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Step 4 - Removing Programs that Run at Startup Removing extra programs that run when Windows starts will greatly increase its performance. These programs usually load in the system tray at the bottom right, but sometimes you won't see the programs at all. Note that these programs typically do not need to run at startup to function! From the Start menu, choose All Programs, then right click Startup and choose Explore. Delete any repeat entries or shortcuts you are sure you can do without (we'd remove the stuff relating to Microsoft Office, Real Player, Quicktime, etc.). Very rarely do you need any startup shortcuts in this folder. Repeat the process using Explore All Users if you have multiple user accounts. Now from CCleaner as mentioned above, navigate to the Tools option to the left, then click Startup. This tool cannot break your PC, but at worst limit its functionality. As long as you are only turning off startup programs here, your PC can recover from damn near anything you turn off. It may be a good idea to backup the registry (mentioned above) if you use this tool. The tool tells you where in the registry to find the keys that it's going to remove and the program path it executes. 
You may find lots of crap lurking here. We've startup programs in other tweak guides, but basically any 3rd party program can be removed from this list unless it involves an all-in-one printer or the PC is a notebook (in which case you'll want to keep support for the touchpad and power management). We recommend removing "Save", "Weather", "Deals", etc. as these are generally Ad-ware. Turn off anything relating to Real Player (keyword being "Real"), Quicktime (such as qttask), and findfast. There are online lists available detailing all the startup files such as this one. If you're scared to turn something off, check to confirm if it's required. Each program here is DIRECTLY RELATED to the system's performance, particularly its free memory and CPU. This program allows you to manually edit even more startup items including Toolbars, Browser Help Objects, and some Services. This program all but replaces HiJackThis and msconfig. Make sure to remove references to uninstalled programs or expired antivirus/anti-spyware applications.
More Startups - Services In Windows, common essential tasks run as "Services" under svchost.exe. These Services include such items as Windows Firewall, Windows Intaller, and various network support features. Most services supplied with Windows XP aren't required. However, some can be disabled to free up some resources. Some argue that disabling Services does not help system performance, but if 3rd party Services are enabled they sure can't help. The best way to turn off individual Services is to choose Start, Run, Services.msc [then hit OK]. Alternatively go to Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services. From here, double-click any Service you're positive you want to disable, perhaps Automatic Updates or Adobe LM Service. From the dropdown menu labled Startup Type choose Disabled. Stop the Service currently running using the Stop button. Normal services should be set as Automatic or Manual (with Start greyed out). So what Service should you disable? That's nearly impossible for us to answer. Generally you should be able to determine which Services you need. If you're unsure of a Service, check this article. If you're having problems fixing File and Print Sharing issues, make sure you check our article for the correct services to use. Step 5 - Clean your Desktop and Start Menu This would be a great time to clean-up some other key areas to the PC's response time and zippiness. I'd start by deleting extra icons and downloaded files on the Desktop (visible quickly by hitting the Windows and D keys simultaneously). Delete lots of stuff here! These icons may not seem significant but they're taking some memory. Also, navigating a cluttered desktop is damn near impossible. For now at least create subfolders such as Downloads, Text Documents, and so-on and store the majority of files in these. A clean desktop will probably increase your productivity even if it doesn't help the PC's performance much. This would also be a good time to clean up your Start menu. Open it up, find shortcuts that you don't use, right click the entries and choose Delete. You can also remove shortcuts to programs that you only run when you open a data file. For example, the shortcut to Quicktime is probably unnecessary, as you'll open this program automatically when clicking Quicktime movies. Wrap it Up These steps take about 5-15 minutes to complete once you've learned the process. As a habit we tend to run basic tune-ups on just about every PC we touch and the results are always worthwhile. For additional tuning, start to defragment your hard drive (My Computer, right-click your C: hard drive, choose Properties, Tools, Defragment Now) before you go to bed one night as it may take a few hours to complete. Keep an eye on system resources (CTRL-ALT-DELETE) as you install new programs to determine if more tuning is necessary. Don't forget to update major system drivers (especially video, sound, and chipset) and run Windows Update regularly for new patches and fixes. As always, thanks for reading.
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