Just got a new laptop with Windows XP Home edition on it and I formatted the drive to put Win XP Pro on it. Well Pro went on just fine and it seems to do okay. After installing all of my programs, I started to have problems with it booting up. It boots up, but half of my tray icons load and then the computer will just sit there. Then the startup music comes on, and then the rest of my tray icons will load. During the time of the system just sitting there, I can't open nothing. If I try to open Windows Explorer it will say not responding. What could be the problem?

Get a freeware program called Startup CPL (Search Google). Sounds like you may have a lotta programs loading at startup, which slow down boot.

Try this . Start > Run , copy & paste > msconfig & press Enter . Click on the tab marked "Startup" Uncheck all the items except System Tray and Explorer . If the problem no longer persists , then one of the items in the startup is the culprit , you just need to track it down . More here . Run msconfig in the 'Diagnostic startup' mode . If that speeds it up , start restoring services and startup programs in batches till you can identify the offending service/process . http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/service411.htm ==================================== Taskbar and Start Menu http://www.tweaktown.com/document.php?dType=review&dId=324&dPage=3 To access: Control Panel>Taskbar and Start Menu or Right-click on Start Button>Properties Taskbar Choose settings to taste. Untick "Hide Inactive Icons" so that no program loads itself into your systray by stealth. See MSConfig section for more information on startup programs. Start Menu I recommend the WinXP menu. Click on Customise. Under the General tab, choose your own settings ( to taste ) Under the Advanced tab, under Start Menu Items tick the Run command as well as Administrative Tools – we need to use these. Tick "Open Submenus when I pause on them with my mouse" and untick "List My Most Recently Opened Items". See Services section on how to turn off this service altogether.