Improve XP start time

  • Section(s): Booting
  • Published on Nov 17, 2005.
  • Last Modified on Nov 17, 2005.
  • Last Modified by Mitch Tulloch.
  • Rated 3.3 out of 5 based on 29 votes.
Speed XP startup by removing unneeded autostart programs.

If your company gets their desktop computers from a big vendor like Dell, you may find that you have a lot of unneeded autostart programs on your desktops. By removing unneeded autostart programs (programs that start automatically when Windows boots) you can improve the startup time for your desktop computers. Here are two ways to do this:

Run msconfig.exe, select the Startup tab, and clear the checkboxes beside those programs you no longer want to start automatically on startup.

Get the autoruns tool from Sysinternals, which does an even better job than msconfig of ferreting out those pesky autostart programs hidden away in various corners of the Registry.

About Mitch Tulloch

Mitch Tulloch is a widely recognized expert on Windows administration, networking, and security. He has been repeatedly awarded Most Valuable Professional (MVP) status by Microsoft for his outstanding contributions in supporting users who deploy and use Microsoft platforms, products and solutions. Mitch has published over two hundred articles on different IT websites and magazines, and he has written or contributed to almost two dozen books and is lead author for the Windows 7 Resource Kit from Microsoft Press. For more information, see www.mtit.com .


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