Removing the things you probably don't need

Name: Remove the crud
Category: Speed up your computer
Operating System: Most of them Windows 2000, XP, Vista, ME, 98 etc.
Difficulty: You need to know a bit about what you are doing.

Overview
At any one time there are many programs running on your computer, some you need, some you don't know about and some that are potentially harmful (spyware and viruses). Switching off the unnecessary programs can save memory and can help speed up your system.

What should I do...?
The place to look for programs that are running that you might not need is in the system tray of your computer (the right hand corner of your screen with all the pretty little icons). Most of these will tell you what they are and most can be turned off by closing them, but some will also let you remove them so they don't start when the computer starts. Simply look for a check box that says "system tray icon" "start when windows starts" 'Check here if you don't want this program to load with Windows' and uncheck the box. You may also get it easy and there will be a nice button that says 'Remove from System Tray.'

Is that safe...?
Nothing that runs in the task bar will stop the computer working if you switch it off, but to be safe write down what you switch off so you can turn it back on. It is usually safe to say if you don't use it switch it off. Leave programs that protect your computer (virus protection, firewall etc.), but remove anything that has no use (Quicktime, RealPlayer, RealPlayer Jukebox, Napster, ATI's Video Manager, and AOL's Instant Messenge are some that come to mind!).

Is there another way...?
This is a tip for the more advanced user
Sometimes programs are stubborn and don't like being removed from the start menu. The other method of removal is to run msconfig (which is a tool built into windows for this very purpose).
To start it click start menu ---> run ---> type in msconfig and press enter

When msconfig opens click on the startup tab. From here you can uncheck the items you do not wish to start when you turn on your computer. See below (click to enlarge)
Only uncheck the items you are sure you do not want.

Then once you are done click apply and you will be prompted to restart. Click restart and you are done.

When the computer restarts you will get a warning message and all you need to do is check the box and click exit without restart!

Am I done...?
Yep if all went as planned you will no longer have 1000 items in your system tray and your computer may even run faster.

• Remember Be safe - Uncheck an item, and if a problem occurs, open msconfig and check it again. Whatever you do, don't uncheck the TaskMonitor, Explorer, or SystemTray items in this list as Windows needs them to work properly.

If hope you found this post useful. If you did you might want to consider subscribing to or bookmarking this blog. It's free!