startup changes

I have an item on the startup ( win xp he) / system configuration utility, which belongs to a device which I removed from the machine. At the moment I have a selective startup( put a tick in the utility). However I want to have a normal startup, but I suspect this means editing the registry which I try to avoid. Is there another way of achieving my objective? advice please!!

Download Hijack this from here and remove the entry.

don't understand compltely what you mean, but how about going to start and then run and then typing in msconfig and then click the startup tab and untick anything you don't need. I'm not sure if this is what you have already done with your "selective statrup" but just giving my advice whether its correct or not!!!

Yes, that is exactly what I have alredy done, ie a selective startup. However I want to go back to normal startup!

If you run Hijack this, do a scan and tick the items you don't require it will permanantly remove them thus changing the msconfig startup mode to normal. (Make sure you know what you are deleting first though!)