# Windows Question (I suck at computers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 12, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question-i-suck-at-computers/97732 "2002-03-12T00:37:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![abidude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@abidude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abidude)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question-i-suck-at-computers/97732/1 "2002-03-12T00:37:06Z")
Don’t laugh at my question. I know it’s stupid. My computer was going really slow and my friend said that it might be because I have too many programs running. I go to close program window (Control+Alt+Delete) and manually close unnecessary one. He said I should only really have Systray and Explorer when I start out. How do I make it so the other programs aren’t running when I turn on my computer?? While I have your attention, I have another question. Even though I erase history and clear the temp internet files once in a while, one website keeps showing up when I start typing in the address box. It is a CBS show site and when I start typing [www.cbs.com](http://www.cbs.com) it shows up in the drop winodw for some reason. How can I make it go away? It’s doing nothing but it really bothers me whenever I see it. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question-i-suck-at-computers/97732/2 "2002-03-12T00:53:13Z")
Well, as to the CBS thing, just don’t go there for a while and it will go away. For some reason, that drop box thingy isn’t linked to the temp files of the history (or at least it doesn’t seem to be. I too have deleted both in the past and still had the drop-menu.) As for the program startup thing, a few places you have to look. The easiest is in the startup menu on your start menu. If any unwanted programs are there, delete tem (just the shortcut on the menu, not the actual program.) Next, open mscofig.exe (type in msconfig at the run prompt.) The tab furthest to the right is called startup. Uncheck all the programs you don’t want to start with Windows (actually, using this method you might not have to go into the startup folder as I said earlier…but I’m not sure. SO until someone more knowledgable comes along, do both just to be safe.) And just for the record. you don’t neccesarily want just explorer and systray running. Certain programs you might have (like Norton Anti-Virus, or other monitotoring programs like that) you want to run on startup. And I always have this Rundll thing on both my PC’s. I honestly don’t know what it does, but I assume it’s important, 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Polski\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9de053/32.png) [@Polski\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polski_King)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question-i-suck-at-computers/97732/3 "2002-03-12T02:07:45Z")
Yea most peoples have Rundll heres what it is in better words then i can put it; This is from [http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q164787](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q164787) ; > [@](#): > > icrosoft Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Millennium Edition (Me) contains two command-line utility programs named Rundll.exe and Rundll32.exe that > allow you to invoke a function exported from a DLL, either 16-bit or 32-bit. However, Rundll and Rundll32 programs do not allow you to call any exported > function from any DLL. For example, you can not use these utility programs to call the Win32 API (Application Programming Interface) calls exported from the > system DLLs. The programs only allow you to call functions from a DLL that are explicitly written to be called by them. This article provides more details on > the use of Rundll and Rundll32 programs under the Windows operating systems listed above. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question-i-suck-at-computers/97732/4 "2002-03-12T02:18:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bouv \* > \*\*As for the program startup thing, a few places you have to look. The easiest is in the startup menu on your start menu. If any unwanted programs are there, delete tem (just the shortcut on the menu, not the actual program.) Next, open mscofig.exe (type in msconfig at the run prompt.) The tab furthest to the right is called startup. Uncheck all the programs you don’t want to start with Windows (actually, using this method you might not have to go into the startup folder as I said earlier…but I’m not sure. SO until someone more knowledgable comes along, do both just to be safe.) > \*\* I believe that the startup menu contains only shortcuts to the actual start ups. [this site](http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.htm) is excellent for explaining everything. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question-i-suck-at-computers/97732/5 "2002-03-12T03:27:38Z")
Nice website, **barbitu8**. ---
**Author:** ![Natural-J-Bankie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/59ef9b/32.png) [@Natural-J-Bankie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Natural-J-Bankie)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question-i-suck-at-computers/97732/6 "2002-03-12T09:33:18Z")
If your web browser is Internet Explorer, you can clear all the drop down box autocomplete entries by going to tools-\>internet options-\>content-\>auto complete-\>clear forms. ---
**Author:** ![NutMagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@NutMagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutMagnet)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question-i-suck-at-computers/97732/7 "2002-03-12T14:42:06Z")
Start Run type msconfig choose Startup tab uncheck everything that you can identify with a useless program (realplayer etc.) reboot You can experiment with the more cryptic ones. Turn them off, reboot, see what gives. If you have problems, reboot in Safe mode and reactivate them. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question-i-suck-at-computers/97732/8 "2002-03-12T15:41:15Z")
If your computer is slow it needs maintenance. You should do that before you cancel any programs, esp., if you don’t know what programs you are closing. Do a full scandisk & defrag asap. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question-i-suck-at-computers/97732/9 "2002-03-13T01:22:51Z")
You can delete individual entries from the IE address (or any IE) autocomplete dropdown list. Just position with the up/down arrow keys and press the delete key.