Preventing Software Opening at Start Up

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Guest

I have several 3rd party programs that open automatically at start up, which
give slow start up and also 'nuisance'messages.

How do I set the system so that they do not open? - I can find no option in
the programs themselves. I know that I can use MSCONFIG to test the effect of
switching them off but, as I understand it, this is for testing only and not
a permanent solution.

Many thanks - Roy
 
Can you delete the shortcuts from the Startup folder?

Start > All Programs > Startup

Highlight the relevant shortcut > right click > delete
 
Remove any entries from the registry that are starting programs that you
don't want to start at boot.
Start > Run > Regedit
HKEY_Local_Machine > Software > Microsoft > Windows > Current Version >
Run
Runonce
Runonceex
 
Roy said:
I have several 3rd party programs that open automatically at start up,
which give slow start up and also 'nuisance'messages.

How do I set the system so that they do not open? - I can find no
option in the programs themselves. I know that I can use MSCONFIG to
test the effect of switching them off but, as I understand it, this is
for testing only and not a permanent solution.
Click to expand...

If you *really* can't find an option to not start with Windows from
within the program - and most programs *do* allow you to set this
option - then there is nothing wrong with using msconfig to stop the
programs from starting.

Go to Start>Run and type (without quotes) "msconfig" [enter]. This
brings up the System Configuration Utility. Look on the Startup tab and
find the probable culprit. Uncheck the box next to its name, Apply and
OK out. You don't need to restart immediately, but the next time you do
you'll get a dialog saying you've used the Utility. Just tick the box
that says in effect, "don't bother me about this again".

It will not hurt your computer to make the program changes with the
System Configuration Utility. Do not, however, stop services with it.
Services should be managed from services.msc and you must be very
cautious when doing that.

Malke
 
Roy

Is one of them called 'SpyAxe'?.. some of these may be malware.. go to
'Add/Remove Programs' and delete them.. then run any anti-spyware programs
that you have installed..
 
Roy said:
I have several 3rd party programs that open automatically at start
up, which give slow start up and also 'nuisance'messages.

How do I set the system so that they do not open? - I can find no
option in the programs themselves. I know that I can use MSCONFIG to
test the effect of switching them off but, as I understand it, this
is for testing only and not a permanent solution.
Click to expand...


Although MSCONFIG is designed to be a troubleshooting tool, there's really
no downside to using it to make permanent changes.
 
Crack said:
Remove any entries from the registry that are starting programs that
you don't want to start at boot.
Start > Run > Regedit
HKEY_Local_Machine > Software > Microsoft > Windows > Current Version
Runonce
Runonceex
Click to expand...


First, note that not all programs that start automatically start from these
registry entires.

Second, and most important, registry editingis an inherently danerous
process. A mistake can leave you with an unbootable computer. Sometimes you
need to edit the registry directly, because there's no other alternative to
doing what you want. But when you don't have to, because there's a simple
tool available that does it for you (MSCONFIG, in this case, or any of
several similar third-party choices) the alternative should be greatly
preferred. That's especially true when you're giving advice to a stranger
who may need have experience editing the registry directly.
 
Ken

It is not unknown for the ill-informed to close down AV, firewall etc from
MSCONFIG.. personally, I would rather people don't go there unless they know
specifically what to shut down..
 
Mike - no, not SpyAxe. The s/w that is giving me most problem is Logitech
Harmony for installing a Universal Remote for my TV and DVD setup. But also
Nero programs and InCD among others

Roy
 
Ken - thanks for this. I am not happy about going into the registry unless
absolutely necessary so will take your approach. I appreciate what Mike is
saying (next message) but with care I reckon this is safer than editing the
registry.

Thanks to all - Roy
 
Roy said:
I have several 3rd party programs that open automatically at start up, which
give slow start up and also 'nuisance'messages.

How do I set the system so that they do not open? - I can find no option in
the programs themselves. I know that I can use MSCONFIG to test the effect of
switching them off but, as I understand it, this is for testing only and not
a permanent solution.

Many thanks - Roy
Click to expand...

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.

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
 
Roy said:
Ken - thanks for this. I am not happy about going into the registry
unless absolutely necessary so will take your approach. I appreciate
what Mike is saying (next message) but with care I reckon this is
safer than editing the registry.
Click to expand...


You're welcome. Glad to help. Mike's view may be different, but my view is
that using MSCONFIG is much less dangerous than editiong the registry
directly.
 
Ken

I never recommend 'regedit' to anybody I think could not 'handle' it.. re.
MSCONFIG and START options, I think that it is better to try to stop the
items at source rather than to intercept them via MSCONFIG.. while improper
use of regedit can render a system unusable almost instantly, improper use
of MSCONFIG result in problems too..
 
Mike said:
I never recommend 'regedit' to anybody I think could not 'handle'
it.. re. MSCONFIG and START options, I think that it is better to try
to stop the items at source rather than to intercept them via
MSCONFIG.. while improper use of regedit can render a system unusable
almost instantly, improper use of MSCONFIG result in problems too..
Click to expand...


There are very few programs (perhaps solitaire?) of which it could be said
that there is no danger of improper use causing a problem. The only
question, as far as I'm concerned, is where is the danger greater. As far as
I'm concerned, there is clearly far greater danger of misusing regedit and
causing a problem with it, than with MSCONFIG.

So I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this.
 
Ken

I didn't realise that we were disagreeing.. :-).. accepted that Regedit is
way dangerous, but generally, if one clicks on items in the notification
area, there is an option to 'not show' or similar.. this, I feel, is a
better way to go about it..
 
How about recommending AutoRuns from SysInternals. Sort of like
a Tweak-UI for Startups & Watchdogs.

Mike Hall (MS-MVP) said:
Ken

I didn't realise that we were disagreeing.. :-).. accepted that Regedit is
way dangerous, but generally, if one clicks on items in the notification
area, there is an option to 'not show' or similar.. this, I feel, is a
better way to go about it..
Click to expand...
 
Mike said:
Ken

I didn't realise that we were disagreeing.. :-).
Click to expand...


If we weren't, then I'm glad to hear it, and I apologize for
misunderstanding you.

. accepted that
Regedit is way dangerous, but generally, if one clicks on items in
the notification area, there is an option to 'not show' or similar..
this, I feel, is a better way to go about it..
Click to expand...


Absolutely! We're in complete agreement on that. Here's a portion of my
standard reply on this subject (which I don't think I ever used in this
particular thread):

"On each program you don't want to start automatically, check its Options to
see if it has the choice not to start (make sure you actually choose the
option not to run it, not just a "don't show icon" option). Many can easily
and best be stopped that way. If that doesn't work, run MSCONFIG from the
Start | Run line, and on the Startup tab, uncheck the programs you don't
want to start automatically."
 
Not sure that I am a fan of those progs either.. I did try one aways back,
and found that it became intrusive and a PITA.. can't remember the name but
it did nothing for my faith..
 
Roy said:
I have several 3rd party programs that open automatically at start up, which
give slow start up and also 'nuisance'messages.

How do I set the system so that they do not open? - I can find no option in
the programs themselves. I know that I can use MSCONFIG to test the effect of
switching them off but, as I understand it, this is for testing only and not
a permanent solution.

Many thanks - Roy
Click to expand...


In most cases, with "well-mannered," properly designed
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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