windows xp startup menu

[Linda Thomas]

Just bought a new eMachine and it is loaded with junk In windows 98  it tells what you are disableing but in xp I do not understand. In 98 I only started up with auto run regeristy/ sound. What is the least I can use i xp?  Thanks

[Mac]

Is that XP Home or Professional Linda, and what are the system specifications? What is the junk you are referring to? Is it adware, spyware or malware which is affecting your use of XP?

How much RAM is fitted in this computer?

It is better to have sufficient RAM rather than to waste time 'tweaking' or tuning.

Start with a general cleanup...

"Run Disk Cleanup and remove all but the last restore point. See if your System Restore cache and Recycle Bin size is set at a reasonable level (Say 1024Mb) on each drive, and reduce the IE Temporary Internet Files cache and History cache to the minimum. Install CCLeaner and clean out all of the junk files. Unhide all files and folders and remove the hotfix uninstallers ( $NTUninstaller$ ) from the hidden C:\Windows folder and remove their entries from Add-Remove programs.
(Note: Some Security updates should NOT be removed so check in add-remove programs - before - doing this task.)
Then remove the contents of:

The C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Installations folder
The C: WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download folder
The C:\WINDOWS\Temp folder
The C:\Windows\pchealth\helpctr\Datacoll folder, and...
The C:\Windows\Prefetch folder

(You can add these folders to EmpTemp if you have this program installed.) Then run chkdsk and defrag."

Disk Cleanup Tool Stops Responding While Compressing Old Files

EmpTemp & CCLeaner File Cleaner

To make your shutdown work cleanly install the...  User Profile Hive Cleanup Service

TweakUI is useful to have on your system for certain repairs, as well as for performance tweaks... POWERTOYS

ERUNT-NTREGOPT

If you are not doing so already then you should be using SpyBot SD, AdAware SE & SpywareBlaster. All of these programs are freeware.