It seems like every damn program you install wants to put an icon in there! Most of the time it’s some pointless shit I don’t need. If I double click a zip file winzip will load. WHHHHY do I need an icon for winzip then!?
If I insert a DVD most likely the thing will autoplay, so why do I need a thing associated with the DVD software down there constantly.
Why?! 
A-fucking-greed.
ATM, I’ve got the Windows Task Manager down there (OK, potentially useful, but how about an option?), two ‘display management’ software bollocks things, my modem software, my soundcard, JAVA!!!, …
I’ve seen some software that pre-loads into memory - which leaves a little icon in the tray. This way the software looks like it starts up really quick when you need it. But really the bulk of it loaded at boot time.
I turn all that stuff off myself.
I’ve been to a friend’s house where his system tray stretches past the middle of his screen! (to the right).
The ONLY useful icon there is the one that assures me I am connected to the internet and that there is network activity.
Dang! That computer must run with all the speed of supercooled magma!
IIRC, back in the day when 33 Mhz. was considered a fast chip, and huge software programs were a bit more rare, these fast-laucnch icons actually did serve a purpose in that they partially loaded the program at start-up. This allowed a significantly faster loading of a large program than if you loaded it cold (so to speak).
Nowadays, however, I agree… annoying as hell!
OG DISABLE!!
The vast majority are no longer needed, seems to me. I’m guessing that the marketing departments of the software manufacturers are to blame here (force an icon in the system tray! It’ll increase our product visibility! What a great idea!!).
Uses dental floss to flick the crud from between my teeth in the general direction of marketing departments…
I’m reminded of the line in Dave where Kevin Kline’s character says "“We’re spending forty-seven million dollars to make people feel better about a car they’ve already bought?”
I run MSConfig constantly to stop those stupid things from popping up on load.
Techie note: some versions of Windows (ex.: Win 2K) do not have this utility. If you are using a version that does not, and you’re reading this thread thinking, “Dang! I can’t do that!” Go here for instructions on how to download and install the msconfig utility on your machine.
THEN, OG DISABLE! 
I think this is it. It’s free advertising!
To people who already have the software.
That still occurs, with large programs. Mozilla has the option to reside in memory, which gives a startup time comparable to IE (well, it does for me, but individual experiences vary). But then again, running Mozilla at full pelt grabs some 150-200Kb according to Task Manager.
Yep, you’ve just hit the intelligence level of the marketing dept of a small software company. The bastards.
…to tell them how indispensible the software is, and that things might not be the same if they tamper with the default settings. Windows’ endless warnings if you touch Msconfig do nothing to help.
If I re-enabled everything, it’d be two thirds across a 1280 width. That’s why I hate the things.
Astroboy, you are my hero. I’m gonna name my next kid Astroboy. Oh wait, I’m all done having kids…OK, I’ll name my next dog Astro.
It’s always pissed me off that I couldn’t run MSCONFIG since I upgraded to 2K, now I can. wipes a tear from my eye
Most welcome, Fugazi!
*Disclaimer: Disable carefully! You don’t want to accidentally disable something that your computer actually needs, and thereby cause yourself trouble… if in doubt, Google it! Or, if you want to be obsessively careful, disable only one item at a time, reboot, and ensure that your computer and all programs still operate correctly before moving on to the next item. 
33MHz machines (386s or early 486s) ran under DOS and Windows 3.xx. System tray icons first appeared with Windows 95 (or was that 98?). When Win 95 came out, I had a 40MHz 386 with 8MB of memory, which was at the time very outdated. It would run Win 95, but not fast enough to do anything useful.
Everyone wants to make their software the most prominent. I liken computers and the Internet to the old west. Everyone vying to be on top, yet with few laws or regulations to govern it. That’s whySpyware is still so prolific despite it’s misleading and destructive nature. I wonder when companies like Microsoft are going to smarten up and make things like disabling startups from msconfig something everyone can do, not just pro’s. I use msconfig after almost every install and I still have to directly edit registry keys to get the desired results. If a car salesman tried to tried to force options on you like software developers do, you’d scream bloody murder and walk out of the dealership.
And to think, I used to hate it when software tried to install itself with the full company name as the parent directory and then the software directory in that. What days those were…
DEFAULT THIS!
CM
Actually I prefer that to several games from the same company all going into their own parent directories. That way if I want to find a file pertaining to SimCity or Sims or John Madden Football, I know to look in the EA folder. I have so many folders as it is, I don’t need more
What I do is load every game into a folder with a structure like this: c:\games\Simcity, or c:\games\John Madden Football. That way all my games are in one main folder. It may help, unless you are the type of person who talks like this, “I am playing NovaLogic’s ‘Splinter Cell’”, in which case, Bub, you are on your own!
Spybot Search and Destroy has a msconfig startup editing mode. Advanced Settings, Tools.
I find it slightly more powerful than msconfig, and I want spybot on the machine anyhow…
For the record: I won’t dispute that at all… the 33 mhz was a figure I pulled out of no where at all, 'cause I was too lazy to research it. I defer to your obviously better recollection. :smack:
Download & run some very handy utils from [url=http://www.mlin.net/]this page. Startupmonitor, Startup Control Panel, and Tray Saver. Control Panel is just a streamlined version of msconfig. Startupmonitor allows you to block any program that tries to install itself to run on system startup. Tray Saver allows you greater control over your system tray.
Ack!! Fixed Link.