StartupMonitor

StartupMonitor is a small utility that runs transparently (it doesn't even use a tray icon) and notifies you when any program registers itself to run at system startup. It prevents those utterly useless tray applications from registering themselves behind your back, and it acts as a security tool against trojans like BackOrifice or Netbus.
StartupMonitor has been tested on Windows 98, Windows 98SE, Windows ME, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, and Windows XP
Installing
Run the installer from the zip file. When the installation completes StartupMonitor will be automatically launched.
Starting
StartupMonitor will load automatically with Windows. It runs completely transparently until a program registers itself to run at startup, when it will show a message box, telling you what program is trying to register itself to start when you boot your machine - you can then allow or deny the program (denying wll not prevent you using the program it will just prevent it loading when you boot your machine).
Stopping
Use the Stop StartupMonitor shortcut on the start menu.

Startup Control Panel


Startup Control Panel is a nifty control panel applet that allows you to easily configure which programs run when your computer starts. It's simple to use and, is very small and won't burden your system. A valuable tool for system administrators! Startup Control Panel is compatible with all modern versions of Windows, including Windows 95, 98, 98SE, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, and XP.
Installing
Just extract the executable wherever you want.
Using
The dialog contains six to seven tabs, depending on your system configuration. Each tab represents one place where a program can be registered to run at system startup. These include: Startup (user) - the current user's Startup folder in the Start Menu. Startup (common) - the common (all users) Startup folder in the Start Menu. Appears only on NT and multi-user Win9x systems. HKLM / Run - the Run registry key located in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. These apply for all users. HKCU / Run - the Run registry key located in HKEY_CURRENT_USER. These apply for the current user only. Services - system services that are started before the user logs in. Does not appear on NT since it has its own Services control panel. Run Once - started once and once only at the next system startup. Deleted - programs go to the Deleted tab when you remove them from another location. They will not run at system startup, but will merely be stored should you ever want to use them again. If you delete an item from the Deleted tab, it is removed permanently. Each page contains a list of the programs registered at that location. To manipulate them, right-click (or press Shift-F10). You can select multiple items using the Shift and Control keys. Options include:
New... - create a new entry. Note that you can also drag & drop files from My Computer or Explorer. Edit... - edit an existing entry. Delete - delete the currently selected entry. Disable / Enable - disable or enable the selected entry. A disabled program will appear in the list with a special icon, and will not run at system startup. You can also use the checkbox next to an item to enable or disable it. Run Now - executes the program now. Send To - moves the entry from the current location to another. You can also press F5 to refresh the list at any time.

Well there are so many available, All with good reports which makes is so difficult to recommend one particular program. I do use three programs and you may wish to check them. first i scan at least every other day using Trend Micro's Housecall Its an online FREE virus scanner and seems to pick up all viruses. Then I also run the avast antivirus program on all my pc's, again there is a free downloadable version. To compliment these i always scan every other day with Ad-Aware and remove any dubious files and again it is free to download,
whilst I cannot guarantee that these will keep your pc free from nasty things but they will Help and make your surfing a much better and safer experience.