Does anyone know how to remove programmes from my start up? I am told that too many programmes in this area slows down the process of start up.

Do you mean when running MSCONFIG? If so, just uncheck what you don't need.

Does anyone know how to remove programmes from my start up? I am told that too many programmes in this area slows down the process of start up.
One way is to right click on the icon in the taskbar to see if you have an Option or Preferences setting. Some programs require a box to be checked to run upon Startup.
Another way is if you have Microsoft XP or Vista, right click on the Start button, select Explore All Users or Explore [your Username]. Under Programs, click Startup. The right pane will show you the programs running upon startup. You could delete them from the Startup Menu here. This might work for Windows 2000 also. It's been a long time and I can't remember if you can right click on the start button or not.