How to Fix Windows XP Startup Problems
Many programs automatically start up when Windows XP loads, and that makes it easy to quickly access a program you need. But as more and more of such programs are loaded onto a computer, serious performance problems can result. Windows XP has a built-in utility called MSCONFIG that can be used to identify and fix these startup problems.
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Instructions
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Start your computer. As Windows XP loads, make a note of which programs are loading during startup and which, if any, are causing problems.
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Click on the "Start" menu in the lower left corner of your Windows desktop and select the option that reads "Run."
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Type "MSCONFIG" (without quotation marks) into the box that appears and select the "OK" button.
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Click on the tab that reads "Startup" from the main Windows XP utility that appears.
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Look at the list of programs that are loading on startup. Each of these names is accompanied by basic information, including the directory of the file that is loading on startup. Remove the check in the box next to a program's name to prevent it from loading when Windows XP starts. You can also select "Enable All" or "Disable All" to let all programs load on startup or let no programs load.
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Select the "OK" button. You will be told that for your changes to take effect you need to restart your computer. Do so, and your changes to Windows XP's startup procedures will take effect.
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Tips & Warnings
Certain processes that load on startup are integral to the way Windows XP operates. It is not recommended that you remove an item from startup using the MSCONFIG utility unless you know exactly what that program is and whether or not your computer needs it to load automatically.
