Does the number of icons on the desktop slow the computer when it is starting up as mine is taking 2 min to start up and 1.5 min for completing shutdown?

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Dreams contain the seed of success..... (if you manage to wake up.)

No. The icons on the desktop are just images and take milliseconds to render.

You should check what programs are initiating during the Startup process. You'll probably find that you could clear a few out and then your PC will be faster on startup and will have less programs running in the background so will shut down quicker too.

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Phil
Advise rhymes with rise. Advice rhymes with rice.

MSN slows your pc down on start up if it's set up log on when starting up. Anti-virus software will slow the pc down also. Try to minimise programs loading on start up and shut down all programs running before you shut down.

use
start, run, type msconfig
then go to the startup tab, untick stuff like msn, yahoo etc
click apply and then ok.
Next time start up should be quicker
also run a defrag of your hard drives
can speed things up

Rotciv,

Actually, in my understanding you are correct. The amount of icons (may not necessarily be your programs; but large documents, etc... - you dont actually specify) will affect your startup times for your PC.
The reason being is that these are stored in your profile (C:\Documents and Settings\<USERID>\

Your profile is included in the start-up of a PC; thus directly affecting performance.

Thanks

I opened the start up tab and among the ticked items there are these:
Microsoft Office Common startup
Hp digital imaging Common startup
Autocad Startup Common startup
Adobe Reader Common startup
Google toolbar notifier
Msn
Avg tray

Which of these can i safely untick and then how will i access them when needed.
Thanks to you all for the help offered.

_________________
Dreams contain the seed of success..... (if you manage to wake up.)

Untick them all and start them when you want them from the programs menu or from any desktop shortcuts you have set up.

Some will advise you to keep your anti-virus software (AVG) ticked so that it starts when your PC boots up. Personally, I would delete the whole thing.

_________________
Phil
Advise rhymes with rise. Advice rhymes with rice.

Microsoft Office Common startup
Hp digital imaging Common startup
Autocad Startup Common startup
Adobe Reader Common startup
Google toolbar notifier
Msn

Thats what I would stop from starting up

MSN has an option within it you need to untick also otherwise it will just keep turning itself back on at startup

I'd rather have anti-vir as a safety net to catch stuff thats infected coming from normally uninfected sources.

Thanks for the advice guys, shortened startup time considerably

_________________
Dreams contain the seed of success..... (if you manage to wake up.)

np rotciv
glad to be of help