Ever since I bought my home computer (Cheap Dell, only CD drive, basic functionality) there are a ton of programs that automatically launch on startup making it run as slow as Christmas. For example: McAffee is always asking me to update, Norton Ghost always pops up, and there are about 8 little icons at the bottom right of my screen on the toolbar. Most are things I do not use, and many pop up periodically bugging me asking me to "update" something. How do I get rid of all of this garbage? Do I just uninstall the programs? I'm not too experienced with Windows XP. I just got it at work (I was the last in the building to install it on my machine). So now I have it at work and at home. I liked Windows 2000 better[:'(](probably simply because I was used to it)

 

blech windows 2K almost as bad as windows ME. onto your question you can uninstal using the control panel, then "add or remove programs" you should see the programs you dont want listed in there. if not found in there then there should be an uninstal file located somewhere in the respective folder. If you decide that you want to keep the proggies then just right click on the icons in the task bar and go to options. im not familar with the progs your using, but when you right click there should be an option for options/prefrences. in there you should be able to disable them from start up. finally there is a way to disable them from starting up when you boot your OS. for some reason i am at a loss for how to do it, strange thing is i did it the other day. when i get to my home comp ill figure out how to do it, and post here. if someone hasnt already done it by then.

Arent computers FUN!!

 

3 Step Process:
1) Remove Crappy Programs
go to start, control panel, add/remove programs and un-install crap that you don't want or that is trial periods. It's usually safest to remove one program at a time then restart the computer but that is also the slow way. Only un-install stuff that you see pop-up etc and don't want. Once you have all that done.
2) Optimize Performance (basic)
Right click on the desktop, go to properties, in the Theme box select "windows classic" (unless you really are attached to the fancy xp junk). Next right click my computer, properties, Advanced Tab, Top box "performance" click settings, choose "Adjust for best performance", that will free up un-neccessary pretty crap.
3) Optimize Start-up
Now, click on start, run, type in "msconfig" (without the "), hit enter, click on the tab labeled "startup", put your cursor over the | to the right of "command" in that window. It will change to an arrowed cursor, expand that column so you can see what the "command line" for it is, Now go through and un-check everything that has the word dell in it, uncheck all the other stuff that's in there that you don't like, if you don't know what it is leave it alone (igfxtray, hkcmd, igfxpers, jusched, ctfmon, lgbpd: leave those checked), click ok, restart the computer, it will pop-up a box about running in selective startup, check the box that says "don't show this again" and click ok,

Those 3 things will make a world of difference, if you uncheck something and suddenly your e-mail reminder or something like that stops working then go back in to msconfig and re-check whatever it is you still wanted.

 

if i were you, i would clean out the entire hard drive so it could start fresh again (reformating)
i have a dell too, and what i do is...
you get a windows xp cd (home edition or professional)
pop it in, dont install it when it asks you
restart the comp, press f2 to go into the bootup menu, then change the boot sequence so that the cd drive boots first
then exit and save the settings
then it will take you into a blue screen thing, and start loading all the crap from the cd
after it's done with that, you delete the partition and install windows xp
then you're done with a fresh new comp, but you will lose all your files, so save them on a flash drive or something

it sounds complicated but it's really not, eaiser than installing my AEM short ram intake!

http://www.metrocast.net/~dragontears/reformat.html

the link says to create a new partition, i dont know what difference this makes, cause i never do that when i reformat. i just install windows xp after deleting the existing partition

 

Nice responses. thanks guys! I'll print this out and do as told. I hate all those stuprid trial period garbage programs[:@]. I guess Dell gets paid by all those companies to put that garbage on their computers.
Here's one more:
My dad's computer at his house (my former computer from college) has this terrible thing that happens in his web browser. About 50% of the time you click on something, itautomatically does a search for afilliatetarget.com. Sometimes if I am on his computer and I even click on a thread on this site, it pulls that crap. Has anyone ever heard of this?

 

malware/spyware look here

http://www.pctools.com/mrc/infection...filiateTarget/

Or download Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Personal (free) and use it to remove the spyware/adware on the system

 

Cool, thanks. Spybot won't ever remove that one. Nor am I aware if it even recognizes it. I need to download adaware. Thanks for the link!

 

no problem, I've fought with a TON of that crap when I was doing repair...

 

reformat it, it's the easiest way to get rid of all the junk on your computer, and it will have your computer running like a new one again, faster too!

 

Check out Blackviper. http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm
Disabling those services really makes the pc boot up and run faster. Also some of the program might still lauch even if you disable them in msconfig but if you do it in services.msc they won't start up at all.