. Your ram is at the bottom end of where some say you don't need a pagefile but I would still have one. Basic recommendation is 1.5 x your ram, managed by Windows and if you have two HDs then split it between the two (this should be a performance increase). You will get different points of view on this. If you have the space on your HD(s) then it shouldn't be a bother. Some get away without one and they are either very knowledgable or lucky. Not having a pagefile can cause your OS to hiccough under some circumstances. Unless you really know what you are doing, I would split your pagefile if you can and let Windows manage it. (search for other posts)

DL

[Andromeda43]

Leave the pagefile alone....many programs require it to be there so they can use it for their own storage. Apply these registry tweaks for increased performance.

**************************************

Decrease Shutdown Time

Cut the amount of time it takes your computer to shut down to only a few seconds.

Click Start, click Run, and type regedit.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Control.

Click the Control folder.

Right click "WaitToKillServiceTimeout" and click Modify.

Set the value to 1000 (one second)

**********************************************************

Memory Performance Tweak

These Settings will fine tune your systems memory management -at least 256MB of ram recommended, 512 preferred for first tweak.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \

Session Manager \ Memory Management

1.DisablePagingExecutive -double click it and in the decimal put a 1 - this allows XP to keep data in memory now instead of paging sections of ram to harddrive.

2.LargeSystemCache- double click it and change the decimal to 1 -this allows XP Kernal to Run in memory improves system performance a lot. (This tweak can actually slow down a system with less than 256 megs of ram.)

*******************************************

Cheers,

Andromeda43

[The Rock]

Thanks Andromeda. I did that, will tell if the results are noticiable

The Rock

[Andromeda43]

I took the warnings of the heavy hitting Guru's and decided to not futz with my pagefile.

However, when doing a Ghost image it adds almost a gig to the size of the backup.

SO, in the process of preparing for Ghost to run (from my DOS boot disk) I run a cleanup batch file that deletes the pagefile and all the Restore points as well as the temp files, etc. Then when ghost does its thing, it's not backing up over a gig of C.R.A.P.

Next time XP boots up, it just re-creates the pagefile....no problem.

Cheers,

Andromeda43

[Cartoonite]

I took the warnings of the heavy hitting Guru's and decided to not futz with my pagefile.

However, when doing a Ghost image it adds almost a gig to the size of the backup.

SO, in the process of preparing for Ghost to run (from my DOS boot disk) I run a cleanup batch file that deletes the pagefile and all the Restore points as well as the temp files, etc.  Then when ghost does its thing, it's not backing up over a gig of C.R.A.P.

Next time XP boots up, it just re-creates the pagefile....no problem.

Cheers,

Andromeda43

This is actually a really good idea, and I bet it would never have occured to many people, myself included.

Thanks for the tip!

As for the pagefile itself, I have always let Windows manage that on its own. I've never had any problems, and have heard horror stories revolving around people messing with it. While I'm sure it is possible to safely modify and, in certain cases even disable, the pagefile, it seems a project best left to those who know exactly what they are doing. I don't, so I just leave well enough alone.

I once sat through a lecture on the pagefile and paged vs. non-paged memory, and I did a lot of smiling and a lot of nodding and not a whole lot of understanding. The basic premise I took away from the lecture, though, was that there is a reason that there is a pagefile, and it is not just a reserved space on your hard drive in case your RAM gets full.

[Takeshi]

The question of reg tweak to speed up shutdown is hardly relevant to the original questions posted. This and the others have been posted many times before here and elsewhere and as I understand, the last system cache and disablepaging tweaks are not particularly helpful in Win XP machine.

I've tried the disable paging tweak without noticing any obvious difference (with 1.25GB RAM).

Since Ghost has been brought up, by coincidence, on another forum today, someone did an expt. and said that Ghost does not backup the page file. The Gho file size is the same with different page file settings. I've not have time to verify this.

Edited September 13, 2005 by Takeshi