The SCM Webmaster's Observations on Windows XP Startup Programs: The programs that appear in the Startup tab of the System Configuration Utility window are programs that, if checked, will run every time you boot your Windows XP computer. They continue to run in the background while you use your computer to do other things, often without you being aware of them. Some are critical to Windows XP functioning properly, while some are not. If you want to find out what a particular program in the Startup list actually does, here are some suggestions: Go to answersthatwork.com and click the green "TASK LIST" button there. A page is displayed with buttons for "1-9" and the letters of the alphabet. Click the button that corresponds to the first character of the name of the program that appears in the Startup Item column of the System Configuration Utility window. This will bring up an alphabetized list of Windows background processes, along with information about what they do - odds are the program you are looking for is in this list. Alternatively, do a Google search on the program name; if you see links on the search results pages that take you to one of these sites: - liutilities.com - bleepingcomputer.com - processlibrary.com ... odds are these links will take you to pages which give a clear explanation of what the program does. Even if you don't find links to these pages when you do your Google search, a scan of the brief snippets of information accompanying all the search results links that Google displays will likely give you a pretty good idea of what the program does. Armed with this information, you can then make an informed decision as to whether or not the program needs to be launched when Windows XP is booted. Back to Improving Your PC's Performance.