How to Run a Program when Windows 7 Starts

Run a program automatically when Windows starts

If you always open the same programs after starting your computer, such as a web browser or e‑mail program, you might find it convenient to have them start automatically when you start Windows. Programs or shortcuts placed in the Startup folder will run whenever Windows starts.

1.Click the Start button , click All Programs, right-click the Startup folder, and then click Open.
2.Open the location that contains the item to which you want to create a shortcut.

3.Right-click the item, and then click Create Shortcut. The new shortcut appears in the same location as the original item.

4.Drag the shortcut into the Startup folder.

The next time you start Windows, the program will run automatically.

Note
You can also make an individual file, such as a word-processing document, open automatically by dragging a shortcut of the file into the Startup folder.

Windows XP remove File Indexing Service.

On older computers this noticeably slows things down.
As it only speeds up searches it is not necessary.

IN XP Right Click on My Computer, right click on Drive C.
Right Click on properties
Ensure the tick is removed from "Allow Indexing Service to Index this disk for fast file searching.
The problem with this is that on a reboot it may default bak to having a tick in the box. If so try this.

To disable the indexing service:

1.In the "Start" menu, choose "Run."
2.Type "services.msc" and press Enter.
3.Scroll-down to "Indexing Service" and double-click it.
4.If the service status is "Running", then stop it by pressing the "Stop" button.
5.To make sure this service doesn't run again, under "Startup Type:", choose "Disabled."

or

To disable it, go to the Control Panel and click Add/Remove Programs. Click the Add/Remove Window Components. Simply unclick the Indexing services and click next!

Windows 7 Removing Blank Startup Items in MsConfig

Removing Blank Startup Items from MSConfig
1. First, enable the item if it’s already disabled, and then click Apply. This moves back the entry to the "Run" registry key, which you can edit manually.

2. Note down where the blank entry is located in the registry, by expanding and viewing the Location column. (Hint: HKLM represents HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE registry branch, and HKCU means HKEY_CURRENT_USER)

3. Click Start, Run. Type Regedit.exe and press ENTER.

4. Navigate to the registry branch that you noted in Step 2.

5. Right-click on the value which has blank data, and choose Delete.

Additional Note: If the (Default) or unnamed value has blank data, you’ll have to delete that as well. Right-click on the (Default) and choose Delete. It should now read as (value not set