After reading Windows Takes Too Long to Boot, Mark Fraleigh went to MSConfig and unchecked several programs. Now he wants to remove them from MSConfig, altogether.

Unless you actually want to uninstall the programs (which is a whole other issue), the only way to remove a program entirely from MSConfig's Startup list is to edit the Windows Registry.

Billiebong wants to remove a program that lacks an uninstaller, and turned to the

Before you try to manually remove a program, make sure there's no uninstaller. Check the Start menu. If the Start menu contains a submenu for the unwanted program, there's likely a link to the uninstaller there.

You should also check Windows' own list of uninstallers. Select Start (Start>Run in XP), type appwiz.cpl, and press ENTER. You'll find all the uninstallers that Windows knows about in alphabetical order.

SIUC asked the Windows forum about running software intended for Windows XP in Windows 7.

For the most part, it should just work. I've rarely run into programs that run fine in XP but have trouble in Windows 7.

Spiderowych asked the Answer Line Forum to recommend medical information Web sites.

Maintaining a healthy mind and body takes considerably more effort than maintaining a healthy computer--and it's a lot more important. Although nothing on the Internet can replace regular checkups with a medical professional, the right Web sites can help you find quick answers to your medical questions, walk through symptoms to figure out what you have, provide tips for a healthy lifestyle, and find out more about your prescription medications.

The calendar on Jstanaway's Android phone displays appointments that he never made--hundreds of them from someone else's calendar. He can't delete them. He asked the Answer Line forum for advice.

Android's built-in calendar app can display the contents of more than one Google calendar, integrating them together. These can include both calendars that you create yourself (for instance, separate work and off-hour calendars), as well as ones created by other people that you can read but not alter. For instance, in addition to my own calendar, I display calendars for US and Jewish holidays.

Westpark asked the Windows forum if it's advisable to turn off Windows' automatic updates.

There are good arguments both ways. Personally, I keep it on, and I think that for most people, that's the best solution. But before I give my argument, I'll explain why other people disagree.

Crazy4laptops needs to extend a WiFi network throughout a "rather long house." He asked the Networking forum for advice.

There are plenty of ways to extend a connection. Some are easier than others.

Jeff Hudgins removed the hard drive from a dying computer, and via USB plugged it into a new PC. But he can't access his files. They're encrypted.

I don't like Windows' Encrypted File System (EFS), and Jeff's story illustrates why. Although EFS provides what appears to be a convenient, completely transparent form of encryption, it can be trouble down the road.

Nick Golna asked whether he should backup his photos onto a flash drive or DVDs. I discuss other options, as well.

With one exception, I don't recommend flash drives for backup. On a dollar-per-gigabyte basis, they're relatively expensive.

Tom Lorch isn't sure if Windows sees him as the administrator, or exactly what that means.

Every Windows installation has one or more user accounts--you have to log onto one when you boot your PC. At least one of those accounts must have administrator privileges. Only an administrator can install software, change some of the more dangerous settings, and remove other users' logon passwords.

A41202813 asked the Answer Line forum for the best way to turn a bootable optical disc, like a CD or DVD, into a file that you could burn back into a bootable disc.

Without the word bootable, the answer would be a no-brainer. You'd simply copy all of the files and folders on the disc into a .zip archive file. Then, when you needed them on disc, you'd copy them back.

The battery in Marjorie Hoosier's smartphone doesn't last through the day. She asked the Cell Phones, Mobile Devices forum for advice.

A phone battery should last--even under heavy use--for the 16 or 17 hours from when you wake up until you go to bed. (I'm assuming that you recharge your phone at night.) Unfortunately, a great many phones can't always make it through the day.