Tweak3D has posted a Windows XP / 2000 startup tweak guide
It's been a couple months since you last installed Windows. Hopefully longer if you have some system stability. Everything was zippy and quick when it was first installed, but lately it's been sluggish. Gradually you noticed the slowdown, and now it seems like frame rates are dropping, boot-time is longer, and overall, the system just seems less responsive. This is typical of a modern Windows OS installation. As the months pass, more and more programs build up in your task bar and your system seems less stable. Yes, it's typical. But it can be fixed!
News source: Tweak3D
View: XP Startup Tweak Guide