Windows XP: Slow start menu 'All Programs' response

What's happening is that XP is reading through all the Start Menu folders and entries. Some amount of rearranging (grouping similar folders together in a parent folder - I have ones for "Utilities", "Multimedia", "Applications", etc) can speed things up. However, if you're really loaded with applications and short on memory, nothing short of uninstalling some of that stuff will help.

Based on what you've given us I'd suggest taking this tack on troubleshooting the issue: Bring up the Task Manager, switch to the Processes tab, and then sort it by CPU. Keep an eye out on what processes are using the most CPU time and then click on your Start button and head up to All Programs. I run AVG on one of my older XP boxes and I've noticed AVG's resident scanner has a tendency to chew up a HUGE amount of CPU cycles whenever I open a folder on that box, resulting in a lag of several seconds before the file names start appearing and icons populate properly. You may be running into the same thing on your PC.

"Try this:

Right click My Computer, select Properties, then click the Advanced tab.

Click the settings button under the performance window. Click the radio button for Custom and uncheck Fade or slice menu's into view.

Close the open windows and give a try."

"Turning off ""Show shadows under menus"" solved the slow start menu problem for me:

From webapp.usm.maine.edu/WebFAQ/?1803

Turns out there is an easy fix. Right click on the Windows Desktop and
choose Properties. Then choose the ""Effects..."" button on the
""Appearance"" tab. Make sure that the ""Show shadows under menus"" item
is unchecked."