When Windows starts up, before you've launched your first application, there are already several programs running. There may be several dozen! Where do they all come from? You're probably familiar with the Startup menu, below Programs in the Start menu - any shortcut in the Startup menu will be launched automatically when Windows starts. Windows also looks in six other locations for files that should be launched at startup.
If one or more programs launched at startup seem to cause trouble, Startup Manager can help you deal with them. Its main Startup Program List lists all the programs that are launched automatically at startup and lets you disable or enable them. With a little effort, you can even delete them permanently.