How many extra drivers, control panels, start up programs do you have?

[almoststew1990]

I ask this questions after reading a PC gamer article about the best PC gaming speakers having RGB hue lighting effects, which needs a control panel to fiddle with settings! These days mice and keyboards have their own control panels, I assume anything RGB have their own control panels!

I grew up with cheap computers that were replaced very rarely so as the PC got long in the tooth I would end up disabling as much start up crap as possible. I have grown to hate additional drivers, task bar icons and control panels!

I literally have Google Updater (forchrome), Dropbox and CCC running at start up outside of Windows stuff. I didn't install the software for my back lit mechanical keyboard and it works absolutely fine. It has physical.buttons on it for turning the back lighting up or down or off. I disabled the auto-start on the Logitch steering wheel software. I don't have RGB anything else because I don't like the look and don't want the additional software!

So people out there (especially those with RGB everything) how many control panel-u things do you have?

 

[Devrij]

Technically you could avoid that issue by getting everything in one brand, using one app. But that's a huge pain and nobody wants to be constrained like that.

Like you, I don't install the extra bloatware that comes with every device, and I'm pretty brutal about startup programs (my missus has all sorts starting up, Spotify, the lot). I have rgb on my bloody headset where I can't even see it, so I really don't care if its pulsing or solid or some other fancy thing, and I don't want my keyboard distracting me with rain effects etc.

 

[LuckyBenski]

I gave up one day, probably when I moved to windows 10. Went from XP to Linux 7 years ago, no worries, until last winter. New job, new laptop, Windows, yuck. So I just feed my computers more RAM and let them self-manage, and I keep a sly eye on Task Manager if it's misbehaving. Or if I'm working it too hard!

I hate to admit that Windows does an ok job managing its resources. I just preferred Linux which barely used anything in the background.

 

[MasterOC]

I hate to admit that Windows does an ok job managing its resources. I just preferred Linux which barely used anything in the background.

Snap , although I do hate stuff hibernating , it just hurts me to see ram being used where it needn't be . and I know this is for insta on UWP apps but nahh I like to see close to zero ram usage when idleing . give me XP with virtually zero background apps and 3rd party drivers.

 

[Rroff]

I have as little as possible - the only thing really is the Creative Connect 2 software for my soundcard due to it being the only way to change all the extra sound options.

I have some stuff like per manufacturer SSD utility control panels installed but not running unless I need them. Likewise I have the autostart disabled for my gaming wheel software, etc. and pretty much all software background updaters disabled though 1-2 are running and setup to prompt but do nothing else if a new update is available mostly due to potential security concerns.

Someone mentioned Spotify above - on most machines I have any start up and background processes disabled for that and stuff like it though I have one system used for media where it runs on start up as it is easier to then remote control via my phone.