Several programs run automatically when you turn on your system, and the number of such programs grows as you keep using your computer.
This leads to a gradual reduction in startup speed. Also, having programs that you only use selectively—or not at all—load automatically is a waste of resources.
To top it all, spyware, viruses and Trojans install themselves into the automatic start locations to ensure they run at startup.
To prevent the slowing down of your machine, you must take a look at the software that loads every time you start your PC, and disable what you don’t need or can’t identify.
The process is simple. Go to Start Menu > Programs > Startup. This is the directory XP uses to launch application shortcuts on bootup. If you remove the shortcuts from this directory, the apps will not load on startup.
This directory can also be a repository for spyware and viruses, so if there are files here that are not shortcuts and you don’t recognise them, you should consider removing them, as Windows will not place critical files in this directory.
The other way to remove unnecessary startup files is via the handy ‘msconfig’ utility. To use it, go to Start > Run and type in “msconfig”. The ‘Startup’ tab in msconfig provides access to several other applications that start up at bootup and run in the background. By examining their filenames and directories, you should be able to get a feel of what is necessary and what is not.
Another method for removing programs from startup is through the programs themselves; many applications, such as MSN Messenger, offer the option of not starting at bootup.
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