Colin's Weekly Tip: Speed up WinXP Shutdown

[Colin]

WindowsXP is probably the most user friendly Microsoft operating system ever but I find it takes forever to load and shut down. Luckily with a few strokes on the keyboard I can make XP shut down much faster. =) <BR><BR>Load up regedit (Start -> Run -> regedit) and follow this path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SYSTEM -> CurrentControlSet -> Control. From there find the WaitToKillServiceTimeOut string. Change its data from 20000 (default) to something lower like 10000 or even 5000. Please keep in mind that the computer value used here is milliseconds. After that's done close regedit and reboot your computer.<BR><BR>After this change has been made, your computer will shut down much faster!

[surfryde]

I can't find the WaitToKillServiceTimeOut string! It's not in the control folder, and I've searched almost every other folder in there. Is there a missing link in your directions? Any help would be appreciated.<BR>Thanks

[Joe]

just create the string if its not there. should do the same thing. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

[Ed]

Might be a stupid question, but did you try double clicking the control folder rather than just single clicking it?

[DivinePoptart]

Any drawbacks if you set it at like 1000?

[surfryde]

Thanks Ed, I had a brain fart and forgot to double click on the Control folder. I appreciate the reminder.

[Ed]

Haha, np, it's nice at least that I can help around here somehow <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif" border="0">

[EtherFox]

<br><br><< <i>Any drawbacks if you set it at like 1000?</i> >><br><br><BR>Maybe a bit late to respond on this one, but this one comes pretty obvious. (correct me if I'm wrong, hey, I'm just running offa technical common sense)<BR>What you're editing is the amount of time XP gives programs a chance to kill themselves, w/o loss of memory, or more importantly, time the program/processes are given to save and store data that has been created/edited. <BR>By giving programs less time, valuable data can be lost too fast even for a quick process to throw onto the HD. You save time simply by blowing off the programs that have stalled and are seizing up that time in shutdown; whereas overdoing it will end up screwing every up down the long run. (can't think of specific examples ATM, will come back if I ever do! ;p)

[DivinePoptart]

It's not too late, lol, i had a feeling for this thread and came back to check, and lookie that, a reply! ty