Need help cleaning out items running the background

Okay guys, I used to be a slight pc nerd back in middleschool/highschool but since then I have not really paid attention to the scene. Here is the scoop:

I’m running XP and I got about 55 processes running. I know with XP there should only be about 30-40 processes running and it shows bec my laptop has been slow as shit. I have AVG scanner that runs daily and I use Ad-Aware and Spybot S&D about once a week but I cannot clean out the things that are running in the background that are slowing everything down, whatever those things are.

So what do you guys use to clean out these trojans and shit running in the background?

malwarebytes - http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Why should there only be 30-40? There can be as many as you want.

RUN >>> MSCONFIG >>> STARTUP >>> Click Disable all, then restart.

If you still have a lot, go to Services.msc and look through things you no longer need.

On a fresh xp pro install there’s only like 15-18 or so processes. But there’s no limit to what you can run other than your system spec’s. Right now i’m using 30 processes daily and that’s mostly aim, daemon tools, sound stuff, nvidia stuff, firefox, mirc, and word/excell and such. Just watch for processes in all CAPS or alphanumeric. Though there not always infections they usually are. but u can search liutilities.com for that

with msconfig, how can you tell what processes the computer doesnt need. some of the file names arent that descriptive. I hate running things that arent needed.

ie: "digital line dectection (Avanquest software), software manager (macorvision corp), quickset (dell), SupportSoft sprtcmd (support soft, inc), Data Safe online (unknown), and a few intel things that I assume are drivers

click disable all and it basically makes it out to be a fresh installation(process wise)

with one user… its ridiculous to have over 30.

And Don’t just go through Services.msc and disable things you THINK you don’t need. That is a terrible idea. The descriptions are technical and if you are computer retarded things like DHCP Client don’t seem useful to you

a good place to start is with hijack this… run it and post up the log here.

I think Gus had XP down to about 15 or 16 processes. I run multiple things on mine so a use quite a few processes.

All you need. He goes through each and every service on XP and says what and how you can disable. This is huge for older computers. I had an XP box laying around that was faster than my work computer at the time, because I had it so streamlined.

I know nothing about computers. I am surprised i am even capable to use this wonderful website

so you got condoms running in the back round fascinating