[music4nations]

I have a NEW dell laptop and I want to go into the add/remove programs in XP and get rid of stuff I dont need. Lots of things in there I dont know what they do and if they are pertinent to my system. How can I find out what is ok to remove and/or what the program does?

[mphenterprises]

Hi music. That is not a question any one person can answer for a couple of reasons:- No one but you knows what you are going to use and what you don't want to use- No one here can see the programs listed within your Add/Remove Programs sectionOnly you can answer this question. What I would advise is any PROGRAM that you see that you know you will never use, uninstall it. If it doesn't look like it is a program or if you are unsure of the application, leave it alone. The only other option is if you can get a screen shot of your Add/Remove program screen, that would give everyone a better idea as to what is on your computer.

[music4nations]

Oh, I thought perhaps there may be a website where I can type in a program name to find out what it does. Thanks for the help though.

[AuroraDizon]

generally you gotta keep things like your firewall, programs you use like your browser etc. If you have a question about a program you wish to remove google it and see what it is. Keep windows updates and all that stuff.

[SpiritWind]

{size:18px}[/size]:D Hi Music : Would recommend you visit www.pcdecrapifier.com and possibly make use of the FREE program there ; it was originally called "Dell De-Crapifier" .

[DellCA]

Hello,My name is Mike, Im a Technical Analyst located at Dell corporate headquarters in Round Rock, TX. Im part of an internet outreach team developed to interact with the online community regarding technical questions and issues that customers face with Dell products. I read your question and wanted to chime in. As far as a site to find out what programs do, Google seems to be a customer favorite. Others prefer Ask (dot com), but any other reputable search engine should do. Just type the name of the program into the search field and you will usually get the information youre looking for. This is also a handy tip when you run across a troublesome process or service and you need to know what it does. Mphenterprises and AuroraManson are correct. Its ultimately up to you to decide what software you need and what is just taking up space and resources. Aside from the Firewall/ virus protection, browsers, windows updates, etc its all about personal preference. Also keep in mind that the applications pre-installed are available on the applications CD shipped with your system so if you ever uninstall something that you want back later, it should be on the disk. There is also a hidden restore partition on the hard drive that will enable you to reset the image to the original factory install in the event the OS needs to be reinstalled. This image includes the OS, the drivers, and the pre-installed apps so worst case scenario, if you feel starting over with a fresh image is ever your best option, just reboot and hit the Ctrl + F11 keys and follow the instructions. I hope this information is helpful. Thank you,MikeDell customer advocate