Thinkpads Forum

hey guys, i have my new T60p, and the first thing i notice is all the preinstalled software and background processes. coming from a somewhat self built desktop, it's hard to figure out which softwares are necessary for a thinkpad, and which are just sort of junk.

queries:

bluetooth - how to get the icon off desktop and system tray?
local area connection disconnected - how to get it off system tray?
(i'm always using wireless)
windows log on/off - why use the thinkpad software's method? i purposely chose not to get the fingerprint reader
message center - what is this and why would i need it?
ThinkVantage Access Connections - why do i need 2 icons of this in they system tray, xp's wireless connection icon, and the ability to use Fn F5?
Diskeeper lite - better than windows defrag?

is 80+ processes and nearly 500mb ram being used straight out of the box really necessary?

ctrl - alt - del blacks out the screen and gives me a windows security window with the option of lock computer, log off, change password, and task manager, why not just go straight to task manager like i'm used to?

recovery disks - how do i make 'em? should i have done it before doing any single thing with my T60p? is it basically a bootable disk that you can reinstall everything with?

any help with these things would be greatly appreciated,
thanks!

To get rid of the LAN icon, disable it (right-click, disable) in your network connections.

As far as the ctrl+alt+del, I guess the difference is that you are used to XP Home, whereas XP Pro takes you to the window you mentioned.

I will leave the other questions to more knowledgeable people in the forum.

o yeah, that was a big duh for the LAN, i flaked, but for the ctrl alt del, i was used to XPPro and it went straight to task manager.

thanks!

-I always disable all desktop icons, so im not sure on the bluetooth
-You should be able to change the log on/off method in control panel and/or thinkvantage
-Message Center: Useless IMHO. I always uninstall it.
-Tray icons, you should be able to deselect "always show icon in tray" in the properties for that particular interface
-Disk Keeper: Bloatware. Annoying. Uninstall it.
-Recovery Discs: You can make them in the ThinkVantage. I called and they sent me a printed set, free of charge.
-Ctrl-alt-del: I believe this has to do with your log-on screen settings. Try setting it to use the Windows Welcome Screen in Control Panel - User Settings. If I recall correctly, that should solve it. It *may* be related to the theme - if you are using classic, try setting it back to luna if the first method doesnt work.

i got rid of the bluetooth via startup control panel and actually desktop cleaner.
message center taken out of startup,
diskeeper uninstalled

wireless icons, i mentioned before there were 2 icons in the system tray, i got rid of one of them too quick, and it actually went to something different than the other 2, and i can't find out how to get to it anymore, the icon is bright green rectangular bars like a bar graph. can anyone tell me what that was called and how to get back to it?

recovery disks - do they create disks based on my system's current state? or the original state that thinkpad sends it to you as?

through Client Security Solution, i figured out how disable it for windows logon, which sets the ctrl-alt-del thing to go straight to task manager, but now it'll ask me for a password at startup for the PrivateDisk (recovery disk) and Password manager. i looked around the best i could, and turned off access to private disk and password manager at startup, but it still asks me for it. i guess i'm stuck with the client security logon method

what's digital line detect?

thanks for the help!

the icon is bright green rectangular bars like a bar graph. can anyone tell me what that was called and how to get back to it?

Thats your ThinkVantage AccessConnections. I'm guessing its just not enabled to run at startup or something. Or maybe you should try going into your control panel (can't remember where exactly, somewhere in the network settings), and uncheck the box that says "Let Windows Manage my Wireless Networks"

recovery disks - do they create disks based on my system's current state? or the original state that thinkpad sends it to you as?

Original, factory state. I do believe that they will also allow you to restore from a backed-up point, but I havent tried this myself. If you do a full restore, they also restore the recovery partition on your hard drive, had you deleted it.

i guess i'm stuck with the client security logon method

I know this is an option when you initially set up your computer, but I am not sure how to change it once youre already set up. I'm guessing there is a way, theres got to be.

allen wrote:the icon is bright green rectangular bars like a bar graph. can anyone tell me what that was called and how to get back to it?

That's the Intel PROSet wireless icon. Go to Start > All Programs > Intel Network Adapters > Intel(R) PROSet for Wired Connections. Check box on lower left to: Show the tray icon.

GomJabbar wrote:

allen wrote:the icon is bright green rectangular bars like a bar graph. can anyone tell me what that was called and how to get back to it?

That's the Intel PROSet wireless icon. Go to Start > All Programs > Intel Network Adapters > Intel(R) PROSet for Wired Connections. Check box on lower left to: Show the tray icon.

Could be, but there is a similar one provided with AccessConnections. I have the Atheros Card in mine, and I get it. Simply mousing over will tell you which youre dealing with.

i do have the intel pro wireless card, but i didnt have that option in my start menu programs or control panel as far as i can tell.

i got rid of it before looking at specifically what it was.

i remember the green color was like the battery icon color next to the tray, and the icon looked like an older simpler 2D graphic, not a shaded 3D icon.

ok i found it, so it is a thinkvantage access connections' wireless network connection icon, showing me how good the connection is.
i found how to bring it back in access connections - configure - global settings - notification. i wanted it back because the window it gives you when you click it in the tray, you can't get to that window any other way.

thanks!

still wondering about digital line detect? it's in the startup and backbround processes as DLG.exe

also in processes, a couple things are double, like ati2evxx.exe, and CLI.exe . any ideas?

@RUSH2112 - yep, you are right. I haven't been in a place where I can get a WiFi signal for the last couple of weeks plus I haven't looked at the menu choices in AC in awhile, and to top it off I got my icons confused. Memory getting a little froggy.

allen wrote:still wondering about digital line detect? it's in the startup and backbround processes as DLG.exe

It's part of the Thinkpad Modem installation software. If you never connect the modem to a digital phone line or never use the modem at all you don't need it. One way to get rid of it and still have the modem work is to uninstall the Thinkpad Modem from add/remove programs and then reinstall the modem software. When you get to the point in the installation where it asks to install the Digital Line Detect Software say "no". One word of caution, if you remove this software and then connect the modem to a digital phone network (commercial business and hotels often have these) I believe that you might damage your modem, but I am not certain. This used to be the case with old modems that were analog only. It's been so long since I actually needed to use a phone modem

thanks for the modem info, what if it were taken out of the startup and hence backup processes, wouln't it start ok when needed?

also, am i suppposed to have a privatedisk volume on my documents in order to have the R drive show up in my computer? i moved it to the recycle bin because i thought it was something i accidentally created in Client Security, and now the R drive isn't mounted, unless it's for another reason...?

allen wrote:what if it were taken out of the startup and hence backup processes, wouln't it start ok when needed?

I believe it needs to be running before you connect to a digital phone line. Doubt if it would start automatically on demand, it's not a service. You probably could start it manually(C:\Program Files\Digital Line Detect\DLG.exe) but do you really need it? How often would you actually need to connect your modem to a digital line? You could deinstall it and reinstall it if and when you ever need it. You'll find the installation in C:\DRIVERS\HDAMODEM

I've been reading here for a number of months (since before the T43 was announced.)

I got my T60 (XP home) this week and wanted to make the product recovery disk set and test it. Maybe make a second set and test it...

I've seen various reports of how many disks are created. Does this vary by model, by OS version, etc.?

I got the startup disk and 5 product recovery disks. It went through the writing, finalizing, and verifying steps for each disk, then gave me a box that said the process was complete.

I'm a little gun-shy about trying to restore without an idea that this might succeed.

Thanks in advance.

actually, i have the startup and 6 recovery discs, so 7 cds in the set alltogether, maybe because i have XPPro...?

i was actually curious if i could've done it on a DVDR? since i now have one for the first time in my life

Back to one of the original questions:

is 80+ processes and nearly 500mb ram being used straight out of the box really necessary?

My new T60p has 87 processes with a commit charge of 640Mb Some of it I know about and want there but a lot of it is a mystery to me. If I use StartupCPL, there are a bunch listed in HKLM / Run:

Any thoughts on if there are any that can be reasonably removed?

Thinkpad related:
ACTray.exe
ACWLIcon.exe
Amsg.exe
StartBattLog
ExEjMnAp.exe
LPMGR.exe
PWRMGRTR.dll
SynTPEnh.exe
SynTPLpr.exe
TpKmapAp.exe

ATI related:
CLIStart.exe

Lenovo related:
AwaySch.exe
pdservice.exe
TPHKMGR.exe
scheduler_proxy.exe

Symantec related:
ccApp.exe
cssauth.exe
VPTTray.exe

Windows related:
DLACTRLW.exe

Others:
ISUSPM.exe
Issc.exe
PicassaMediaDetector.exe

Sound card related:
Smax4.exe
smax4pnp.exe
tp4ex.exe
tpshocks.exe

DavidR wrote:Any thoughts on if there are any that can be reasonably removed?

Here is a thread to get you started. http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=14185

DavidR wrote: Any thoughts on if there are any that can be reasonably removed?

If you don't know what a process is for, then you might want to check it out with Process Library. Process Explorer, of Sysinternals, is also good to give more detail about any given process as well.