Whenever you install new programs, some of them will add an entry to your startup so they will start when
Windows does. Too many programs running during startup can cause your
boot time to become unbearable. There are very few programs that are necessary when you first boot in to Windows. Some examples would be your
anti-virus software and your audio card
software control icon. Some examples of unnecessary startup items would be
instant messaging programs and other random utilities that can easily be run only when needed.
Most programs will allow you to create a quicklaunch icon when they are installed and they will also create an entries in your the programs section off of your Windows
start button. If you have too many programs running at startup here is what you can do to remedy this.
In
Windows XP go to Start/Run and than type 'msconfig'(without the single quatation marks) and hit 'ok'.
In
Windows Vista and 7 click on the Windows 'sphere' than type 'msconfig'(again without the quotes) in to the
dialog box and hit 'enter' on the keyboard.
Next click on the 'startup' tab.
Choose the items you want to disable and remove the check mark from them. Click 'apply. and than 'ok. Windows will ask you if you want to restart or exit without restarting at this point. The choice is yours. I recommend rebooting and testing to see if the changes you made have helped.
*WARNING* Be careful what programs you disable. If you disable certain items video or audio issues could occur. Programs such as your anti-virus and anti-malware programs may become disabled. If you are unsure about the item you are about to disable perform a google search about the item by it's name.