Hi, Jo.
As you probably know, Cmd.exe is the Command Prompt, or "DOS" window. I use
it several times every day to run commands that I learned before Windows was
invented. It is still used to run MS-DOS programs in a window. After
getting WinXP started, can you run Cmd.exe by clicking on Command Prompt?
WinXP does not normally start Cmd.exe until you - or a program you are
starting - asks for it. There are several ways that such a call for Cmd.exe
can be issued at startup. The most straightforward way is by putting a
program in your Startup folder. Other ways include having it in the Run or
Run Once lines in your Registry. If you find out what is trying to start
Cmd.exe, you can deal with that program. It might be some form of spyware
or malware; do you "practice safe hex" by having a firewall and antivirus
installed and working, and by regularly running programs such as Ad-aware
and Spybot Search & Destroy to find and eliminate such malware?
When you start Task Manager at startup, are there any programs running,
other than Cmd.exe? What programs are in your Startup folder (Start | All
Programs | Startup)? Did you put them there, or were they put there by some
rogue program?
RC
