If you are having difficulty with your Windows OS you should check to see what programs were either delivered with it, or running now, by using MSConfig. I found Patrick Crispen on NetSquirrel has a nice step-by-step HOWTO on MSConfig. Patrick might be familiar to you from the Internet Tourbus, which has been an interesting read over the years. To decide which application you may be able to remove, view the list at Sysinfo.org which is one of the comprehensive references on the subject. From their website:
If you’re frustrated with the time it takes your Windows PC to boot and then it seems to be running slowly you may have too many programs running at start-up – and you have come to the right place to identify them.