Bill,

You may just want to keep some of the free programs that came loaded with your PC. Many are very good, so be careful what you remove. Besides, @750 GB, and all that Ram, you have mucho power to handle a few extra programs. That being said, if you still want to remove some programs or apps, Gary was probably referring to the free PC Decrapifier which will take you on a step by step process.

I purchased an HP laptop a few months ago, and kept most of the programs, but removed Norton Anti-Virus, and then downloaded and installed the excellent, free Microsoft Security Essentials

IMO, Windows7 is better than XP, and besides, support for XP will end soon, which means no new updates. Most programers have now updated their software to run smoothly on 7, and if it's a really old program, it will still most likely run in "Compatibility Mode"

PS: Don't forget the free Malwarebytes to help keep your computer clean of the "nasties".