In Windows Vista, all of Windows’ essential programs are loaded through something called “Windows Services.” This means that most of the startup items you see in Vista are completely optional and can be turned off. However, a good rule of thumb is to disable only those programs that you recognize and don’t need to have running all the time. When in doubt, leave it on.

Here is where you can find it:
Start Menu
Select “Run” on the right hand side
In Dialog Box, type in: msconfig
Click OK
In dialog box, go to the “Startup” tab
Uncheck the programs you don’t want to run at start up.