Browsing Windows XP™

Disabling livecall.exe on Windows Live Messenger (WLM)

Posted by Nish Vamadevan in May 11th, 2007  
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Posted in: Computing, IM, Tips, Windows, Windows Live, Windows XP     

Windows Live Call is a resource hog, unless you use this feature there is no need to have it. And it takes about 40 MB of the RAM. Removing Live Call will make the Live Messenger sign in much faster.

Before starting, Shutdown Live Messenger and make sure it is not running. (make sure the icon is not on the taskbar)

You should first remove all the Windows Live Messenger Shortcuts. Here are the common places where you would have a Messenger Shortcut.

Desktop: If you have other user account, its worth deleting it.

Program List: C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Start Menu\Programs

Then go to the Windows Live Messenger Install Directory, C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger

And remove the following Files and move them into a Directory of your choice. (just make one into the WLM install Directory)


htc.8.1.0178.00.dll
livecall.exe
pcsexeps.dll
softphone.dll
softphoneps.dll
softphoneres.dll

Now, you can create your shortcut again manually, It should stop Live Messenger from repairing the files. Follow this link on creating shortcuts http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140443

NB: I have also removed and recreated the following registry, I don’t think there is a need to do it, but If livecall.exe starts again, you can try this method again…

Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

You can either use Startup Control Panel or follow the instructions on this URL http://support.microsoft.com/kb/270035

Popularity: 11% [?]

How to speed up Windows XP

Posted by Nish Vamadevan in June 8th, 2005  
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Posted in: Tips, Windows, Windows XP     

To speed up your XP machine, you can disable a number of unwanted services.

To disable unneeded startup services for a safer, use the “Services” Admin Tool (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services). If you are a single user of a non-networked machine, you can disable the following items, with no ill effect.

  • Alerter
  • Clipbook
  • Computer Browser
  • Fast User Switching
  • Human Interface Access Devices
  • Indexing Service (Slows the hard drive down)
  • Messenger
  • Net Logon (unnecessary unless networked on a Domain)
  • Netmeeting Remote Desktop Sharing (disabled for extra security)
  • Remote Desktop Help Session Manager (disabled for extra security)
  • Remote Procedure Call Locator
  • Remote Registry (disabled for extra security)
  • Routing & Remote Access (disabled for extra security)
  • Server
  • SSDP Discovery Service (this is for the utterly pointless “Universal P’n'P”, & leaves TCP Port 5000 wide open)
  • TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
  • Telnet (disabled for extra security)
  • Universal Plug and Play Device Host
  • Upload Manager
  • Windows Time
  • Wireless Zero Configuration (for wireless networks)
  • Workstation

It shouldn’t give you any problems at all.

Popularity: 2% [?]

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