26 is awfully high. The best time to count them is right after you boot up. If the number is over 15, you have too many. Shoot for about 10-12.
In Win98, you can go to Start->Run and type msconfig. Go to the startup tab to see what's loading with Windows. Be careful if you're not sure what you're unchecking.
Here are a couple that you want to leave alone:
[ul][li]ScanRegistry[/li]
[li]SystemTray[/li]
[li]LoadPowerProfile (even if you have more than one)[/li][/ul]
There might be others as well. It all depends on the type of apps you want to leave running, such as your antivirus program. If you're still not sure, post back with the name and path of the one(s) you're not sure about...
~cdogg
"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
- A. Einstein