Remove Autostart Programs

If you’re finding that your Windows XP computer is running much slower than you would like then this tip will help to speed it up and get it back running the way it should be.

When a Windows XP computer starts up, it automatically loads and starts any program that is set in the startup folder – regardless of whether you need it or are going to use it. To avoid this, try these steps – but REMEMBER to make a backup and/or system restore point before making any changes. 

These programs often configure themselves to run in the background so that they seem to start quickly when needed. For some of these programs you will see an icon on your taskbar, while others are completely hidden. Now although they won’t slow down your computer too much when it starts up, they will however use up memory and processing power when your computer is running.

I use Windows XP’s own System Configurationtool (Msconfig.exe) to manage these startup processes.

1. Click ‘Start’, click ‘Run’, type in Msconfig and press ‘Enter’
   
2. On the ‘Startup’ tab you’ll see a list of all programs set to run when Windows starts
3. Select any program you think you don’t need by checking the box next to it
4. Click ‘Apply’ and then restart your computer for the chnges to take effect.

A good way to check which of these programs you need is to use the Autoruns freeware tool from Sysinternals. Autoruns lists every program that will automatically start and allows you to quickly delete the link to the program. Many autostart entries are important parts of Windows XP, including Userinit.exe and Explorer.exe.

Note: Do not simply delete anything that you don’t recognize. Check first and always set a Restore Point beforehand.

This helped speed my pc up by about 40%, as it’s had so many programs installed and I don’t even use half of them. So, goodbye old programs and hello faster pc.