How to Speed Up Windows, Startup and Shutdown

To speed up Windows, its startup and shutdown time, follow the simple steps below. Especially if you are using HDD, turning off file indexing will be most effective. But even when using SSD, turning file indexing off will have its benefit. There is a better tool than using Cortana, and once you start using it, you'd be scratching your head.

1. Remove File Index Per Drive; use Everything Search for search functions

a. Right-click on Drive, Properties, Uncheck File Index

b. Install Everything Search ( http://www.voidtools.com/ )

2. Shorten Registry Time Values (all settings of String type)

a. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control

i. Set WaitToKillServiceTimeout value to 8000

b. For current User, HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

i. Set WaitToKillAppTimeout value to 8000

ii. Set AutoEndTasks value to 1

iii. Set HungAppTimeout value to 7000 (if not present, def is 5000)

c. To set for all Users, set these values in

i. HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop

ii. Set WaitToKillAppTimeout value to 8000

iii. Set AutoEndTasks value to 1

iv. Set HungAppTimeout value to 7000 (if not present, def is 5000)

These millisecond time values are recommended, but you can choose your own shorter or longer times. It's all up to you.

So there you have it! Without adding anything fancy or buying any expensive device or paying for some software licenses, you can have a faster Windows, faster startup, and faster shutdown. And honestly, Cortana pales in comparison to the capability and speed of (Search) Everything -- which is free. I'm using this even in Windows Server machines where millions of files are deposited and searched on a daily basis. How about that?

Till then!

Huawei Mate 30 Pro with Google Play Store - 6 Months Later

14-Nov-2020

I managed to install Google Play in my Huawei Mate 30 Pro back in April 2020. I have nothing to say against the phone itself. Speed, features, SD Card capacity, RAM size, name it and this phone has it. And here's the killer feature that I like very much: the camera!

Focusing speed, brilliance, night time shots, crispiness of the photos, are but a few of the camera features that you will immediately see and feel. Call quality, cell, and Wi-Fi connection, these are its basic features that never fail.

But here's the deal-breaker.

A lot of financial apps, bank apps, and insurance apps, and those that require integration with government services, well, these and more are usually tied up to Google accounts. And while I was able to install the Google Play application back then, enrol my (many, many) accounts including Google Mail, Google Maps, etc., the prevailing prohibition imposed by then-President Trump against Huawei and Huawei products, which includes the unlicensing of Google Play on Huawei Android devices makes Google Play working intermittently on my phone.

Nothing lasts forever -- even a hack on how to install Google Play on Huawei Mate 30 Pro.

And I had to wait 6 months until I threw in the white towel.

So now I went back to my Huawei Mate 20 X phone. It's heavy, but the weight is a small burden to bear compared to a lot of essential apps not working. That really is a deal-breaker for me.A show stopper. I'm not able to do payments and money transfers, enquiries, check on my tax payments and provident fund contributions, etc., etc. And that is a lot of reasons for me to let go of my Huawei Mate 30 Pro phone.

Nonetheless, now that Job Biden has won the US presidential race if the Google Play prohibition gets lifted, I sure would not think twice of going back to my Huawei Mate 30 Pro phone. I would have all the best of both worlds, being able to install Google Play on Huawei Mate 30 Pro.

Till then!