msconfig question

[mortmid]

When I run msconfig two of the ten or so jobs that show under the
Startup tab are blank in the execute column. Is it safe to remove
those two entries? Please respond in this forum - email address is
fake. Thanks.

Mort

 

[db]

maybe or maybe not.

what i would suggest is
to download autoruns from
microsoft.com and review
those entries a bit further
with that freeware.

if after your research you
conclude they are useless,
then you can disable or delete
the orphaned key by checking
the line and double clicking the
file name.

i would suggest to disable them
at this time and one at a time.
later, you can delete them if you
don't experience anything wrong
with the o.s.

also, autoruns provides you the
option to view the processes
for every user via the menu option.

as always, make a restore point
before fiddling with the configuration...

- db


When I run msconfig two of the ten or so jobs that show under the
Startup tab are blank in the execute column. Is it safe to remove
those two entries? Please respond in this forum - email address is
fake. Thanks.

Mort

 

[FrankV]

Don't remove them. Just unclick them and see what happens. Then you can
click them back on if it causes a problem.

Frank

 

[Wesley Vogel]

This is known as a startup orphan.

A startup orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

If there is no 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 | Click 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 | Click 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:
<quote>
An orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

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...
<quote>


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[mortmid]

Thanks. I'll try your suggestion first. It seems like the simplest
thing to do. And thanks to all who responded.

Mort