Disable unnecessary start up processes

• 1). Click "Start," and then click "Run."
  
  
• 2). Type "msconfig" in the Run dialog box, and click, "OK."
  
  
• 3). Click on the "Startup" tab on the window that appears.
  
  
• 4). Look through the enabled start up processes, and uncheck those which are unnecessary. Unnecessary processes are ones started up by programs that you've installed yourself or that your system does not need to run, such as video players, music players, and instant messengers. You should not uncheck boxes for your display drivers, sound drivers, anti-virus or other system devices.
  
  
• 5). Click "OK," to apply the changes, then restart your computer.
  
  

Replace slow antivirus software

• 1). Download or purchase a lightweight anti-virus program. AVG free and Avast are lightweight anti-virus programs that can be downloaded for free.
  
  
• 2). Uninstall your current anti-virus. Norton and McAfee are especially prone to slow down a computer's start up time. To uninstall, click "Start," "Add and Remove Programs," and then double-click the the program name in the program list to begin the auto uninstaller.
  
  
• 3). Restart your computer.
  
  
• 4). Install the new anti-virus program.
  
  

Defragment and clean your hard drive

• 1). Click "Start," then open "My Computer."
  
  
• 2). Right-click your main boot drive (probably drive C) and select "Properties."
  
  
• 3). Click the "Disk Cleanup," button. When prompted press "OK" to delete temporary Internet files, and any other files from the list. (The cleanup will provide a description of the files.)
  
  
• 4). Click on the "Tools" tab.
  
  
• 5). Click on "Check Now," located next to error checking to check the hard drive for errors.
  
  
• 6). Click "Defragment Now," locatedin the same tools tab, to begin the hard drive defragmentation process. This process can take several hours so make sure you have ample time when defragmenting. When defragmentation is complete, restart your computer.