I am using Win XP prof. and I find it very slow in booting, loading of programs and while shutting it down. What will be the reason behind this?

How much RAM (Random Acess Memory) do you have installed?

Installed 256 MB of RAM, P IV 1.7 Ghz processor. Is it due to the RAM that the PC is slow?

I recommend you add at least another 256 MB of RAM. Running XP with any less than 512 MB of RAM is going to make the computer very slow. See the link below for more information on what type of RAM you need, how much you can add, and the cost involved.

Crucial System Scanner

Other possible reasons being;

How long since you...

Emptied the Recycle Bin?

Deleted Temporary files?

Deleted Temporary Internet files?

Performed a scandisk (chkdsk) and defrag of C:?

Have you done any adjustments to your Vitual Memory or is Windows managing it?

How many (useless) programs load at Startup?

This Freeware utility - CCleaner, does a good job of system cleanup. Leave everything at default settings.