squares in msconfig

[Guest]

In msconfig I have two programs running but their names are in squares, and
are in hkey currentuser/software/ms/windowsnt/current version/windows. one
lines says load and the other says run. what programs are they and is it safe
to delete from registry as they are not in add/remove programs and when i
untick from msconfig they reappear on next boot.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Sounds like scumware, virus or trojan, etc.

Update your antivirus software and run a full system scan. Also scan
for spyware.

Not very many legit programs add start references in WIN.INI or
SYSTEM.INI load or run.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Value Name: load
Value type: REG_SZ
Value Data: Should contain NOTHING, Nada, blank, zip

Value Name: run
Value type: REG_SZ
Value Data: Should contain NOTHING, Nada, blank, zip

Win.ini and System.ini may contain a run/load section. If either do,
this needs to be removed. If not, the load/run entry gets added back to
the registry. As you have already witnessed by trying to use msconfig
to remove the entries from the registry.

What's in your Win.ini and System.ini files?

Have a look here...

System Configuration Utility
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prmb_tol_dxth.asp

You may want to read all of it, but...

To stop the win.ini and system.ini files from getting processed at boot.

1. In the Run dialog box, type msconfig and then click OK.

2. To disable startup programs, select the General tab, click Selective
Startup and then click to clear the Process WIN.INI File and Process
SYSTEM.INI File check boxes.

3. Click Apply.

4. Click OK.

5. Restart the computer as prompted.

[[If you change any startup setting by using the System Configuration
Utility, Windows XP displays the following message when you log on:

You have used the System Configuration Utility to make temporary changes
to some of your system settings. To return to normal operations, choose
the Normal option on the General tab.

The preceding message and the System Configuration Utility continue to
appear each time you log on until you restore the original startup
settings by clicking Normal Startup under Startup Selection on the
General tab. To permanently change a startup setting, you must move or
delete startup shortcuts, change a Group Policy setting, or uninstall
the application that added the startup application.]]

After your machine restarts see if you still have the load/run entries.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Guest]

Thanks ... I deleted the files from the registry, as I suspected it is a
program in a foreign language hence the squares and certainly not needed and
probably malicious. I didnt look in win.ini or system.ini and cant do so as I
havent been back to friends computer.
But thanks for advise on system.ini and win.ini info.

Sounds like scumware, virus or trojan, etc.

Update your antivirus software and run a full system scan. Also scan
for spyware.

Not very many legit programs add start references in WIN.INI or
SYSTEM.INI load or run.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Value Name: load
Value type: REG_SZ
Value Data: Should contain NOTHING, Nada, blank, zip

Value Name: run
Value type: REG_SZ
Value Data: Should contain NOTHING, Nada, blank, zip

Win.ini and System.ini may contain a run/load section. If either do,
this needs to be removed. If not, the load/run entry gets added back to
the registry. As you have already witnessed by trying to use msconfig
to remove the entries from the registry.

What's in your Win.ini and System.ini files?

Have a look here...

System Configuration Utility
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prmb_tol_dxth.asp

You may want to read all of it, but...

To stop the win.ini and system.ini files from getting processed at boot.

1. In the Run dialog box, type msconfig and then click OK.

2. To disable startup programs, select the General tab, click Selective
Startup and then click to clear the Process WIN.INI File and Process
SYSTEM.INI File check boxes.

3. Click Apply.

4. Click OK.

5. Restart the computer as prompted.

[[If you change any startup setting by using the System Configuration
Utility, Windows XP displays the following message when you log on:

You have used the System Configuration Utility to make temporary changes
to some of your system settings. To return to normal operations, choose
the Normal option on the General tab.

The preceding message and the System Configuration Utility continue to
appear each time you log on until you restore the original startup
settings by clicking Normal Startup under Startup Selection on the
General tab. To permanently change a startup setting, you must move or
delete startup shortcuts, change a Group Policy setting, or uninstall
the application that added the startup application.]]

After your machine restarts see if you still have the load/run entries.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

In msconfig I have two programs running but their names are in
squares, and are in hkey currentuser/software/ms/windowsnt/current
version/windows. one lines says load and the other says run. what
programs are they and is it safe to delete from registry as they are
not in add/remove programs and when i untick from msconfig they
reappear on next boot.

 

[NewScience]

You will need to open the registry and go to that path and see what it is
associated with:

1. Start | Run .... regedit.exe
2. Open key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\Run
3. Look in the right panel and see if you can locate a Value that is all
special characters (squares) and what it's Data is (should be a pathname)
.... maybe garbage as well.

To open a registry key, click on each '+' next to the keys name in the path.
It operates just like Windows Explorer when you move from folder to folder
in the left panel (non-category view).