Advanced Clean-Boot Troubleshooting

You can start your computer with minimal, basic drivers, which is also known as a "clean boot," to figure out if a program is causing a problem. Troubleshooting problems with background programs can be time-consuming, so performing a "clean boot" can save time and frustration.
Instructions

1. Click "Start" in the Windows taskbar and navigate to "Run..." on the right side. In the "Run" dialog box, type "msconfig" to run the System Configuration
2. Choose the "Selective Startup" option in the System Configuration Utility and click to uncheck "Process SYSTEM.INI File," "Process WIN.INI File" and "Load Startup Items."
3. Disable all service other than Microsoft services by clicking on the "Services" tab, checking "Hide All Microsoft Services" and clicking on "Disable All."
4. Restart the computer, and Windows XP should now load with minimal programs. If the problem stops, then the problem lies within one of the background programs. If the problem remains, deeper troubleshooting must be conducted, since the problem lies outside of the background programs.