Most people would say that when you buy a new laptop, from the likes of Dell or Compaq, the first thing you should do is wipe it out and reload XP by itself. Because those manufacturers dump a LOT of garbage "extras" on there that you may never need, use, or even know it's there wasting space and resources.
If getting a clean install is out of grasp for you, there is one simple process you can follow to find out what everything is. Try this on for size:
1) Right-click the task bar and choose Task Manager. Or press CTRL-SHIFT-ESC
2) When Task Manager opens, click the Processes tab.
3) Next click the column header named "User Name". This will sort the list by user
4) Go through each item next to YOUR user name, and do a Google search for the EXE under the Image Name column.
So if you have "type32.exe", search for that in Google, and you'll quickly find out if it's good or bad. Or at least you'll know what it is now.
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The alternative method is read this thread and post your HJT log:
https://www.techspot.com/vb/topic19133.html
This lists most of your running processes, plus other junk including startups you might have. And the techs here will tell you what to clean to speed it up.
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The first approach will teach you a lot. And don't be afraid to search for the files that are NOT on your user name. Only most of these are probably needed by Windows.
The 2nd approach, which you won't learn as much, will be faster and the guys here will get you cleaned up nice and thorough.
good luck