Help with a Run command in the registry

[JD]

I recently had someone install a new sound card for me. He had problems
installing the drivers, but did something I didn't understand in the
registry as a "workaround."
I now see a new Run command and I'd appreciate it if someone could explain
what it means--and if it is really necessary:
KHLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
%systemroot%\system32\dumprep 0 -k

 

[Tim Meddick]

The "generic" way that I go about investigating an unknown command is this ;

From http://support.microsoft.com/kb/899870 :

The Dumprep.exe tool is a Windows XP fault logging program. If a serious error
occurs, Dumprep.exe writes the error details to a text file. The Dumprep.exe tool
then prompts you to send the error information to Microsoft. The Dumprep.exe tool is
a non-essential system process that is installed for third-party use.

Also, in this KB entry, it describes how dumprep is a non-essential system process
that can make Windows become slow after booting up and describes how you may delete
the "HKLM\.....\Run" reg entry without consequence.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Tim Meddick]

Sorry, that (my previous post) didn't make much sense.

I started off by saying one thing about how to investigate such matters, but then
decided to search for it myself.

So the previous post should have begun :

From http://support.microsoft.com/kb/899870 :


==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[JD]

Thanks Tim,
I have not received any Dumprep error messages, nor have I noticed my
computer running slow. I just saw the Run line in MSConfig and knew that it
had not been there before my "friend" installed the new sound card. He did
have problems installing the drivers and did something in Regedit, which I
could not follow, and which he did not explain to me.
Computer and sound card seem to be performing well, so I will take the
advice of the kb article and remove the Run line from Regedit--after
exporting it first, of course.
The aforementioned kb article says that error messages are written to a text
file. Since I've received no error messages, I suppose that no such text
file exists. Where would I look to see whether that is the case?
Your response--and research--is greatly appreciated!

 

[Tim Meddick]

I believe that the Error Reporting Tool creates one or more files in your %temp%
directory that only exist for the time it takes for Windows to collate and send the
error report to M$

The files have names like : "4292_appcompat.txt" and "10798F5.dmp" and are
deleted as soon as the report process is complete.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.