Reduce startup times by optimizing your startup programs

Instant messaging programs, media players and other programs weasel their way into automatically starting when Windows loads. They slow down your boot time and guzzle system resources.

You can stop these programs from launching automatically by clicking Start and Run. Type "msconfig" without the quotes and click OK. Click the Startup tab.

You'll see a number of programs listed. Some names are easy to figure out. But most are difficult to decipher. You can find a list of entries and explanations at sysinfo.org/startuplist.php.

Clear the boxes for the programs you don't need. Click Apply and OK. You'll be prompted to restart your computer.

After restarting, you'll receive a message stating that the System Configuration Utility is in Diagnostic or Selective Startup mode. Check the box next to "don't show this message again" and click OK.