Use msconfig.
Go to Start -> Run and type msconfig
Then click on startup tab and that is a list of everything that starts up on your computer.
Uncheck the ones you don't want.
Things like Office Startup and crap like that are absolutly unnecessary.
If you arn't sure about some of the stuff you have on startup, look at the name and put it in google. Then decide from there. Anti-virus and firewall programs should stay checked. Most of the other stuff is usually there just to take up memory.
WARNING: Change at your own risk. Though it is a simple thing to do, don't uncheck too much of the programs that you don't know. You don't want anything bad happening to your windows box.
Think logically when doing this. If you have something like NeroCheck, it probably checks the nero program version number or something, so unchecking it is ok. It will probably run that program at the start of you opening nero anyhow.
Bookmarks