Can anyone tell me how I get to the window on my computer that allows me to remove the programs that boot up with my computer. These are the icons on the bottom right hand of my computer screen. Takes too long to boot my computer up and I need to remove some of them. I am running windows XP. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Randy,

Should be pretty easy....Im still running Win 98...but give this a try (Im sure XP is the same):

- Click Start
- Click Run
- type msconfig in the white box then hit ok
- pick the "startup" tab and select or deselect the programs that you want or dont want to load on bootup

 

Well, you can install and uninstall programs from your computer by going to Start, Settings, Control Panel, look for Add or Remove Programs. XP's interface is adjustable, so you might have to click on Add or Remove Programs twice.

But that may or may not actually help with the programs that are running in the tray like that, and some of them you might not want to uninstall, just keep them from running when you start your machine. Unfortunately, for many of them the only way to keep them from starting like that is to edit the registry.

I could probably give better advice if you'd list some of the specific programs you want to kill.

 

I believe that he still wants to keep the programs - just doesnt want them to load in the system tray.

 

Get more Ram. Should help you out alot.

 

Thanks Dr. Evil and jfpointer. Yes, I just didn't want them to load in the system tray. Too many of them I rarely use anymore. JCL, I thought I had enough RAM, Cummins aside

Thanks again everyone.

 

If you do a Google search, you might find some utilities to make the registry edits for you, but many of the programs that load in the system tray are located in the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Run

I usually find it easier just to use Regedit. Be careful messing around in there, though. It might be a good idea to make a backup first. The line above with the key name keeps splitting for some reason.

 

Dr. Evil Gave you the right scoop I run XP and dis-able all the garbage that is installed in the set up of new software, No need for extra just do the msconfig and then select the startup programs a check means run at start up uncheck those you do not want to start. I have enough Ram to build my own truck plant but I still want to start what I please on boot up works much faster.

 

Just watch out for what you turn off or it'll make your puter go nuts! I did that once...luckily I could get back into msconfig and fix it.

 

XP is also very accomodating for spyware etc. You might be surprised what is actually running in the background without your knowledge or permission.

My son's XP computer (512 stick of RAM) had so many services running from bots etc that it would barely run, and when after being removed, they would re-spawn and start up again. I finally slicked the drive and rebuilt everything. Runs fine again.

While you're at it, you should visit here and read about the latest vulnerability and download a patch. MS calls it critical and should be installed immediately. It applies to WinNT, 2000, XP and 2003.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tre...n/MS04-007.asp

To quote Steve Gibson's site - Security experts expect new Internet worms and new eMail exploits to appear shortly, so please update all potentially vulnerable systems as soon as possible. This is a big one folks . . . unquote

 

welder,

I am more careful these days after a few mishaps. Once I used a Norton utilty program to clean up my computer that I use for my construction business. I ended up compressing a whole bunch of hidden files used by the operating system because the program said they were inactive files that were not being accessed or something to that effect. Result was that the next time I went to start my computer up it would not boot up into windows. I knew I screwed up big time, but luckily a friend of mines dad was retired from IBM and he fixed computers as a hobby and got mine back in order for me. Whew