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Computers are a bit like cars — everyone has one, and more often than not, you don't know many of the details about why or how it works. You just sort of turn it on, tell it what you want it to do, and hope that it doesn't explode or grind to a halt. For a lot of people, the inside of the computer and the software on it are a vague box of mystery, full of various things that all do something to make it work, but they're not totally sure how.

Of course, unlike cars, computers have a lot of things that can be fixed without any need for mechanical knowledge. While it's unlikely that your car's strange reluctance to shift into third gear can be fixed by anyone shy of a mechanic, if your computer seems to be running oddly or slowly, there's a lot you can do from just the software end. Many problems are easier to fix than you may suspect.

Today, we're going to look at the literal first step when you're turning on your PC — the boot procedure. Every time your machine turns on, it goes through the same process. If your computer loads slowly, the solution to making it go faster can sometimes be as simple as examining what it's doing when the machine starts up.

To do all things, do nothing ...
In fact, one of the first things to do actually puts the lie to that statement. Instead of trying to do something, try changing your computer's startup routine by not doing anything. Outside of logging in when prompted (assuming you have a password-protected startup), just let the computer finish loading everything before double-clicking a single program. You can tell when the computer is done both by the absence of the little hard drive access light on the front of the computer and by the fact that the gentle chugging noise it normally makes will fall silent except for the occasional chirp. There is the additional visual cue of the cursor changing from a "waiting" icon (like an hourglass) to a "ready for business" one (an arrow or other pointer).

It's the same principle wherein you can get more work done at your job if you get your tasks spread throughout the day and not tossed in your face all at once. If you start opening programs the second you can move the mouse and click, the computer can start slowing down from handling too many things at once. And it doesn't help that our first instinct is usually to click on more things, increasing the workload even further.

Of course, this isn't going to solve every problem. You might notice that letting the machine finish booting first means it runs a bit faster, but it still takes a long time to get moving. The next step is to take a look at what's starting up with the computer, since that's the root of the issues. There are a few useful tools for this, and the first one is right in your Start menu.

... but some things do require action
It's a little bit hidden at times, but in the Start menu is a folder named Startup. Any program shortcut placed in that folder will start when the computer is turned on, any files placed there will be automatically opened, and so forth. There are several programs that will put themselves here automatically, whether or not you actually want them to start when your computer turns on. Take a look in this folder and see if there's anything listed that you either don't use or don't need to have running when you start the system. Simply deleting the shortcuts from this folder will prevent the shortcuts from launching until you open them yourself.

Instant messaging programs (like AOL Instant Messenger or Google Talk) are particular culprits in bogging down your startup, because they also start trying to send and receive information through the network adapter, which can bog the system down even further. Consider items like these these a top priority for removal when trying to streamline your boot sequence.

Not every program that starts with the computer will necessarily be listed under the Startup folder. Some of them will have system tray icons instead.  Most antivirus programs and security programs, along with several pieces of proprietary software, will show up in the system tray just to the left of the clock. Right-clicking on these icons will usually give you a menu, either featuring an Options command or giving you the immediate option to turn off the automatic launch feature.  You don't want to turn off antivirus programs for obvious reasons, but many others can safely be disabled.

Oftentimes, the safest programs to turn off are the ones that come as built-in additions or are a package deal with peripherals like keyboards or mice.  If your keyboard has its own special icon in the task tray, for instance, odds are good you can get rid of that and still have the computer function perfectly fine.

There's more to improving your computer's performance than just what happens when it's first turned on, but this is a good place to start making your computer faster. With our next installment, we're going to focus on the things that your computer might be doing that you aren't even aware of, and how to keep the system under your control to improve general performance.