Here's the deal. You say it takes 7-8 minutes for you to reboot. But you want to know how to delete/stop processes running. Well knowing how to kill them after the fact won't speed up you startup time. Here are a few ways, simplest to most advanced, for viewing startups:
1) Start-Run and type
MSCONFIG
This program will give you both services and startups that you can turn off just by UNchecking the box next to it. Most of them you should be able to recognize by their filename and/or path. When unchecked, they will remain here until you go back in MSCONFIG and REcheck them. In other words, you have the control of turning them on and off. However, MSCONFIG only shows startups from some basic locations, and not EVERY possible startup. But it is easy for a novice to use because if you turn off a startup that is needed, you can just go in and recheck it.
2) HIJACKTHIS.
As you saw, HJT lists startups, it includes most of MSCONFIG plus some more. But when you remove them with HJT, they are gone for good and you can't just go back and turn them on. Short of restoring a backup from HJT of course.
3) A program called "autoruns" from
www.sysinternals.com. It lists dang near every conceivable startup location your PC has. A LOT of the startups you won't be able to tell are good or bad, because a lot will belong to Windows itself. But it will give you a good idea of just how many startups your system really does have.
Next you need a guide. When it comes to startups, there's nothing easier then just typing the filename into Google and seeing what comes up. It's pretty easy to find out if something is good or bad or needed etc...
Check out:
http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/allprocesses/ (this site has most processes you'll come across, unless they are random names. So if you come across a process you don't recognize, check here. If these guys don't have it, search Google. If Google doesn't find it, chances are good it is bad or at least not needed.
There is a difference between startups, and processes. Obviously a startup can become a process. But doesn't necessarily mean it will have the same name. And of course you won't have the same number of processes as you do startups. So you need to deal with both individually.
The aformentioned programs are used to see startups. But for processes, here are some more references.
1) The easiest way to view processes is right-click the task bar and select "Task Manager". Or press ctrl-alt-del. The Programs and Processes tabs will list most running processes. Then use the link above to see what it is.
When in the processes tab, click the column heading of "User Name", this will sort the list by user. The ONLY processes you want to consider closing are under YOUR user name. I would not try to close processes under "System" or "Network Service" etc...
A good guide on how to speed up your system through cleaning services can be found at this URL:
http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/Archive/servicecfg.htm
Be sure to pick the right guide for your SP. Whether 1a or 1 or 2 etc...
That site has some other good guides and tweaks you could look in to.
Also, to help speed up your startup, do a defrag!
I might also mention that the bulk of your startup time is very likely chewed up by the bulky and messy Norton, Firewall, and AOL programs. Sorry to say. Between those 3 you probably have upwards of 15+ startups/services/processes etc...
Hope that learns ya something useful.