Win98 -- The advertising billboard you pay $100 to see.
I faced the same challenge. I resented my screen filled with stuff from companies I wasn't doing business with. One difference though, I didn't mind Explorer.
First, make a backup of your system. If you don't, you'll soon wish you had. Next, right click the stuff you don't like and select delete. You'll get rid of most of the annoying stuff like AOL. Other stuff, you can't erase, but you can make an obscure little corner where you never visit to keep it in. Load Tweak-UI from your Win98 CD and use it to rid yourself of some extra persistent icons by converting them to files.
Remember, most of the 'junk icons' are shortcuts. You can re-create them if you find you really wanted them after all. Also, run your system a while before 'emptying the recycle bin.' Until you do, retreats are painless.
Check the "don't show ever again" boxes when you see one. One last cover-up is viewing your desktop as a web page. You can make this web page appear as you wish because it's a HTML file.
Unfortunately, new computers come pre-loaded with lots of crap, but a few nice goodies, included on the CD, aren't loaded at the factory. Check what's available -- you may discover some treasure.
Cheers, PW.
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