Cause If it seems that your Windows XP computer takes some time to boot up, startup programs may be to blame. When you install programs on your computer, some of those programs are configured to start when Windows XP starts. Naturally, Windows XP has a number of its own programs that start when the computer boots, but programs that you install may do the same thing. That can be a real Headache if there are too many of them. Antivirus software is a good example. In order to keep your computer protected at all times, virtually all antivirus software automatically loads when your computer boots. This allows the software to work without your intervention and removes the possibility of your forgetting to start it. However, a number of unnecessary programs may also start. That's fine if you use them, but you may be waiting too long for XP to boot because too many programs are starting up—programs you may not even use that often.
You can easily reduce the number of programs that start, and if you want to increase boot speed as far as programs are concerned and reduce the amount of program clutter that automatically ends up in the notification area, it's a good idea to examine all of the programs that start when your computer starts and stop programs from loading on startup if you don't really need them. After all, you can always start those programs yourself as they are needed. The good news is you can easily control which programs start when you start your computer.
The Pain Killer To control which programs automatically start, follow these steps:
- Click Start | Run. Type msconfig and click OK.
- The System Configuration Utility appears. Click the Startup tab.
- The Startup tab shows you every service and program that starts when your computer starts. You can stop a program from starting by simply clearing the check box next to it and clicking OK.
