Windows XP is an updated Windows 2000. It is in the family line of Windows NT. But XP also includes elements from the Win9x, ME family line. Msconfig, the System Configuration Utility is one of the most important of these tools. Start -> Run -> msconfig to access. For background, see Where do things load from? How to you stop them? . Want to view and or control the programs and elements of XP's startup process, study the information delivered by msconfig which is a menu of locations that control startup loading of programs. :

• General tab : select from
  • Normal startup : load all device drivers and services
  • Diagnostic startup : load basic devices and services only
  • Selective startup : role your own
  • Launch System Restore : create a restore point or restore back to a restore point
• System.ini tab
• Win.ini tab
• Boot.ini tab
• Services tab : another method to disable services
• Startup tab : which programs are automatically loaded
  disable / enable all or selectively