While nothing is entirely perfect in a computer system, you can do a lot to help resolve some of the more tedious issues. Large programs tend to drag at times and when you’re trying to start up your computer, things like Microsoft Word take a very long time to fully load. This can make your entire computer seem much slower, but there are some quick tricks you can try in order to speed things up.

The trick to speeding up your boot times is to keep unnecessary programs from starting up. That way, not only does your computer boot faster, but you can also pull up the programs you need right away without waiting for all the junk and garbage to go first. In general, you should check and clean up your System Configuration periodically to be sure there’s nothing bogging down the system. New programs you’ve downloaded and automatic updates are all in your start-up files and they tend to accumulate and then bog down over time. Cleaning up your start-ups will not only boost program startup speeds, but leave your machine running smoother as well.

MSConfig

Microsoft realized when they produced Windows 98 that computer owners wanted a way to make things easier to change and modify as they needed to. So the designers made Windows 98, XP, Vista and 7 with this convenience trap door into the inner workings of the computer. You can turn programs off at start-up and you can turn them on as well to try and speed things up as necessary. To do this you simply access MSConfig from the start-up menu.

Navigate to MSConfig

The System Configuration Utility is accessed by going to Start, Programs and then Accessories. Inside Accessories you’ll find System Tools and then inside that menu, System Information.

Once you’re in System Information, you’ll see a menu that includes Tools. Under Tools, select System Configuration Utility.

Use the Start Menu

In the later versions of Windows it’s much easier to go to the Start menu and simply type in “msconfig”. When the program pops up, start the program directly from the Start menu.

Using MSCONFIG

Once you have the System Configuration menu open, you’ll see the default to the General tab.



Click on the Startup Tab to see all of the many programs that are enabled to go when you start up your machine.

Among the list of programs you’ll find essential programs like security programs, but you’ll also likely see various search programs and some preloaders for things like Adobe or Flash. If you have a program that bogs down when you try to open it, Flash videos, for example, be sure that the preloader is checked in your start-up files.



Then, look down the list of programs set to start-up with your computer. Disable as many as you can. This will help be sure that your machine is doing less work as it boots up. For example, I don’t use QuickTime much at all, so I unchecked it for startup. That way, when I do need to update it, I can do so manually without having to check every single time I turn on the computer.

Don’t turn off programs like Microsoft Security Essentials, however. Security programs help to disable and prevent unnecessary programs and even malware from working their way into your computer. Even if your security program takes a lot of work to load, consider leaving it. If you’re very concerned about a big security suite being on your hard drive, consider using an internet-based security program like Norton’s Online Scan to keep things clean without having to download a lot of programs onto your machine.

Cleaning Up Your Computer

You should be doing a bit of housecleaning on your computer on a semi regular basis. Start with cleaning up your files and making back-ups, but don’t forget that you should also be cleaning out your downloaded programs and sweeping for malware during those periodic cleanings as well. MSConfig is a great way to check and see what might be taking up valuable space and energy for your computer, and checking only takes a minute or two, making it a nice way to stay on top of your machine and its systems.