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DO IT:  Quarterly, or as necessary.

While most people start their day off with coffee, your computer’s start-up is vastly different!  And just like when you don’t have your morning cuppa joe, what you have on your computer’s start-up menu can really slow you down. 

Most people know that the more programs you have running on your computer at once, the more likely it is that your computer will either run slowly or even crash.

What most people don't know is that every time you boot your computer a whole mess of "hidden" programs load in the background.  These programs take up a lot of your system’s resources because they are constantly running in the background.  Some of these hidden programs are essential, but most aren't. Turning off some of these hidden programs can significantly increase your computer's performance and reliability.

Here are the step-by-step instructions to cleaning up your computer’s Start Up: 

Step 1:
To see all the items that are loading when your computer starts, click on Start » Run and type MSCONFIG in the Run dialog box. Click OK, and the  "System Configuration Utility" will appear.  Designed to help you troubleshoot problems with your computer, MSCONFIG can also be used to ensure that your computer boots faster and crashes less.

Step 2:
There will be five tabs at the top of the window.  Click on the Startup tab, and you will see a long list of items. Every item with a check mark in front of it is loading on your computer every time you turn it on.  To stop items from running the next time you start your computer, just remove the check mark and click Apply when you are done.

You can turn off many of the items, but some you will want to keep running, especially things like your antivirus.  However, you don’t want to turn off any item if you are unsure of its function. 

 Cautions: 
If you are unclear of what a particular file is used for, you can determine its function by clicking http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php.  Then type the name of the file you are questioning into the Search box.  If you are unable to locate the purpose of the file, you may wish to allow the file to continue loading to prevent any problems from occurring.

Step 4:
You will then be prompted to restart your computer. 

Cleaning up your Start Up might take a little time, but it will be worth it to know exactly what is running on your computer!

Note:  If you receive a message that you are starting up your computer in selective start up mode, don’t fret.  It is only a warning that you have turned off some of the items that were automatically loading when you turned on the computer. It is not a special mode.  Just click to place a check mark in front of: Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows Starts and then click OK.