RAV.EXE in registry RUN key

[TX2]

Windows XP Home ...

Every time the machine starts, the folder C:\WINDOWS is displayed.
Clicking to close has no issue, and the window closes.

On checking the registry, I noted under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
that there is an entry under the name column for RAV.EXE, and this has a
value of C:\WINDOWS

Removing the key has no effect, as it is replaced at next boot.

I have (temporarily) installed AVG from Grisoft, but it is not detecting
anything.

I have also run Ad Aware on the system which removed a lot of spyware.

I Googled RAV.EXE but only found that it was a process which
Backdoor.Helios (trojan) tries to terminate, which suggests RAV.EXE in
itself isn't malicious.

So why this entry in the registry, and why can I not remove it?
Help to eradicate this startup issue would be appreciated.

 

[your name]

Windows XP Home ...

Every time the machine starts, the folder C:\WINDOWS is displayed.
Clicking to close has no issue, and the window closes.

On checking the registry, I noted under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
that there is an entry under the name column for RAV.EXE, and this has a
value of C:\WINDOWS

Removing the key has no effect, as it is replaced at next boot.

I have (temporarily) installed AVG from Grisoft, but it is not detecting
anything.

I have also run Ad Aware on the system which removed a lot of spyware.

I Googled RAV.EXE but only found that it was a process which
Backdoor.Helios (trojan) tries to terminate, which suggests RAV.EXE in
itself isn't malicious.

So why this entry in the registry, and why can I not remove it?
Help to eradicate this startup issue would be appreciated.

It is in your win.ini, load=

You could do a text search for rav.exe in all your files, but that may take
a while.
I don't know what it is, It might be used for something, but turning it off
to try shouldn't do any harm.