Startup Programs that will kill performance

Over the years I have worked on many computers of friends and family. The main reason I get involved is because the system is slow and not functioning like it used to. One of the main things to check is to see what is being loaded when you computer starts. The first place to look is in the Program files – Startup Folder. Most of the time is unneccessary to have programs loaded from this point. One example of a reason you would want a program loaded, is if you want your Outlook or Email system to load automatically and check for email. Most applications like to put themselves automatically in this location, so when you do use their software it will load up quicker. The reality you can wait the additional 1-2 seconds to load it up when you want, instead of constantly having the program running in the background taking up resources.

Here are the top 3 programs I see that are loaded that slow a computer down:
1. Kodak Easyshare program. – This helps you load pictures from your camera to your computer and edit them. If you are running XP your camera will automatically be seen as a separate drive letter when you connect it. This method will allow you to can copy your pictures to your harddrive.
2. McAfee and Norton Anti-Virus – these are good anti-virus applications, but they are resource hogs. I normally would uninstall these programs and load the AVG anti-virus program. This is very light weight, effective and FREE
3. Quicken BillMinder, Financial Program apps – These are classic programs that are loaded in startup, but dont need to be there.

The next area to verify under Windows XP is the registry entries that are loaded at startup. This is a bit more complicated, but is the next area to check for startup programs.

I’m Back for now

Sorry to be away for a while, I have been very busy with work. This leaves me with very little time to update blogs and keep up with this process. I have been answering many questions and providing advice. I will try to keep the info fresh.