Blank Entry in msconfig.exe

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G

Guest

I was unchecking some boxes in the startup section of msconfig.exe, and I
found one line with nothing in it! There was a checked check box, but there
was no item name nor any command there. The location was given as:
HKLM/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run

Should I uncheck the box?
 
Jess said:
I was unchecking some boxes in the startup section of msconfig.exe, and I
found one line with nothing in it! There was a checked check box, but there
was no item name nor any command there. The location was given as:
HKLM/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run

Should I uncheck the box?
Click to expand...

The correct Way is to EDIT the Registry and Take out The Blank KEY
it already Tells you were to go in the Registery to Delete it..
(HKLM/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run)


Msconfig is For diagnostic USE only, But Too many users try to use it as
a CURE..
 
In
Santa said:
Msconfig is For diagnostic USE only, But Too many users try to use it
as a CURE..
Click to expand...

In ADDITION to Santa's advice head to this page:

http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml

Grab Startup Control Panel from there, get the whole compressed file and it
will put a shortcut to it into your Control Panel as well.

http://www.mlin.net/files/StartupCPL.zip is the direct link to the file you
want.

Grab it, install it, use it. I don't often recommend software by brand but
I've been using this for years and recommending it here in the newsgroups
forever and a day. You don't have to delete anything, you can just disable
it which puts it into a seperate registry location for the time being. If
you've found it's running well without it then you can delete it but it's
always there just in case you need to put it back. You also don't get the
diagnostic error that you get when using MSCONFIG with XP to adjust your
startup files.

Why use this instead of the Registry tweaking? Because it's simpler as it's
a GUI and it's easier to revert should you make any errors. It also runs in
safemode should there be a problem.

That is in ADDITION to the above advice, it's just not appropriate to use
MSCONFIG as the solution when it's more adept for diagnosing errors.

Galen
--

"My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me
the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am
in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artificial
stimulants. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for
mental exaltation." -- Sherlock Holmes
 
Thank you all very much. I know msconfig is supposed to be for diagnostics,
but it seemed safer than going to the registry, and anyway I wanted to keep
my options open and not permanently remove things, just in case... As a
point of interest, and embarrassing honesty, I thought I should post the fact
that it's gone now! Far as I can find out it was a remnant of MediaPlayer10
mixed up with some Spyware.

Ramesh said:
Jess,

You may remove the entry.

How to manage Windows Startup?:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/startup.htm
Click to expand...
 
You're welcome Jess. FYI: Autoruns is a great tool from Sysinternals, which
is far better than MSConfig, and enumerates many other startup entry points
(apart from the entries from RUN keys).

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


Jess said:
Thank you all very much. I know msconfig is supposed to be for
diagnostics,
but it seemed safer than going to the registry, and anyway I wanted to
keep
my options open and not permanently remove things, just in case... As a
point of interest, and embarrassing honesty, I thought I should post the
fact
that it's gone now! Far as I can find out it was a remnant of
MediaPlayer10
mixed up with some Spyware.
Click to expand...
 
Thank you all for your help. And I now know the cause of my problem.
Norton's
so-called protection corrupted many of my files, including part of its own
Firewall. So far I've only reinstalled the firewall, and a lot of my
problems, including, I'm sure, the one which was the subject of this
posting, have been solved. (My other problems will be the subject of new
postings.)

Once again, thank you all for your help and input.
 
That's why we get the big bucks, Ramesh. :-)

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
Ramesh said:
Another happy customer for Wes:

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


Wesley Vogel said:
Apparently, if there is no path, or maybe an incorrect path, in Value
Data,
the item shows up blank in msconfig | Startup. Also if Default under
Data
is blank (nothing there at all) instead of (value not set).

Start | Run | Type: regedit | OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

Start | Run | Type: regedit | OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

From StartMan HELP:
[[An orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.

How do they occur?

They primarily occur because you've disabled a startup and then, at a
later
date, uninstalled the program that uses it. The uninstaller won't
know about the disabled startup so it gets left behind. And if the
uninstaller
deletes the target file then the startup becomes an orphan. Orphans
can also
occur if you rename or move the target file elsewhere. Where an
orphan is
also enabled you may see missing file reports at startup. In the
case of menu startups (shortcuts), the shell will attempt to resolve
the target by a
brute-force search for the file based upon the information stored in
the shortcut.

How do I avoid creating orphans when uninstalling software?

Firstly, before uninstalling any software, ensure all its startups
are enabled with StartMan. This ensures all its startups can be
located. Next,
use the program's own options to disable or remove the startups - if
that is
an option. Finally, uninstall the software. All things being equal,
the startups should be gone, along with the software that used them.
If not...]]

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
Dummie said:
Santa,
I have the same problem as Jess. I went to edit the registry at
the location of this "blank" program but there were NO blank entries
at this destination. I didn't expect to find and entry to delet
because it is BLANK. How do I find the program or entry in the
registry location that is causing this proglem?

Thanks

:



Jess wrote:
I was unchecking some boxes in the startup section of
msconfig.exe, and I found one line with nothing in it! There was
a checked check box, but there was no item name nor any command
there. The location was given as:
HKLM/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run

Should I uncheck the box?

The correct Way is to EDIT the Registry and Take out The Blank KEY
it already Tells you were to go in the Registery to Delete it..
(HKLM/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run)


Msconfig is For diagnostic USE only, But Too many users try to use
it as a CURE..
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Santa,
I have the same problem as Jess. I went to edit the registry at the
location of this "blank" program but there were NO blank entries at this
destination. I didn't expect to find and entry to delet because it is BLANK.
How do I find the program or entry in the registry location that is causing
this proglem?

Thanks
 
The unchecked [disabled] items in MSCONFIG are present here:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSConfig\startupreg]
 
Apparently, if there is no path, or maybe an incorrect path, in Value
Data,
the item shows up blank in msconfig | Startup. Also if Default under
Data
is blank (nothing there at all) instead of (value not set).

Start | Run | Type: regedit | OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

Start | Run | Type: regedit | OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

From StartMan HELP:
[[An orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.

How do they occur?

They primarily occur because you've disabled a startup and then, at a
later
date, uninstalled the program that uses it. The uninstaller won't know
about the disabled startup so it gets left behind. And if the
uninstaller
deletes the target file then the startup becomes an orphan. Orphans can
also
occur if you rename or move the target file elsewhere. Where an orphan
is
also enabled you may see missing file reports at startup. In the case of
menu startups (shortcuts), the shell will attempt to resolve the target
by a
brute-force search for the file based upon the information stored in the
shortcut.

How do I avoid creating orphans when uninstalling software?

Firstly, before uninstalling any software, ensure all its startups are
enabled with StartMan. This ensures all its startups can be located.
Next,
use the program's own options to disable or remove the startups - if
that is
an option. Finally, uninstall the software. All things being equal, the
startups should be gone, along with the software that used them. If
not...]]

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
Another happy customer for Wes:

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


Wesley Vogel said:
Apparently, if there is no path, or maybe an incorrect path, in Value
Data,
the item shows up blank in msconfig | Startup. Also if Default under
Data
is blank (nothing there at all) instead of (value not set).

Start | Run | Type: regedit | OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

Start | Run | Type: regedit | OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

From StartMan HELP:
[[An orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.

How do they occur?

They primarily occur because you've disabled a startup and then, at a
later
date, uninstalled the program that uses it. The uninstaller won't know
about the disabled startup so it gets left behind. And if the
uninstaller
deletes the target file then the startup becomes an orphan. Orphans can
also
occur if you rename or move the target file elsewhere. Where an orphan
is
also enabled you may see missing file reports at startup. In the case of
menu startups (shortcuts), the shell will attempt to resolve the target
by a
brute-force search for the file based upon the information stored in the
shortcut.

How do I avoid creating orphans when uninstalling software?

Firstly, before uninstalling any software, ensure all its startups are
enabled with StartMan. This ensures all its startups can be located.
Next,
use the program's own options to disable or remove the startups - if
that is
an option. Finally, uninstall the software. All things being equal, the
startups should be gone, along with the software that used them. If
not...]]

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
Dummie said:
Santa,
I have the same problem as Jess. I went to edit the registry at
the location of this "blank" program but there were NO blank entries
at this destination. I didn't expect to find and entry to delet
because it is BLANK. How do I find the program or entry in the
registry location that is causing this proglem?

Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
:-)

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


Wesley Vogel said:
That's why we get the big bucks, Ramesh. :-)

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
Ramesh said:
Another happy customer for Wes:

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


Wesley Vogel said:
Apparently, if there is no path, or maybe an incorrect path, in Value
Data,
the item shows up blank in msconfig | Startup. Also if Default under
Data
is blank (nothing there at all) instead of (value not set).

Start | Run | Type: regedit | OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

Start | Run | Type: regedit | OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

From StartMan HELP:
[[An orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.

How do they occur?

They primarily occur because you've disabled a startup and then, at a
later
date, uninstalled the program that uses it. The uninstaller won't
know about the disabled startup so it gets left behind. And if the
uninstaller
deletes the target file then the startup becomes an orphan. Orphans
can also
occur if you rename or move the target file elsewhere. Where an
orphan is
also enabled you may see missing file reports at startup. In the
case of menu startups (shortcuts), the shell will attempt to resolve
the target by a
brute-force search for the file based upon the information stored in
the shortcut.

How do I avoid creating orphans when uninstalling software?

Firstly, before uninstalling any software, ensure all its startups
are enabled with StartMan. This ensures all its startups can be
located. Next,
use the program's own options to disable or remove the startups - if
that is
an option. Finally, uninstall the software. All things being equal,
the startups should be gone, along with the software that used them.
If not...]]

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In Dummie <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Santa,
I have the same problem as Jess. I went to edit the registry at
the location of this "blank" program but there were NO blank entries
at this destination. I didn't expect to find and entry to delet
because it is BLANK. How do I find the program or entry in the
registry location that is causing this proglem?

Thanks

:



Jess wrote:
I was unchecking some boxes in the startup section of
msconfig.exe, and I found one line with nothing in it! There was
a checked check box, but there was no item name nor any command
there. The location was given as:
HKLM/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run

Should I uncheck the box?

The correct Way is to EDIT the Registry and Take out The Blank KEY
it already Tells you were to go in the Registery to Delete it..
(HKLM/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run)


Msconfig is For diagnostic USE only, But Too many users try to use
it as a CURE..
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 

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