How to clean up startup on windows xp

Notes: If your issue prevents you from booting into Windows, you won't be able to follow the steps in this article. After the device tries to restart a few times, you should get Windows Recovery Options, which you can use to try to resolve the issue. Click a link below that corresponds to your version of Windows:.

Windows Recovery options in Windows Windows 8. Windows 7: What are the system recovery options in Windows? This is similar to starting Windows in Safe Mode , but provides you more control over which services and programs run at startup to help you isolate the cause of a problem.

These steps might look complicated at first glance, but following them in order, step-by-step, will help you get you back on track. Use the following steps to perform a clean boot in Windows Perform a clean boot for Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.

Sign in to the computer as an administrator. If you don't have an administrator account, you can create one. Create a local user or administrator account in Windows In the search box on the taskbar, type msconfig and select System Configuration from the results.

Important If the computer is connected to a network, network policy settings might prevent you from following these steps. Only use the System Configuration utility to change the advanced boot options on the computer with guidance from a Microsoft support engineer. Using the System Configuration utility might make the computer unusable. Under Startup in Task Manager , for each startup item, select the item and then select Disable. When you restart the computer, it's in a clean boot environment.

Follow troubleshooting steps to install, uninstall, or run your application. Your computer might temporarily lose some functionality while in a clean boot environment. Reset the computer to start normally after clean boot troubleshooting and resume functionality. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then select Search. Type msconfig in the search box, and then select msconfig. Select Startup in Task Manager, then for each startup item, select the item and then select Disable.

The computer restarts in a clean boot environment. Your computer might temporarily lose some functionality while in a clean boot environment, however that functionality will return. Finish troubleshooting and reset the computer to start normally. Select Start , type msconfig. Note If you're prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. On the General tab, select Selective startup , and then deselect Load startup items.

The Use Original Boot. On the Services tab, select Hide all Microsoft services , and then select Disable all. Note This step lets Microsoft services continue to run. If you disable these services, you might permanently delete all restore points. Do not do this if you want to use the System Restore utility together with existing restore points. Select OK , and then select Restart. After you restart the computer, you'll have a clean boot environment.

Then, do one of the following, as appropriate for your situation:. Note If you receive the "The Windows Installer service could not be accessed" error during the installation or uninstallation, you'll need more information.

How to start the Windows Installer service when system services are not loaded. Then install or uninstall the program or update again. If the installation or uninstallation is successful, you issue is resolved and you can start as you usually do. How to reset the computer to start as usual. If the installation or uninstallation still fails, that means this issue is not caused by application or service interference. You mght need to contact the program manufacturer for more specific support. If the program runs correctly, this issue is caused by application or service interferences.

You can find out which application or service is causing the issue. How to determine what is causing the issue by performing a clean boot If the program still doesn't run as expected, this issue is not caused by application or service interference.

No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article Steps. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Author Info Last Updated: June 2, Remove Spyware and Viruses. Spyware and viruses are leading causes of slowdown because you may have several spyware cookies or trojans that are taking up your processor time for reading and storing and reporting your activity to several spy databases.

Read How to Remove a Virus to learn how to remove them and speed up your system. Update and run your spyware and virus software every week.

If you do not have tools installed to protect against malware and spyware then you can download Spyware Blaster , and for viruses, download a free copy of AVG - " A nti- V ir G uard" or this one Avira - " A nti- Vira guard" all three of those are free "For Personal Use" , all three are also available in Business or Pro versions. Also, Microsoft's Windows Defender is a widely-used anti-spyware tool that is currently distributed freely for users with a "Genuine" verified copy of Windows.

It will allow you to import all of your Internet Explorer settings, and is much less prone to malware than Microsoft Internet Explorer. It will prompt you with a "Set as Default Browser" message. Check "Don't show this again" and click "Yes". Firefox also has a cool feature to delete cookies, cache, and temporary internet files each time you close it. You are strongly recommended to use this option.

It can speed up your internet experience. You should also check Google Chrome which is noticeably faster and less prone to virus attacks from internet Chrome. If you have a really complicated virus infection, try using the Quick Virus Remover. It is a free utility, though not a replacement for commercial products but can be helpful for removing some of the most common viruses infecting your system. Regularly use CCleaner to clean your computer. Over time, your computer may become cluttered with unnecessary files that can slow it down.

CCleaner is a free program which can remove these files for free. CCleaner also comes with a free registry cleaner, although Microsoft recommends not to use registry cleaners. Perform a disk clean up. Clean up your disk quickly to remove unnecessary files. Click Start in the bottom left corner, then click Run. Type, "cleanmgr. Click OK to start Disk Cleanup. Click Start, then click Control Panel.

Right click any unnecessary software and click "Remove". Defragment Your Computer. This will place similar files physically closer on the hard disk and will help improve load speeds. Click Start then click Run. Type, "dfrg. Click Analyze to determine whether you need to defrag your disk and click Defrag to defrag the disk. Do not defrag solid state drives. Stop unnecessary start-up programs. Limit the number of programs that automatically start when your computer turns on.

Click the Start button then Run. Type "msconfig" and click OK to open System Configuration. In System Configuration, go to the Startup tab and uncheck any programs which are not required. If you are not sure what some of the programs listed are, you can search them up online to see if they are safe to disable.

Click OK on the System Configuration window to save the changes. If you encounter problems after disabling some startup programs, re-open System Configuration and choose "Normal Startup" from the General tab. You can use command-line options to specify that Cleanmgr.

You can then schedule the task to run at a specific time by using the Scheduled Tasks tool. To start the Disk Cleanup tool, either run the Cleanmgr. Disk Cleanup supports the following command-line options:.

The n value, which is stored in the registry, allows you to specify tasks for Disk Cleanup to run. The n value can be any integer value from 0 to All drives on the computer are enumerated and the selected profile runs against each drive.

Temporary Setup Files - These are files that were created by a Setup program that is no longer running. Downloaded Program Files - Downloaded program files are ActiveX controls and Java programs that are downloaded automatically from the Internet when you view certain pages. These files are temporarily stored in the Downloaded Program Files folder on the hard disk. This option includes a View Files button so that you can see the files before Disk Cleanup removes them.

Disk Cleanup removes these page but leaves your personalized settings for Web pages intact. IE5 folder. Old Chkdsk Files - When Chkdsk checks a disk for errors, Chkdsk might save lost file fragments as files in the root folder on the disk.

These files are unnecessary. Recycle Bin - The Recycle Bin contains files that you have deleted from the computer. These files are not permanently removed until you empty the Recycle Bin.

This option includes a View Files button that opens the Recycle Bin. Temporary Files - Programs sometimes store temporary information in a Temp folder.

Before a program quits, the program usually deletes this information. You can safely delete temporary files that have not been modified within the last week.