Do I suddenly have less CPU or something?

Clicked admin tools but still cannot find msconfig

If your Start Search box doesn't even work then I'd seriously consider doing a Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 to learn a lot more and gain full control over you System, using only the tools and methods which have proven to work best in tens of thousands of installs we've helped directly do here - without a single complaint. At least i would compare the install you have to the one compiled in that link.

Msconfig is here:

If nothing works I probably will do a clean reinstall. You've told me to uncheck everything aside from my AV but I do not use AV I use microsoft essentials which will be disabled if I hide all of the MS activities

MSE should remain in the checked items after hiding all Services.

Please complete the steps and report back actual results.

After disabling all of the non MS startup programs and services I have only seen a small change in CPU usage for chrome, around 5% less I would say.

Have you compared Firefox? I find it a much better browser, and it doesn't spy on your continuously and force interest ads on you everywhere you go like Chrome and all other installed or signed-in Google products including Youtube.

Why do you think that is?

I just wondered if there's a benchmark of CPU usage between the two, and how they might have trimmed it in Pale Moon when it looks and acts the same.

I tried it but same problem with dragging my bookmarks that it changes them to raw URL instead of maintaining their title, so I'm trapped in Firefox 12 which is the only one I've found that can do what I need so i can Benihana my posts with links (chop chop).