Your solution is greatly appreciated.  I don't use the Dell DataSafe local backup, and it seemed to bog down the startup process.  Thank you.
The "Dell Datasafe Local Backup" program that appears in the system tray on new Dell computers is not started in any of the ways traditionally used in Windows.  Because of this, the proper way to keep it from running on startup is not well-known, and most of the advice I found on the Internet suggests either uninstalling the program completely, or intentionally crippling it by moving, deleting, or renaming one or another of the files or folders it uses.  Instead, the proper way to disable it is to turn off the "SoftThinks Agent Service" using the services control panel - specifically, by changing the Startup type for this service from "Automatic (Delayed Start)" to "Manual".  I post this info here in the hopes that other people will benefit from this information, and to stop the proliferation of bad advice such as what I found when looking for my solution.
[SOLVED] How to disable Dell Datasafe Local Backup