It contains information on just about everything – from the websites you visit to the programs you installed. The problem with Windows registry is that it has no system in place to automatically scan errors or to automatically delete unneeded files in it. Overtime, the registry gets filled up. It continuously collects files as well and eventually gets filled up, leaving little to no space for newer entries and clogging the entire system.

This should lead you directly to the list of applications. Some like instant messenger applications for example, however, are non essential. See if these are the culprits of slower startup. A word of caution in disabling programs: Uncheck only those programs that you are familiar with, otherwise leave them unchanged. The computer’s registry can be considered the ‘brain’ of the computer. Delete or disable any non-essential programs. Some of the programs in this list are important in the smooth functioning of your pc, don’t change any of their settings.

This allows their programs to be ready for loading all the time but slows your machine down in the process. But these programs are not the only ones that can bog your pc down. If any type of malware is present, it could affect your pc’s performance and slow Windows XP startup may occur. There are a lot of things that can slow Windows XP startup. Check out the resources in my website to know more on the quick fixes to a bogged down pc. There are equally plenty of solutions that can resolve this problem.

All these can combine and the result could be pretty disastrous – drastic delay in booting up and shutting down and other things in between that will make your pc work below your expectations. If this is the case for your pc, try to check out how many files initialize during boot up via the MSCONFIG tool – click START, hit RUN, and type MSCONFIG in the command bar. Your computer accumulates programs as it gets used, many of which are launched during start up. So what are the problems that is causing your Windows XP to slow down while booting? Plenty of programs that run simultaneously during startup. If there are plenty of individual things that need to be initialized by your pc during startup, it is not unlikely that it will slow down to a crawl.

Fortunately, computer registry allows editing either by manually fixing the errors in it or via a registry cleaner that does this automatically. When done right, however, your startup time will significantly improve after cleaning the registry. Plenty of unnecessary programs that run in the background. You will have to use these cleaners at your own risk. Software companies design most of their programs to continuously run in the background. They come at a cost though – monetary for you and risks to your computer. It is not a perfect science yet.