Mel said:
how do I remove start items from msconfig
Deselect them. That doesn't remove them - because you may want to
resume using them later. Unchecking a startup item disables it in
msconfig.exe. The item does not get deleted. Instead the item gets
moved into a special registry key used to archive the disabled startup
entries. This archive is not search during Windows startup or when you
login. So they are still in the registry but in a differen place not
used during startup or login.
If you disable a startup item in msconfig.exe (which moves the entry to
its special archive registry key) and then uninstall the program, the
uninstall won't know about msconfig's archive key so it remains. That
means after uninstallation that you will still see the item listed as
disabled in msconfig. If you then reenable that item, msconfig moves
the item from its archive key back into whatever registry key it was
originally. That means now you have a startup item that is orphaned as
the program loaded by that startup item no longer exists.
If you want to remove a startup item, and other than uninstall the
program that added it, you'll have to edit the registry to remove the
startup item. Either you can manually edit the registry or use a
utility program to do it for you. SysInternals (acquired by Microsoft)
has their AutoRuns utility that shows you all the startup item
locations. Msconfig only shows you the common locations. In AutoRuns,
you enable/disable a startup item (it does the same thing as msconfig by
moving the registry data item for the startup string to its archive key)
or you can delete the startup item (it gets removed from the registry).
There is no Undo function so if you delete a startup item and didn't
export or record a copy of the string in the data item under the startup
registry key then you won't be able to restore what you just deleted.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902
That you are using a program to help edit the registry is no less
hazardous than you using a different program (regedit.exe) to edit the
registry. If you don't backup and then screw up the registry, you could
end up with severe side effects, corrupted apps, or an unbootable OS.
Plan an escape route, like saving a partition image backup before
committing surgery on your registry.
