Your Windows PC does a lot of work, so every resource your computer uses is a valuable one. Every application that launches at startup takes up processing power that you can use for something more worth your time. On today's show, we'll show you how to take control of those startup items.

Windows startup locations
Here are the key areas where startup applications reside.

• autoexec.bat
• config.sys
• win.ini
• system.ini
• Windows Registry
• Startup folder
• Windows NT/2000/XP services

To clean out the above areas, you can use the utilities listed below.

Microsoft System Configuration Utility
Windows 95, 98, Me and XP have a utility that lets you turn on or off applications at startup. The utility is called the Microsoft System Configuration Utility, or MSCONFIG.

To use MSCONFIG, follow these steps.

1. Go to the Start menu.
2. Choose Run.
3. Type "msconfig."
4. Press OK.
5. In MSCONFIG, go to the Startup tab.
6. Uncheck any programs that you are familiar with. If you're not sure, leave it checked! Otherwise, you may inadvertently turn something off that you need to compute normally.
7. When you are finished selecting programs, click OK.
8. Restart your computer.

Windows NT and 2000
You don't have MSCONFIG in Windows NT or 2000. For these two operating systems, try Mike Lin's Startup Control Panel. It works a little like MSCONFIG. It's also compatible with Windows 95, 98, and Me.

Download Mike Lin's Startup Control Panel