Startup Programs are the programs and background processes that are designed to run when your computer boots. Over time, your system will accumulate startup programs which will slow your computer’s boot time down. Many of these programs are not actually necessary to have run when windows boots, so by removing some of them, you can increase your computers speed.
How to remove startup programs? There are two ways.
Manually, through Windows MSConfig utility
Or through a third party program
I use a third party program called CCleaner because CCleaner also doubles for other useful tasks as well.
If removing startup programs manually, click the windows menu in the bottom left corner, select “run”, enter “msconfig”, and go to the “startup” tab. In CCleaner, go to the “Tools” tab, and then the “Startup” subtab.
Many of these programs are listed with confusing names and acronyms that you will not recognize, so you have to take it slow next. You want to remove programs that run at startup that you do not use regularly. Some large programs like iTunes or Adobe Acrobat Reader have a startup entry that loads PART of their program into memory, so that when you open them later, they will open slightly faster. These can also be disabled.
Here is a list of startup programs that could be things you want to remove:
AIM (AOL Instant Messenger), MSN Messenger
Skype (Unless you want it running 24/7)
AdoberReader Speed Launch (Speeds up opening of Adobe Reader)
CTFmon (helps with alternative language input)
Diskeepersystray (defragmenting tool which you can run on your own)
Igfxtry (system tray shortcut to control panel graphics)
NvCPl (system tray icon for NVIDIA graphics cards)
Qtask (system tray shortcut to quicktime)
Realplay (system tray shortcut for RealPlayer)
WinAmp (system tray shortcut for WinAmp player)
If you are unsure about the value of a certain item, Google it. There is a wealth of information online on this topic and you can find information about any specific entry you search for.
Nick Dimon writes about computer security and maintenance on his site http://www.crappycomputer.com/ with the purpose of informing and teaching users how to get what they deserve from their machines.