MSConfig Startup Items

[Daniel Kaplan]

There's an item in my Startup tab in the MSCONFIG app. Not in the startup
folder. I want to do more than just uncheckit, I want to REMOVE IT.

But how?

 

[Rock]

There's an item in my Startup tab in the MSCONFIG app. Not in the startup
folder. I want to do more than just uncheckit, I want to REMOVE IT.

First step should be to check in the options for the program you don't want
to start and see if there is a setting to tell it not to run at startup.
The next step is to remove any entries you don't want from the two startup
folders:

C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

For anything else uncheck their entries in the startup tab of Msconfig:
Start | Run | Msconfig | Ok

Another option is to remove the reference to them from one of these keys in
the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

Make sure you have a backup of the registry using a program like ERUNT
before making any changes to the registry.

ERUNT
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/erunt.txt

Installing and Using ERUNT
http://www.silentrunners.org/sr_eruntuse.html
http://www.winxptutor.com/regback.htm

 

[Malke]

There's an item in my Startup tab in the MSCONFIG app. Not in the startup
folder. I want to do more than just uncheckit, I want to REMOVE IT.

But how?

You mean you just want to remove the entry?

The safest way is with the free MS Power Toy TweakUI. Download it here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

If you don't want to do this, you'll need to hand-edit the registry.
Start>Run>regedit [enter]

Navigate to HKLM>Software>Microsoft>Windows>Current Version>Uninstall

You'll see a lot of entries under that category on the left. Highlight them
to see what they are in the right-hand panel. Find the one you want to
remove (on the left) and delete it.

Be very careful in the registry - you can render your Windows unbootable if
you make the right (wrong) mistake.

Malke

 

[Jay]

The safest way is with the free MS Power Toy TweakUI. Download it here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

I have TweakUI on XP-Pro and I don't see anywhere that mentions the
entries in MSConfig and how to remove them.

 

[Daniel Kaplan]

On 06.01.2007 16:46, Malke wrote:

I have TweakUI on XP-Pro and I don't see anywhere that mentions the
entries in MSConfig and how to remove them.

Same here, it doesn't

 

[Malke]

Same here, it doesn't

Then I guess my memory of what TweakUI has in it for XP was flawed. It
happens. So hand-edit the registry as I already told you.

Malke

 

[Daniel Kaplan]

C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

All these failed. How can I not remove it from starting up? It has to be
somewhere. And I mean beyond unchecking it in MSCONFIG

 

[Bill James]

What is the startup location shown in msconfig?

 

[Malke]

You know, I've got to apologize to you. I misread what you were trying to do
and for some reason thought you were trying to remove entries from
Add/Remove Programs. I have no idea why I thought this since you were quite
clear.

The registry entries for what shows up using msconfig are in:

HKLM>Software>Microsoft>Shared Tools>MSConfig>startupreg
HKLM>Software>Microsoft>Shared Tools>MSConfig>startupfolder

Malke

 

[Daniel Kaplan]

What is the startup location shown in msconfig?

I know the location and all. But I want to just remove it from startp, not
delete the program. But just leaving it unchecked in msconfig doesn't seem
proper. i as the user should be able to remove an entry from there
permanently

 

[Bill James]

Perhaps you misunderstood my suggestion. The location column in msconfig shows you where the program is starting from. Remove the startup from that location, then re-enable normal startup in msconfig.

 

[Daniel Kaplan]

The registry entries for what shows up using msconfig are in:

HKLM>Software>Microsoft>Shared Tools>MSConfig>startupreg
HKLM>Software>Microsoft>Shared Tools>MSConfig>startupfolder

I really do appreciate all the postings, but am getting so lost. Under the
two keys above, or whatever they're called, only have ONE THING. The one
item that I unchecked in MSCONFIG.

I did a thorough search using MSCONFIG, and cannot find where in the
registry it has all the items listed in startup! I have plenty of items and
can't find them.

Argh!

 

[Rock]

"Bill James" wrote

What is the startup location shown in msconfig?

I know the location and all. But I want to just remove it from startp,
not delete the program. But just leaving it unchecked in msconfig doesn't
seem proper. i as the user should be able to remove an entry from there
permanently

To stop it from starting up remove it from the location where it's listed to
startup. If after that it's still listed in Msconfig, then uncheck it and
then remove it's entry from Msconfig by removing the respective entry in the
registry. Items unchecked in Msconfig are located in the registry at:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Msconfig\startupfolder
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Msconfig\startupreg
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Msconfig\services

 

[Guest]

My question is related. I can uncheck items in msconfig startup but then the
reboot will be in Selective Startup. If I then go back to Normal Startup all
the unchecked startup options are reactivated. It is a vicious circle. Is
there a permanent solution that does not load tons of unused apps at startup
but would allow me to run them in the rare cases when I choose?

 

[GTS]

This is because msconfig is designed for troubleshooting. Startup Control
Panel would do what you want.
http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml

--

 

[AJR]

Let it set at "selective startup" - no harm - keep in mind that it is only
obeying your command - being "selective" regarding startup items.

 

[Rock]

My question is related. I can uncheck items in msconfig startup but then
the
reboot will be in Selective Startup. If I then go back to Normal Startup
all
the unchecked startup options are reactivated. It is a vicious circle. Is
there a permanent solution that does not load tons of unused apps at
startup
but would allow me to run them in the rare cases when I choose?

Uncheck what you want and then when it pops up next restart, check the box
on the splash screen to tell it not to remind you again. It won't until you
make another change.

Better yet, instead of using msconfig, which is best used only for
diagnostic purposes, remove the programs you don't want to start from
wherever they are starting from.

First step should be to check in the options for the program you don't want
to start and see if there is a setting to tell it not to run at startup.
The next step is to remove any entries you don't want from the two startup
folders:

C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Another option is to remove the reference to them from one of these keys in
the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

Make sure you have a backup of the registry using a program like ERUNT
before making any changes to the registry.

ERUNT
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/erunt.txt

Installing and Using ERUNT
http://www.silentrunners.org/sr_eruntuse.html
http://www.winxptutor.com/regback.htm

 

[Bruce Chambers]

My question is related. I can uncheck items in msconfig startup but then the
reboot will be in Selective Startup. If I then go back to Normal Startup all
the unchecked startup options are reactivated. It is a vicious circle. Is
there a permanent solution that does not load tons of unused apps at startup
but would allow me to run them in the rare cases when I choose?

Msconfig was designed to be a troubleshooting tool, not a "startup
configurer." Use MSConfig to determine the location of the command that
is attempting to start the program, and remove it. To cease the
selective startup notifications, either return your settings to the way
they were, or permanently remove the undesirable programs from your
startup configuration.

In most cases, with "well-mannered" applications, it's usually as
simple as opening the undesired program and deselecting the option to
"display icon in the system tray" or to "start when Windows starts."

Additionally, Look in the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start
Menu\Programs\Start Up and C:\Documents and Settings\username\Start
Menu\Programs\Start Up folders, and in the system registry, primarily in
the HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run keys.

How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;310560


--

Bruce Chambers

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