Lately when my computer starts acting slow, I will run RegVac in the middle of the day.  I've noticed that it will find one or more entries that end with \1.0\helpdir, sometimes the numbers are 5.0 or 6.0.  Once Regvac is finished running, my computer is running as fast as I expect it to.  Can I go in and eliminate whatever it is that is creating these files that are slowing me down?  I'm using XP SP3.  My machine originally came with Windows 98 SE thus I'm formatted as FAT32.  Thanks in advance.

I would check for viruses and spyware.

I ran my scans several times.  The only thing that comes up are some tracking cookies and I delete them every time.  Several of the programs specific for spyware seem to had comments from others that they're a bunch of scams.  I'm using the current version of Symantec.  I've read that having multiple anti-virus programs is bad.  So I don't know what to do.

You are right, very few virus programs can coexist on the same PC. Since it is not virus or spyware try the following: --
1)use the search function to find the location of these files and create a shortcut on your desktop of the folder in which they are located.
2) run Regvac to delete these files. After deletion confirm by opening the desktop shortcut.
3) restart your PC and check the folder for these files. If they are now present then they are being created during your startup phase and you should check using Msconfig for the offending programs.
4) if they are not present, run your regular programs checking the folder after each execution. Hopefully this will identify the program that is creating these files.

Best of luck

It is possible that the program that those entries are for (for example, Word), is the one recreating them.  If that is the case, it would do it when it is run.  It is evidently creating them as bad entries.
They are cleaned because they either do not point to an existent file or they are empty.