Clean boot
A clean boot is a startup procedure where you tell the computer not to load any programs at boot time which are not absolutely necessary for the computer itself to run. These might be calendaring programs, webcam software, any number of things.
Macintosh
On a Mac, you do a clean boot this way:
- Go to the Apple menu and Restart
- Once restarted, type your username and password but do not hit enter upon completion.
- Instead hold the Shift key as you click the login button.
- Your user account will load without additional startup-items, or applications. Release Shift once your icons and desktop appear.
If you are an accomplished Mac user, you may be able to set up a secondary login account which does this automagically for shows.
Windows
It used to be possible to hold down a key during boot to do a clean boot on Windows as well. Now, alas, it appears to be a requirement that you use the msconfig utility to stir your configurations around, and we are not gonna tell you how to do that. :-) So, if your computer won't run kJams comfortably when booted in the normal way, you'll either need to uninstall some programs which run background tasks or get a faster computer -- or use msconfig do do a clean boot.
We really are sorry that we aren't giving you more here, but, frankly, we don't want you yelling at us if other stuff breaks.
A Footnote
If you are hosting shows professionally for money in public places, you are really engaging in false economy if you don't have a computer which is dedicated to only that task, and which you don't use for anything else.
Really: you need two identical computers, in case one breaks.
Luckily, you are legally licensed to install kJams on two computers for your one license fee, even if you use both the same time (on the same stage), so you don't even have to break the law to be a smart businessperson. :-)
