Some of the new features in Windows 98 do considerably more harm than good by preventing you from using your computer. Probably the best example of this is the Windows Critical Update Notification feature, which forces Task Scheduler to start each time you boot your system, even if you turn off Task Scheduler.

Uninstalling Critical Update is one solution. But reader Glen McLemore points out a way to disable both Task Scheduler and Critical Update Notification without uninstalling either ù in case you want to run them again some day.

Choose Start-Run, type msconfig, and press <Enter> to start the System Configuration Utility. Click the Startup tab and uncheck the box next to Critical Update. If you see a check in the box next to the Scheduling Agent entry, uncheck that, too. Click OK and follow the prompts to restart your PC. If you later decide that you want to activate these items, just run the System Configuration Utility again and restore the check marks.

As you might suppose, this utility prevents a start-up application from launching when Windows starts ù a useful restraint in many cases. In Windows 95, the only way to obtain the same result is to tinker with various Windows launchpads, some of which are hard to find. Required steps include cutting icons from the Start Menu-Programs-StartUp folder in the Windows folder, using a text editor to edit the 'load=' or 'run=' line of the Windows folder's win.ini file, or revising recondite Registry settings with the System Policy Editor. Luckily, System Configuration's Startup tab lets you control all these areas with a convenient one-stop checklist.

If you find yourself using System Configuration Utility frequently, you may prefer to launch it from a menu icon. To do that, open the folder of your choice in the Start Menu folder, right-click an empty area, and choose New-Shortcut. In the Command line, type "c:\windows\system\msconfig.exe"(your path may differ), and click Next. Type a name like System Configuration Utility, and click Finish.

Alternatively, you can access the msconfig utility -- somewhat more circuitously -- by selecting Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-System Information. Then in the Microsoft System Information window, select Tools-System Configuration Utility.