Does it seem like the more time you spend with your Windows XP installation, the longer your PC takes to pull itself out of bed when booting up?

It's not a sign of old age, it's the ever-growing accumulation of detritus that various applications and hardware deposit on your hard drive when you install them. Whether these items are functional or completely useless, they all take time to load.

Here's how to trim the bloat and reduce the time it takes your PC to get ready for action.