msconfig

That has always been the MS way of doing things. Hopefully, it will change in the new OS due sometime in the future. You also need to disable unneeded services, via services.msc.

Craig Herberg

Actually, a standard Windows installation loads very little at startup.

It is application software that installs nearly all of the items that run at startup.

Beyond your anti-virus and firewall software, you are correct that most users need very few applications running at startup.

Most of the other applications that add themselves to your startup list do so as a "feature" of the software.

Things like quick launchers that load part of the application into memory so that the application opens and runs faster.

Reporting utilities such as from Real Networks that keep track of how you use the software so that they can help you use the software even more.

Then of course, there are the full blown spy-ware packages.

Chas

Hi,
Remove the items from following folders.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run

XP has a pre-fetch feature, whereby applications that you have previously run, can be automatically loaded at boot time, so as to decrease the time to launch such; the obvious tradeoff is that this increases to boot-to-ready time. The OS keeps a record of apps previously run in the C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch folder.

The Registry contains a Key which specifies what is to be pre-fetched; the options are to pre-fetch:
1) Nothing;
2) Systems modules only;
3) Applications modules only; or,
4) Both Systems & Applications modules.
The default is #4.

In addition, the Registry also contains Startup Keys for all applications which provide for the option of being launched at boot time & you have selected that option.

To see the effects on both the boot time & the times to launch applications, you can simply empty the Prefetch folder; it will automatically re-populate as you run apps.

If you wish to change the boot time pre-fetch settings, or simply read more about the feature, see the below TR article re. how to edit the Registry for such.

https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5100-6270_11-5165773-1-1.html?tag=search